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CONDENSER
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Nic Jarman



Joined: 05 Oct 2008
Posts: 1031
Location: Stoke by Clare, Suffolk

PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 8:23 pm    Post subject: CONDENSER Reply with quote

The Talbot had developed an intermitent missfire. Of course condensers either work or they don't so I checked just about everything else. Cleaned the distributor cap, no sign of arcing, replaced the leads, soldered the plug terminals. checked the rotor arm, points and associated wiring. Still missfiring. I just kept thinking it was a condenser problem. I found an old back plate from the Morris 8 and there was an ancient condenser. I charged it across a battery and then put my meter across it and behold there was a charge held in it. On it went and the Talbot started OK. I had replaced the condenser recently and it came in a Lucas box but it had an intermitent fault and condensers don't do that. They do now. Be warned.
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Jim.Walker



Joined: 27 Dec 2008
Posts: 1229
Location: Chesterfield

PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nic, I don't know where it is posted now, but somewhere there is a similar tale by me from last June. It is posted somewhere on this Forum.
A new condensor fitted a couple of days earlier performed normally for about 60 miles. Then the car started mis-firing, but was maneagable for the rest of my journey (to a weekend car show).
Next day, engine running perfectly I just shrugged my shoulders!
The following day it started up, but very raggedly. The distributor cap off revealed black (or blued) points. A trawl around the autojumble at the show I was visiting produced a replacement unused (Lucas) condensor in a very tatty box.
The car has done around 900 faultless miles since.
My new condensor was not marked Lucas, but WAS marked "Made in England" A set of points bought at the same time were marked the same. They would not even slide over the base plate post. I'm still running on my old points re-faced.
The posting prompted some comments about re-boxed "other World" components.
Jim.
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ukdave2002



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4100
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 10:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had a faulty condenser a few years ago, I took it to bits (cut it open !)expecting to find that the dielectric had broken down, it was not the case; the failure was the electrical connection to the dielectric (there was evidence of arcing between the lead connection and the dielectric), the electrical connection relied on nothing more than the physical pressure of the dielectric against the wire connection (not soldered) quite how the manufacturer could guarantee the connection once it was all sealed up in the can, I don’t know!
I could see how this sort of connection would be prone to failure if temperatures varied.

Its an odd construction, a simular (electrical) spec capacitor in any other electronic device would last for decades! don't know why it never changed in the automotive world?

Dave
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Salopian



Joined: 05 Jan 2010
Posts: 354
Location: Newport Shropshire

PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 8:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I rather fancy there are some ersatz "Lucas" parts out there. The general quality of pattern parts (have a look at one of those replica RB106 control boxes) leaves something to be desired. I'm keeping my hands on originals whenever I can.
The rotor arms on offer as I think has been covered here before are a case in point.
Luckily I have a Megger plus capacitance and other test gear so can test as far as possible off the car.
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