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shoe box Jack 06-05-2020 10:13 AM

6 volt condensor
 

Will a 12 volt con. work on a 6 volt system if not who sells a good 6 volt con. Jack

tubman 06-05-2020 10:28 AM

Re: 6 volt condensor
 

Condensers are not voltage sensitive, rather, their capacitance should be matched to the inductance of the coil. That being said, they are generally very forgiving if of good quality.

It would help to know what kind of car and distributor you are working with.

shoe box Jack 06-05-2020 10:46 AM

Re: 6 volt condensor
 

It is a 49 ford with a chev. dis. it started to miss yesterday when going up a steep hill, I am guesssing that the con. is braking down? Jack.

tubman 06-05-2020 10:51 AM

Re: 6 volt condensor
 

2 Attachment(s)
You have three basic choices : an Echlin from NAPA, spend a bunch more and get a vertex magneto condenser from "Bubba" on here, or spend even more and get one of these from me. They are dead-stone reliable but they have to be mounted externally because of their size, but they do look like a "Racing Unit".:rolleyes: The second picture shows one on a Delco distributor from an Olds Rocket.

shoe box Jack 06-05-2020 01:33 PM

Re: 6 volt condensor
 

Thank you Tubman for the info. Jack

rotorwrench 06-06-2020 08:41 AM

Re: 6 volt condensor
 

Condensers are just capacitors that can manage the medium voltage back flow that happens in the inductor coil when it's generating a high voltage spark during the magnetic field collapse. They have to be able to take at least 250 volts of back flow voltage without leaking it. They are measured in capacitive reactance just like any other capacitor. On later Fords that went 12-volt, they just used a ballast resistor to control the current flow and voltage since they had the same basic coil, points, and condenser.

Paul Bennett 06-06-2020 09:49 AM

Re: 6 volt condensor
 

The function of a cap, condenser or capacitor (tomato toMAto) keeps the breaker points from prematurely pitting or building a mound. This reduces the open distance between the points which you set intentionally with your gauge. The caps value, in farads (microfarad, picofarad, mfd, mmfd, pfd etc) is determined experimentally by the coil manufacturer.

Coils and Capacitors are the opposite of each other electrically. The coils inductance needs to be neutralized by the capacitors reactance soas to keep the spark AT the points from going more to one electrode than the other. Perhaps you have seen the spark at a demo using a clear plastic distributor. Lacking that you can observe your own engine's cap and breaker point results with the passage of time.

Start with a cap which comes with the points. Later when it comes time to do a 'tune up' note whether the points have become quite pitted or a mound of metal has built up on one side. Therein lies the clue whether to keep or change the caps value.

Back in the day, one simply filed down the aberation built up on the points but points are cheap now so we just buy new ones. So, observe your used points and if the pitting etc is minor, stick with the value of cap you've got as it's doing it appointed job, protecting the points. Oh yes, read and note the side of the caps metal case for it's value such as 0.068 mfd

Hopefully you won't need to increase or decrease the capacitance. Of course your lost at this juncture, trying to engineer the ignition system, so just keep the same cap or the one which the guy selling you points has.


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