Ballist Resistor location 2000TC

Hi All,
Anyone know the location of the Ballist Resistor on the 1973 Rover 2000TC. Or is it a Eureka wire instead of the Ballist Resistor. My coil has two white with yellow stripe wires on the + side which means it's Ballisted.
Regards Terry H
 
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I am sure its a resistor wire in the harness, no separate discrete resister. From the wiring diagram the actual wire in the harness will be Pink with white trace , connected to the white with yellow trace to the coil.
 
Thanks for the reply. I had a very good look under the bonnet for a Ballist resistor and couldn't find one so must be as you say Eureka/resistor wire in harness.
Regards Terry H
 
If I remember correctly it’s behind the dash. I have a S1 car with a tacho, so a similar setup. I ran a new wire from the dissy, via the tacho and back to the coil. In my case I also removed the ballast resistor as I switched to a Magnetronic module and a 3ohm coil.
 
Thanks, Reason I'm asking this is I fitted an electronic ignition from MGBD parts and when started the engine was running much better than before. I went for a short run and at the start it was a very good improvement. Then it cut out on me and hasn't started since. It turns over really fast but wont fire. I've had the plugs out and they are wet so suspect no spark from the coil. I'm wondering if I fitted the right ignition for the car as I didn't realize there are so many differences in the Mk1 and Mk2 P6's. I have taken the electronic ignition back of and am in the process of refitting the points and condenser. I have other cars requiring my attention so have had to leave the P6 at the moment.
Regards Terry H
 
Ah, the electronic modules prefer a straight. 12v opposed you the 9v of a ballasted system. Also the 1.5ohm coil used with ballasted systems can fry a module. Try pulling a spark plug, grounding it to earth on the cad and have someone turn it over. If you don’t see a spark you may need to replace already. Look into whether you need to bypass the ballast and replace the coil with a 3ohm job too.
 
Looking for a spark at the plugs was my next job after re-setting the points and condenser and possible coil change. Thanks
Regards Terry H
 
I have 2 white/yellow wires on the + side of the coil which means it's ballasted so will need a 1.5ohm coil. I don't know what the coil on the car is as there are no markings on it other than it's a Lucas coil.
The Haynes manual doesn't show 2 wires on the coil, only one plain white one, that's what confused me at first. I then looked at the downloaded CD manual from the club which is the same as the thick white factory manual, and that does show the correct 2 wires from the coil.
Regards Terry H
 
To measure the coil take off both low tension wires. Using a multi tester set to ohms measure the resistance across the two low tension terminals. That will tell you the coil type.
The Haynes book of lies isn’t wrong this time. Rover fitted both ballasted and 12v ignition systems on the P6. But it’s not well recorded when they switched.
 
"The Haynes book of lies isn’t wrong this time. Rover fitted both ballasted and 12v ignition systems on the P6. But it’s not well recorded when they switched."

My car is a 1973 and has the two wires. The Haynes manual 1963 to 1977 covers all models 1978cc to 2204cc only has wire diagrams for single wire. So doesn't cover the baslasted coil.
Regards Terry H
 
I can't get a reading across the terminals the meter reading is jumping all over the place.
Regards Terry H
That’s with the wires disconnected? Sounds like you’ve found the issue if so. Just in case I wasn’t clear you measure the resistance with the engine off and the wires off so you only measure the coil’s internal resistance.
 
Correct, no wires connected no engine running. I'm going to contact Mark Gray of MGBD Parts and ask him for more information on the Electonic Ignition he supplied me and tell him that my coil is ballasted and that I need the correct coil for the car. He's seems like a nice fella and I think he owns a P6 himself.
Regards Terry H
 
Correct, no wires connected no engine running. I'm going to contact Mark Gray of MGBD Parts and ask him for more information on the Electonic Ignition he supplied me and tell him that my coil is ballasted and that I need the correct coil for the car. He's seems like a nice fella and I think he owns a P6 himself.
Regards Terry H
He owns a few :) Mark’s lovely guy.
 
New Coil from Mark Gray fitted, still wont start with electronic ignition. Decided to put the points back in and start fresh. Set timing to 6deg. BTDC, check number one cylinder at the top of it's travel, marked the distributor case below number one plug lead to show where the rotor arm should be when caps removed and rotor arm would be at its firing point. Started to set the points but the high point on the cam is not in the right place. If I turn the distributor anti clockwise the rotor arm passes the mark where number one plug lead is and points open after that and if I turn clockwise the rotor arm is a long way before the firing point when the points open. I'm wondering if it's possible for the gear at the bottom of the distributor to have jumped a tooth. When I operate the points with a screwdriver and ignition on I get a very weak spark.
Regards Terry H
 
I would have thought there would be a bit of a noise If that had happened. Hope it hasn't. Just reading the Haynes manual and the White Rover manual and it says to set the timing using the strobe on number four plug lead. I've always used number one on every car I've ever had.
Regards Terry H
 
I've only ever had one 4 pot jump a chain. The bottom tensioner dropped out somehow, but it still kept running, albeit with no performance and sounding like a tractor with no exhaust fitted. The problem was there was no way to turn it off without it destroying itself, and no way to fit a tensioner with the engine running, so it got switched of, and it did jump and bent all the valves when the crank stopped and the camshaft didn't.
I didn't get paid for sorting the job it came in for, but I did sell the bloke a V8 auto I had on the fleet at the time, and took his 2200 in part ex and broke that up for parts.
 
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