1.) Spliced the white w/ black stripe CHOKE WIRE with the 'brown' wire (I think it was blue 50 years ago) connecting the alternator to where the choke wire goes. White w/black is in the harness, 'brown' wire runs from alternator and they are sharing the same terminal going onto the choke.
Is there any reason you're re-using any of the old wires? The back of the alternator is fully covered by what's in the new harness, so it's not really needed to splice new to old when you can just put the new all the way beginning to end.
2.) Opened the distributor, found relatively clean connections, and connected a small ring terminal to the short black wire coming out of the distributor, attached it to the LEFT side of the coil connection (negative side?). Just hoping to confirm that, if you're looking at the coil head on, the terminal on the left is negative and the one on the right is positive? Sorry, I'm a dope.
There is no left and right on a round coil. There might be from the factory, but over 50 years the coil could easily have been rotated, or replaced with a coil that did not share the same orientation as the original.
There is always (or at least there should always be) a marking next to each of the two terminals. There is a dash (-) for negative and a plus sign (+) for positive. Since orientation is key, it's always marked unless there is no other way to attach. Such as with the later Dura Spark coils where the horseshoe connector only went one way.
But even then, there were still markings if I'm not mistaken. Just as a confirmation.
3.) Working on securing a standoff so I can install the ballast resistor WITHOUT having to attach it directly to the firewall. Seems like there are some accessory options for this in my Painless package? Eric, is that right?
Don't remember any, but Eric can confirm for sure.
Plenty of methods if nothing is included.
4.) Cut a piece of the red w/green stripe wire and spliced it with the Painless brown harness wire, attached it to the right side of the ballast resistor. The other end of this red w/green stripe wire was then given a ring terminal and added to the RIGHT side of the coil (positive side?).
Again, no left and right unless we have pics. The only verbal method of describing that everyone will know is "input side" and "output side" where input is coming in from the harness and output is connected to the coil.
Did the Brown wire not reach your chosen location for the resistor?
Correct for the Red w/green coming "out" of the resistor going to the coil. However the Brown wire needs to be there too. NOT to the input side because it's purpose is then defeated by the resistor.
The Brown wire essentially is used to bypass the resistor so that the coil will always receive full voltage during START.
5.) Used the rest of the red w/green stripe wire attached to the Painless harness, added a terminal, and connected it to the left side of the ballast resistor (still worried about which side is negative and which is positive).
No negative or positive. No positive or ground. Only positive voltage passing through a resistor from one end to the other.
The resistor is not the load in this case (that's the coil itself) it's just a part of the circuit designed to resist flow and by doing that, lower the voltage from system level (12-14 volts) down to something that a points type ignition can handle in the 6-9 volt range.
Coils with points type triggers were developed in the age of 6v electrical systems and will either overheat the coil or burn out the points if run on full voltage all the time.
Hence the resistor.
6.) Still working on finding those two small tabs for the reverse switch. I lose sleep nightmaring about that connection, but I'll continue to dig around down there.
Lack of sleep is not good for electrical work!
Take a picture of the lower end of the steering column near the firewall. Not the shaft necessarily, but the housing of the column itself. If the switch is still there we should be able to see it. Often the switch has been removed, or more often has fallen apart and is no longer in place. If that's the case you will still see the mounting bracket unless it too was removed.
If it's all gone, you'll just have to figure out a new one. The switches are available, but not sure about the bracket.
Pretty basic though, so not impossible to fabricate if you can't find a new or used one.
7.) Shopping now for grounding wires to mop this whole thing up.
You can make your own too. Just some lengths of 10ga black wire bought at the local parts store will get the job done.
Most do not even require 10ga, but since some are better served with that large size wire, might as well do them all and not waste good wire or pay for additional rolls of smaller wire.
A 10ga wire can handle just about everything you throw at it except the starter motor. That's the job of the main battery cables.
I can see the finish line from where I am and I'm so thankful for your thoughtfulness and your help with all of this.
In the immortal words of Han Solo... "Great! Don't get cocky kid!"
That finish line might still be the light at the end of the tunnel with the freight train coming down the track!
Just kidding. It does sound like you're almost there. Even the fire extinguisher might not be needed. But it's still a "best practice" when working on stuff.
It won't stop a wire from melting (it happens before you can grab the extinguisher anyway) but it might save other stuff.
And speaking of grounds, smoking wires and other stuff.... The metal stud sticking out of the back of the ignition switch is NOT A GROUND!!!!
You probably already knew that from the manual, but lots of people have still put ground wires there and that just ends up being very ugly.
Have fun!
Paul
