Barney,
Two years ago I had a condensor die of something--don't know why,
except that it was one of those sorry Lucas units that lasted only from
11/52 to 6/96, and then they wouldn't honor the warranty.
I replaced it. The TD ran as yours did/didn't. Replaced with another.
Same operation. I replaced points again, plugs, cap, rotor, all wires,
more new plugs, and the frigging coil. Still ran the same. Replaced the
second new condensor with a third condensor, taken from an operating
Austin Healey and modified to fit. Problem solved.
It was really neat, attending the GOF with a car that was belching and
farting, stalling and hard to start. Returning 150 miles in only 7 hours
was a treat too.
Oh, in subsequent reading and questioning, all I learned is that one
can't test a condensor/capacitor without some very precise lab equipment,
and even then the test isn't reliable.
Bob
On Wed, 09 Dec 1998 21:25:28 Barney Gaylord <barneymg@ntsource.com>
writes:
>Oh ye, wisdom of the list,
>
>A new experience every day, and now for the first time in my life I
>finally
>had a condenser fail on me. The last one lasted several years and
>100,000
>miles without a problem, and I only changed it out of superstition, or
>maybe as a point of preventive maintainance. Now after only several
>thousand miles in six months the new one has failed miserably.
>
>I checked everything else in the ignition system, cleaned and/or
>replaced
>the points, rotor, dizzy cap and pug wires, and even tried a different
>coil, and the car still ran like crap, would hardly move under its own
>power. It should have been a clue when I disconnected the condenser
>wire
>and it didn't make any difference at all. After weeding through all
>other
>possible causes, finally in desparation I removed the new condenser
>and put
>the old one back on. Now it runs like a MG again, cranks right up
>past the
>red line without missing a beat.
>
>Now as something I have asked before but never gotten an answer, aside
>from
>not being a dead short circuit, how do you test one of these little
>critters? I think it would be nice to be able to tell good from bad
>and
>not end up with a dud in my spare parts bin again. Anyone have a real
>answer? Maybe some educated electrical tech guru on the list?
>Physics 102
>was way too many years ago, and I really don't feel like making a trip
>to
>the library if someone on the list can answer this one.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Barney Gaylord
>1958 MGA with an attitude
>
>
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