Texas T dist keeps burning condensers!!! why????

Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration
Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Texas T dist keeps burning condensers!!! why????
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Monday, October 15, 2012 - 11:42 pm:

so im running 6 volt, old coil, texas t distributor no thrills no frills. but the cussed thing keeps burning condensers. ive been through four now. ive been using 60s vw condensers as replacement.

do i need a different value condenser? do i need a ballast resistor? i mean what the heck?

now before you tell me to return it to stock, thats what i intend to do, but i have no mag ring or magnets installed so it will have to wait a little while.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Craig Anderson, central Wisconsin on Monday, October 15, 2012 - 11:57 pm:

You need a resistor.
The only time the points should see full battery voltage is when the starter is engaged.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 12:24 am:

wher could one obtain such a resistor? and should it be the hot lead in or out of the coil?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Knoll on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 01:00 am:

Can someone post a schematic of where one would put the resistor, because I can't remember. Any ceramic 6 volt ballast resistor should work, yes ?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cameron Whitaker on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 01:07 am:

The other question is, are you running standard points or electronic ignition?

If you are using electronic ignition, don't use a condenser. They are designed to run with out one, and if you do use one, it won't live long.

If you are running points, then all I can say is that I'm not sure that a resistor is ever really necessary at 6 volts. Also, I am at a loss as to why it would keep destroying condensers if you are running points. However, I have a condenser on hand that far exceeds the ratings of a standard VW one and should never burn up, but it is a little difficult to hook up. If you want to try it, then feel free to PM me.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Knoll on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 01:13 am:

I run a ground from the distributor head to the block: I have read somewhere this is advisable, but I don't know what that would do to save condensers. With that said , I do not have a ballast resistor and have never burned a condenser up with my Texas T distributor.
Found this on the Jalopy journal

"Is resistance needed in an all 6 volt ignition system?

No most coils are designed to work at about 6 volts input. 12V cars use resisted inputs or internally resisted coils (usually clearly labled as such) to keep the coil from over heating. Some starter solenoids, like ford 12v have an unresisted terminal that feeds the coil 12 v while the starter is spinning. theory is to give a hotter spark while starting the engine. Then when the key is released, the circuit goes through the balast resistor or the resistor wire.

So a 6v car will run on just about any coil you mount that is not lables as internally resisted. The resistor in the 12v system usually operate the coil at 7 or 8 volts.

The important thing is to assure the coil is wired properly for the grounding system of the vehicle. Most 6V were positive ground. so from ign the wire should go to the egative coil terminal and the positive terminal to the points, where the circuit gets grouded to positive when the points open. Opposite for negative grounded circuits.

As a point of reference in regard to resistance, it is the most usualy reason why 6 V systems do not operate as designed. Any resistance in a circuit kills the electrical flow (amps) which 6 V system depend upon for proper operation. The most usualy place is a corupted ground after the load or loose or corupted connections in front of the load.

The other most usual suspect is that the #1 gauge or thicker main battery cables have been replaced with the wimpy stuff 12V likes , and the ground strap from the body to the frame or engine is missing. One reasons that manufacturers switched to 12V is that they could half the gauges of wires used in the vehicles circuits. Saving weight but more important saving money."
__________________


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 06:56 am:

Might want to check charging voltage at the battery. Many Model T's have the generator output set too high which results in too high charging voltage. This takes a toll on components like condensers, coils, and bulbs.

When it comes to generator charging current / voltage more is not better. You want just enough to get the job done. If you have an ammeter the amps should be +1 with the headlights on at cruising speed.

Some of the cheap made in China alternators have unreliable internal or external regulators. For goodness sake check the charging voltage at cruising speed. It should be 13.7 - 14.2 for a 12 volt system, and about 6.5 - 7.2 volts for a 6 volt system.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By CharlesHebert on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 07:13 am:

You can also buy a coil with a built in resistor..
Check with one of the parts suppliers...


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 08:52 am:

The condenser hot lead should be tied in parallel to the hot lead of the points, and its case to ground. I can't imagine damaging it, except maybe by having it wired in series.

The condenser should pass current only in the brief instants when the points open (and close), thereby avoiding arcing across the points.

I would go to Bubba's Bug World or wherever, and buy a 6v VW coil. That old coil could have shorted turns, making it inefficient and draw extra current. Does it get really hot?

rdr


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 10:14 am:

Thanks for all the input, from what i understand some coils have internal resisitors and some dont, my charge rate is about 1-2 amps at cruising.

ill go buy a new condenser after work, and it just so happens that i have a mallory mag spark coil with ballast resistors on it and it was made for six volt....:-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 10:19 am:

I bet that Mallory draws a lot more current than a VW coil.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cameron Whitaker on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 10:39 am:

All I can say is that I've run 6 volt coils on 12 volts in a pinch with no resistor, and I have never burned up a condenser, and I've only burned up one coil, and that was because I left the key on.

Just to make sure that we are on the same page, here is a quick and dirty diagram of how everything is supposed to be hooked up.

Coil Diagram


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 11:09 am:

Actually I've never seen one burn, resistor coil, external resistor or nothing so I'm going with Royce on over voltage. Get a resistor anyway. I know Chrysler used an external fire wall mounted porcenal one in the 60's and they are easily available at local parts stores.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 11:15 am:

By the way, it'll increase your point life insanely.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 11:16 am:

A guy at the Texas T Party this year had his T rendered inoperative by a burned out "built in resistor" 12 volt coil. At last years Texas T Party he rode the vulture wagon two days in a row.

He said to me "Everyone told me that distributors are more reliable than the original magneto and coils".


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 11:33 am:

It goes back to what you said earlier Royce. If a coil burns out in weeks or months something else is wrong. Voltage again comes to mind. These units go for years and years when properly installed. In reference to the last line of your post: the ignition system that's most reliable is the one you understand. Your pal understands neither. I've never had a T with a dist. but if it came on the car I'd run it BUT I know both systems so there's a difference.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Claverie on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 12:01 pm:

Some years ago I was 'captain' of a boat owned by my employer. On a cruise across Lake Ponchartrain, the engine suddenly died. Checking things out, I found the coil was dead.

After being towed home by the Coast Guard, I replaced the coil, then found the points and condenser to be OK, but the points' arm was blue. What the????

Ultimately I found the problem. When we turned off the ignition, the motor stopped. But then, when we left the key in the ignition, the weight of the float attached to the key pulled the key to a position that re-established the connection. That energized the coil if the engine had stopped in a position where the points were closed, causing the points' arm to be burned blue, and ultimately burning out the coil.

In doing research, I found that all coils and condensers (and points, for that matter) are designed for a voltage, mostly 6.3 volts back then, BUT not for constant voltage. Leaving them connected to voltage continuously WILL burn them out. Remember, when the engine is running, the points are open and no current is flowing, about 1/3 of the time.

Early 12 volt cars had a resistor in the circuit, that ran the coil/points/condenser on something like 6 volts. Then they had starting troubles, so they came up with an extra terminal on the starter relay, that ran 12 volts to the coil when starting.

Now back to your problem -- As we know, a Model T engine often comes to rest when stopped, with one piston near or at the top of the compression stroke. That's why we get "free starts" with buzz coils.

If you are running a distributor, this means you often come to rest with the points open. If your ignition switch is faulty, and continues to provide voltage to the ignition after, say, you remove the key, then you're impressing a voltage continuously on the condenser.

All this is a very long way of suggesting that your car's habit of burning out condensers could be traced to the ignition switch -- a place one would normally never suspect.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry VanOoteghem on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 12:15 pm:

I don't have the time to read all this to see if it's been mentioned already, so here goes. You said you were using an "old coil". If it's truly old, it will not have an internal resistor and you'll need an outside one. A new coil should have an internal resistor, (they're usually marked as such), and should be your solution.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 03:04 pm:

I can't think of a vehicle using the cylinder style coil that didn't use a resistor in one form or another--6v and 12v. It was either built into the coil, part of the wiring harness as a length of resistor wire or a separate ceramic resistor mounted in the engine compartment.

The resistor was "in the circuit" only on Run or Ignition-on position of the key. The resistor was bypassed in the Start position (except for in-coil units). This was done either by the solenoid or the ignition switch.

Most Ballast Resistors will look like this:



The circuit looks like this:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 03:06 pm:

By the way, don't mount the resistor on anything sensitive to heat. The do get HOT!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Claverie on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 06:10 pm:

I beg to differ!

Resistors were NOT used on any 6-volt cars with distributors. Resistors were introduced when cars went to 12 volts, and in that case the colored diagram shown two posts back was correct. Some brands used an extra terminal on the ignition switch to supply 12 volts to the coil during starting, and some brands used the extra post on the starter relay, as shown in the diagram.

If you look at the diagram, though, you will see that my earlier guess holds some water.

If the engine is stopped with the points open, and the ignition switch is defective and makes contact when it shouldn't, the condenser is being constantly 'charged' -- a condition it was not designed for. That could explain your burning out condensers.

My suggestion, therefore, is to put a test light between the hot side of the coil and ground, and see if there is any condition under which it lights when the ignition is supposedly turned off.

By the way, if my experience-based guess is correct, then if the engine stops with the
points closed, and the switch gives juice to the system, the coil will get HOT! That's how we ultimately discovered the problem with the boat I mentioned earlier - I burned my hand on the coil so badly I had to go to the hospital and have it debrided! (sp?) Replacing the ignition switch solved the problem.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 06:18 pm:

Agree with Peter, 6 volt vehicles never have used external resistors.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 06:30 pm:

That's always been my experience with disturbutor systems, Peter; no resistor for 6v. . Do Model T buzz coils have resistors?

A condenser/capacitor blocks DC current. It will never be harmed by applying battery voltage continuously. It passes AC current, such as when the points open and the coil tries to keep drawing current. That's when the condenser is being exercised; it has to briefly conduct the current formerly conducted by the points, until spark occurs.

Here's another point: wider sparkplug gap requires the coil to build up higher voltage for the spark to jump the gap, then once the mix in the gap is ionized, it conducts proportionally more current, making a greater demand on the coil and condenser.

How's you gap, David? Seems like .030 was standard for VW.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Patterson-Nicholasville, Kentucky on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 07:05 pm:

I certainly cannot speak for "all cars" (I only have electrical schematics for Ford cars).
Model T's did not use a resistor, the duty cycle of the coil was very low.
Model A's did not use resistors for the same reason.
All Ford cars (6 volt four and eight cylinder) from 1932 to 1948 used a ballast resistor. The V8 car coils had a much higher duty cycle. They did not use the start bypass circuit Ken described above.
This is what annoys me about this Forum; people making sweeping generalizations and talking about things they simply don't understand.
Ron the Coilman


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Les Burg on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 07:59 pm:

Ron is right as to V8 fords, my 40 has one under the dash, coil voltage is a little over 4 volts


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 09:25 pm:

i have two six volt coils with resistors mounted on them, so know six volts used them. and for a few years, i didnt have an operational gennerator and just drove a few miles at a time but it still burned points and eventually burned two condensers. so i doubt it overcharging.

im betting that this old coil has no internal resistor, and thats whats frying the condensor.

btw just for the record were talking about burning condensers not coils.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 09:28 pm:

Yeah, the bypass circuit was a more "modern" addition. It's a good idea on a conversion but I didn't know what Matthew was using for an ignition switch or start circuit. The diagram is just one way to implement the resistor.

I'll try to keep my generalizations in check but I think Hudson also used the resistor but my manuals are in storage at the moment. I also have a 54 Chrysler that has a resistor. GM mostly used the resistor wire but they don't always indicate this on diagrams or they just show it as a resistor symbol somewhere along the wire circuit.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 09:42 pm:

im powering the coil through the battery terminal on the ignition switch. all other wiring is stock model t ford, i just re wired it as per ford wiring diagram.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Smith on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 09:42 pm:

Put on a timer, and 4 coils, and your problems will be over.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 10:15 pm:

Matthew, that's where you're problem is. Isn't the Batt terminal connected to the battery? It's getting power all the time. You'll need to disconnect your Mag lead (and leave it off) and connect the coil wire to the "Coil" post on the switch.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 10:17 pm:

its wired throught the center "coil" terminal. the coil is only energized when i turn the key.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 10:19 pm:

sorry i mispoke on saying its connected to the batt terminal. its the coil box wire powered by the battery side of the switch.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cameron Whitaker on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 10:37 pm:

Matthew, you are correct.

Not to mention, if the coil were to remain energized, (which would be pretty obvious as you couldn't shut the engine off), it would only hurt the coil, not the condenser. I think that the problem still lies elsewhere. I highly doubt that a resistor alone will be enough to protect the condenser.

Again, if worst comes to worst, try one of these: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/WIMA/FKP4J034706I00KYSD/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMv1cc3y drPrF2Av7JKdyW4DRbxkeodPrZQ%3d

They are tricky to mount and a bit pricey, but they are pretty much among the best out there. These are what I use when I rebuild aircraft magnetos.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 10:42 pm:

Ok, then that's not the problem. :-) But have you checked the switch as Peter detailed?

Did the failing condensers come from the same place? Did you, at any time, switch to Mag?

In lieu of any other ideas, I'd suggest you install a 1.5 ohm ignition resistor in series with the coil feed.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 10:48 pm:

i can tell if the coil is drawing current because it registers at the ammeter


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 10:56 pm:

If I remember correctly, the V8 Fords, 32-48, with the distributor mounted on the front of the engine had 3 volt coils.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Aaron Griffey, Hayward Ca. on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 11:09 pm:

I can't read every post above.

There are 6 volt coils with a built in resistor like 4 cylinder Fords '28 to '34.
There are 6 volt coils that need a resistor, like Ford V8 starting in '32.
The 6 volt VW had a built in resistor in the coil. So did the model A.
Condensers for 6 volt and 12 volt systems are often the same condenser.
Using the wrong coil/resistor combination can raise hell with the points but I have never heard of that ruining a condenser.
A coil with external resistor does NOT need to have the resistor by-passed while starting.....but they will start better in cold weather when the resistor is by-passed.
There is some part of the story here that we do not know about that is causing t he trouble.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 11:12 pm:

Matthew - That would be the case if the points happened to be closed. If open, the condenser could still be charging with little or no movement of the ammeter.

Also, are you sure you have the coil connected correctly? Negative (-) to the points.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 11:27 pm:

yep coil is wired as per instructions on top, one says + and the other says Dist. yes when the engine happens to land with the points closed and i trun the key on, the ammeter jumps a skosch, but most of the time they are open.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 11:35 pm:

Lets back track a bit. The problem is condensers burning up. Odd enough as it is. It's either voltage OR ground. Voltage has been discussed lets talk about grounding. Is the point/condenser plate in the distributor solidly mounted or is it free to rotate to advance the spark? If solidly mounted to the dist. body I'd check or add a ground wire to the dist body. If the plate is free to move they sometimes actually have a ground wire from the plate to the dist body (obviously) to have a good ground at all times. It's internal and is sometimes under the plate. Needs to be checked. 6 volt coil, 6 volt battery, disconnects when the eng. is turned off. It would normally fry the points not the condenser. Very strange.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 11:52 pm:

Peter and Ralph

I respectfully disagree that early 6V coils did not use external resistors. As has been pointed out the early V8's used them - Ford 2N,9N, and 8N tractors used a distributor and they used them. I ran a magspark on my '55 Ford which was the last 6V system and it had a built in resistor but it was mounted on the outside of that coil. Typically on these systems the coil voltage when the engine is stopped and the points closed will read about 4 volts. The coil for a 6V system that has an 8 cylinder engine has a very difficult task of being ready to fire very quickly so it must have a very short ramp to fire time and thus it cannot use a large value resistor or it will affect this time. Normally the idea is that the resistor protects the coil by dissipating the DC current high wattage component of the coil primary. It moves that heat that takes place when the engine stops with points closed to the outside of the coil someplace. Once the engine is spinning and the points are pulsating then the inductance of the primary looks like a higher AC resistance to the pulsations and the resistor then has smaller voltage drop and that drop is insignificant.

The capacitor is not affected by being "charged" all the time by the 6V applied and that is not hurting it. A capacitor is happy with any steady state condition and will not be damaged by being permanently connected to power or permanently connected to ground. Either is fine. What hurts a capacitor is a high and fast charging current commonly referred to as its dV/dT rating. It is entirely possible that this is why the capacitor is failing if there is no resistor in the circuit to limit this charge current and the coil primary resistance is very low. I believe a magspark coil is just the sort of coil that has a very low resistance since I think they typically are for very high performance motors of the V8 type and perhaps the resistor on it is not being used or has been bypassed. The magspark I had on my car in high school was for my 8 cylinder 312 engine that I was using since I had swapped out my 272 engine in favor of a hotter motor. I don't know if they made a Mallory Magspark coil that was different and for use on 4 or 6 cylinder cars.

Hope this helps.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - 11:55 pm:

now thats something i havent thought of charlie, ill have to check that, as i remember its solidly mounted but im not sure,

sounds like im supposed to have a resistor somwhere, i have to technology on hand (coil with resistor built in, its neat ill post photos of it) so ill install it tomarrow. if my condender burns again then ive got somthing seriously wrong.

its not like they are burning out every time i start the car, but i changed this condenser about 6 months ago, and put about 3-4k on it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Wednesday, October 17, 2012 - 01:46 am:

What are the symptoms of this burned out condenser, David? Is it shorted internally, or open?

I can't remember having a bad condenser, ever, and I'm pretty sure a coil for a 6V VW will fix your problem.

Good discussion, all; thanks.

rdr


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Wednesday, October 17, 2012 - 02:04 am:

symtoms are blue spark, will not jump a gap larger than about .015. points have a crater in them, engine runs really rough.(misfires)when the condenser and points are working properly the spark will jump about .375"


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Doug Money - Braidwood, IL on Wednesday, October 17, 2012 - 07:06 am:

Matt which side has the crater? Moveable or fixed side?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Wednesday, October 17, 2012 - 08:57 am:

I forgot to mention that if your coil is a Mallory Magspark designed for a V8 engine, I would swap it for a more conventional 6V coil and yes you might even find one with a built in resistor and thus solve both issues. The Magspark for a V8 would typically have a very low resistance primary and also low inductance too since it was for high RPM operation of a V8. The last time I saw one was about 1960 so I don't remember them all that clearly but I did have one on my car for a time. If you find only 6V coils needing external resistance then use the same resistor that was used with the coil in its normal application vehicle. If you have a farm and fleet near you then you should be able to get a coil setup for a N series Ford Tractor. They were 6V positive ground but the ground polarity isn't a big deal.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Wednesday, October 17, 2012 - 09:38 am:

The 6v VW coil is the right match. It's made for a low compression 4 cyl, and needs no external resistor.

RockAuto has the Standard Motor Products T-series for 1954-67 VW for $10 plus.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php

The 40 year old VW/Porsche coil in the ol' brass picup is still running strong. The only way I could get this pic is with the rad off.



It's been through it all in that location. It's almost out of sight, yet accessible. The jack is for an automatic charger. The plug falls away when I back the car out of the garage.

rdr


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Wednesday, October 17, 2012 - 03:17 pm:

im not running the magspark, but i have it and thought i might try it. but i have other six volt coils including a bosch identical to the one ricks posted

maybe the magspark will be reserved for the hotrod model "B" engine.....hehehe


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Todd on Thursday, October 18, 2012 - 11:52 am:

On the Morris Minor forum they keep commenting about the poor quality of the new replacement capacitors, apparently they only last a short time, a few months at best.
Maybe that's your problem, the capacitors you're getting are poor quality.
You might try sourcing some NOS ones or some old used ones. The old ones seem to last forever.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Thursday, October 18, 2012 - 12:13 pm:

In reference to Matt's Blue/pitted points: Demonstrated this to a customer on his 1 cyl. upright Kohler engine. You can watch the points go with the tin point/condenser cover off. Heavy sparking at the points when running. I used a test lamp as a resistor and cut it into the circuit. The reduction of sparking was quite pronounced. Original equipment Kohler points, condenser & coil so we knew those were "correct".


Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.
Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration