47-59 Smoking Ignition Wires….Exciting stuff!

[SanJosesSteve]

My 59 GMC was converted to an HEI ignition a few years ago. Last year I dropped off the truck at a machine shop to rebuild the engine. 13 months later I get it back. Drive it home and notice that the white ignition resistor on the firewall had a scorch mark burned into it between the 2 screws. Then I remember that there was a jumper wire there per the HEI installation instructions.

Truck runs great for about 150 miles then quits on me on the freeway. Slight acrid smell and ignition is dead. Nothing looks amiss, but I swap in a new HEI module as I had one on hand. No start. I install a new jumper on the ignition resistor and the truck starts right up. Runs great for a minute while parked, then smoke starts pouring out of the dash.

Purple, pink and green wires melted at the switch. Purple was the worst…(odd that I have an original floor starter.) Replaced melted wires, Ballast Resistor, HEI module and no start. Resistor is hot. Suspect the shop reinstalled something incorrectly. Any idea where I should I start looking? Have extinguisher at the ready! -Steve