We can put the condenser out of distributor.

[Fernando Mendes]

When my Jeep is bad to start, the first aid to me is to change the condenser.To me it is the first step.Of course,when the battery is ok.

***Remember:the CONDENSER is the principle cause of the "NO or BAD SPARK".

We can forget the old condenser inside the distributor and put another new condenser attached to the coil bracket ,its wire may be fixed in negative(-) coil nut.

[TodFitch]

I'm not sure if your post is a question or a statement.

I've never had a condenser go bad but I would think there would be two failure modes:

1. Open circuit. In which case it would just act like there was no condenser there and your points would burn up faster. You would probably only find out about this condition when the points failed. So in addition to replacing the condenser you'd need to replace the points.

2. Short circuit. In which case you'd have to remove the condenser from the distributor in order to get any spark at all.

So, in short, I don't see a failure mode that would be fixed on the road by simply adding another condenser to the outside of the distributor...

[Fernando Mendes]

No,not a question.I use it in my pilothouse B3-B and Jeep 1942.

It is a reinforcement only.

[Don Coatney]

My dual point setup requires an external condenser as there is no room under the distributor cap. I have been using this setup for years.

[Fernando Mendes]

Can my procedure cause damage?

[Fernando Mendes]

[greg g]

I think what he is saying is that as long as the condeser is on the coil to points to ground circuit, it doesn't need to be mounted in the dist. By mounting it externally espescially near the coil, it is easier to chage as you don, need to mess with stuff inside the dist. In that it makes sense. Also if you suspect that the condenser is causing running problems, adding a new one at or near the coil provides an easy test.

[Fernando Mendes]

Change the condenser and solve the problem.

Long start kill the battery.

[Don Coatney]

Change the condenser and solve the problem.

Long start kill the battery.

I never in my life have run a starter motor as long as that fool did in this video. That is a sure and very foolish way to burn the starter motor up and drain the battery. I use short (5-6 second) bursts of the starter motor with a cool off period of 30 seconds or longer between attempts. And if the engine does not start after 10 or so of these short attempts I find out why and fix the problem before I fry the starter motor and drain the battery. Others here have used my start up system and know it works.

Edited July 11, 2011 by Don Coatney

[Adam H P15 D30]

I never in my life have run a starter motor as long as that fool did in this video. That is a sure and very foolish way to burn the starter motor up and drain the battery. I use short (5-6 second) bursts of the starter motor with a cool off period of 30 seconds or longer between attempts. And if the engine does not start after 10 or so of these short attempts I find out why and fix the problem before I fry the starter motor and drain the battery. Others here have used my start up system and know it works.

I'm not sure I even go 5-6 seconds, after 3 times it should start. I agree, that guy was a FOOL!!

[TodFitch]

I'm not sure I even go 5-6 seconds, after 3 times it should start. I agree, that guy was a FOOL!!

And they never read the operator's manual for any car I've ever seen. For example, on the first page in the "Operation and Care" section of the 1933 De Luxe Plymouth Six Instruction Book, under "To Start Engine (Cold)" is says:

...

If the starting motor cranks the engine 15 to 30 seconds without the engine starting under its own power, the starter pedal should be released and the cause of the engine not starting determined. (Page 81) Prolonged use of the starting motor will soon discharge the storage battery. The starter should be released the moment the engine starts.

[Fernando Mendes]

Re: We can put the condenser out of the distributor.

Postby dr deuce » Mon Jul 11, 2011 6:47 pm

I have been putting mine outside for a while now.

Hey Doc were you tired of having to fish that little screw out of the dist. body ?

[Dave72dt]

I can drop little screws on the outside as easily as on the inside.

[mechresto]

Guys

The condenser doesn't care whether it's inside or out of the distributor case. What does matter though is that for it to do it's job it MUST be mounted close to the points. It has two functions, one- to absorb the electricity when the points just open thereby protecting points and, two- to send that electricity back to the coil the very instant the magnetic field collapses and generate more spark.

In 40+ years of wrenching I've only had about a dozen condensers go bad, those were due to heat and vibration, a manufacturing error on the equipment. If you're popping so many condensers that you need to mount them out of the dist body you've got issues elsewhere, such as coil wired backwards, wrong coil, wrong MFD or capacity condenser for the system, bad grounds at the distributor and block to chassis, plug wire leakage and arcing back into the cap and internals etc.

Bryan

[HanksB3B]

What is the purpose of a dual point distributor?

Regards,

Hank

[Dave72dt]

Give the coil more time to build a hotter spark.

[Don Coatney]

What is the purpose of a dual point distributor?

Regards,

Hank

If I recall my dwell angel went from 38 degrees with single points to 48degrees with the dual points. This is why dual points are good. The higher the dwell the more coil saturation time (read hotter spark) you will have.

[HanksB3B]

Thanks.

Hank