MTFCA Forum

Any tips or tricks to removing coil tar from around the capacitor? Working on a coil now where the tar chips out like saw dust. Pre-heat? Odd tool? More cussing?

After removing the sliding door, if the piece on the side can be removed (the tar is holding it in place), it is a lot easier to dig the old tar out. When the coil is repotted, the tar will hold the side piece in place.
Hope you have the capacitors on hand, while they can be found, at least one major suppliers is out.

Yes, Spare capacitors on hand.

Some interesting ideas http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/82 ... 1537338755
One is to put the coil(s) in the freezer then chip out the brittle tar
Some other related hints http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/41 ... 1402403767

I have had excellent luck putting them in the freezer and working the side off if possible. It doesn’t take long in the freezer for that stuff to become brittle as glass. I think it makes it easier to save all the little pieces so you can melt them back down and put it back in again.

Mark is exactly right. As far as I’m concerned that is. The narrow side of the coil case usually comes off quite easily by pushing a putty knife down between the tar and the wood side. Take time to do it and you won’t damage any of the tenons. I usually leave the glass insulator but your choice. I chip the tar on some news papers or card board and collect every bit. There’s always enough to melt and pin the new condenser in place. I also use bits of wood to take up the space. A bit of wood glue on a few of the tenons it enough to hold the side piece in.

As others have said, the colder the tar, the easier it is to chip it out. Heating it is the worst thing and will end up with lots of mess.
I also second prising off the side of the coil -if it's in original condition and hasn't been glued. Then the whole capacitor can be pushed out with minimal tar digging.

I have a problem with a loose connection in the primary coil connection at the bottom of the box. (I suspect). I keep digging but cannot find the wires. Seems like I could melt out the tar. This coil was made in 1962 and has flat wire iron core not the round wire core. Any ideas on melting the tar.

Art Mirtes

I have tried the melting thing...don't! What a mess. Just keep digging. While the newer style are wired a bit different up top the bottom wire is the same;

I have bought a cheap tabletop oven/toaster and give them 5 minuttes with just the upper heating device switch on: After that I use an old screwdriver to dig out the tar and take out the old capacitot. The terminals of the capacitor will normally be taken away from the capacitor and with a plier and solding iron I then remove them aftarwards.
Then I clean the wires with solvent (gasolene) and solder in the new capacitor wich just fits in the void.

If it's an original coil with the Ford large capacitor and the glass, I find it easiest to ease the side of the case off - the side opposite the terminals. You're going to scrap the capacitor, so just ease a blade down the side and force the joints apart.
The old glue is weak; I've never broken the wood.
Then you can pull out the capacitor and glass without hazarding the delicate stuff on the other side.