8N front mount distributor

when I turn key on the resistor gets hot and doesn't allow current to get through...bought new one and same thing happens. Any ideas what I could try next?

Resistors get hot doing their job.

NOT sure what you are doing, tho?

In the course of normal operations, one would turn the ignition switch to the "ON" position, then crank and start the engine.

If you are deviating from that procedure and leaving the ignition switch "ON" for a bit without cranking the engine, and it has stopped with the breaker points closed, YES, the resistor is gonna get darned hot.

So, drop us a crumb or two of info here, and tell us "the rest of the story"!

What is the electrical set up -6V/POS GRN or a 12V NEG GRN switch over job? Either way, is it wired correctly? The resistor, can we assume you mean the original ballast resistor, will get hot. Does the tractor start/run now? How are you checking current thru resistor? We need a little bit more info in order to help.

Tim Daley(MI)

if the resistor is getting hot, you better bet current is flowing!

check your wiring path!

3rd post to kek, key to top post, other top post to coil.

This is a 12v conversion without the original ballast resistor, the resistor has two posts/connectors not three.
When I attempt to start the tractor the ballast gets hot and shuts down between my turning the key, checking for power, and attempting to push the starter. I was using a check light(not meter) to check for current.

Sorry to say I don't follow what you mean by the wiring order. Which posts? I assume the resistor since the battery only has two...but so does my resistor.

(quoted from post at 21:44:13 06/11/18) This is a 12v conversion without the original ballast resistor, the resistor has two posts/connectors not three.
When I attempt to start the tractor the ballast gets hot and shuts down between my turning the key, checking for power, and attempting to push the starter. I was using a check light(not meter) to check for current.

Sorry to say I don't follow what you mean by the wiring order. Which posts? I assume the resistor since the battery only has two...but so does my resistor.

Click to expand...

here are the two test light connections? By the way, a light checks for voltage, not current.

Well, Rick, your situation is a perfect example of why so many 12-volt switchover jobs go wrong. You state you do not have the original 3-post OEM ballast resistor installed and that your 'ballast' resistor only has two posts. That tells me you may have the external ceramic in-line resistor only -see PICTURES. The ceramic resistor is NOT the ballast resistor nor was ever an OEM replacement part meant to substitute for the original. Get out your copy of "WIRING PICTOGRAMS by JMOR" and see all the CORRECT ways to wire these old N's regardless of whether they are the original 6V/POS GRN system or a later 12V/NEG GRN switch-over job. Find yours and do a thorough job of verifying that all the wiring is correct with no deviations. Disconnect battery, get it tested, replace if bad, but first do a continuity test with NO POWER, not just a visual inspection by color coded wires -they are probably not original nor correct anyway. Skipping and leaving out parts is not an option. You want to have it wired correctly and running, right? In a nutshell, on ALL 12V switch-over jobs, the original 9N-12250 ballast resistor is an absolute must in the electrical system. You also need it in the 6V system as well. If your coil is a 6-volt unit, then you also need to add the external ceramic resistor in the circuit as well. If you are using a 12V coil, then no need for the external resistor. Also, with 12V you no longer use a voltage regulator on the 8N (cutout on 9N and 2N models) as the alternator has a built in VR. Is your alternator the 1-wire type or a 3-wire type? Diagnose your wiring and report back with findings...

ORIGINAL 9N-12250-A BALLAST RESISTOR:

EXTERNAL CERAMIC IN-LINE RESISTOR:

Tim Daley(MI)