Did you make sure to boil all of the parts or sterilize them with alcohol? Could explain the smell, otherwise I don't think the PTFE has changed. For the SR-71, here are the two potential rods:
SR-71 White band: 1.5Ω, 7.4V, 40 watts
SR-71 Black band: 0.8Ω, 3.7V, 16 watts
Let me know some more...