Bad Condenser Symptoms?

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by MrTube

. . . How long will it take to destroy points without a cap? As in, if you get stranded because the cap shorted can you just pull it out and run without it, or will you only make it a mile or 2 before the points are toast?

You may not get a spark at all, or at best a very weak one. Without the cap to directly absorb the reverse EMF the waveform falls at a much shallower and irregular slope, as the electrons must wait their turn to arc across the points. If it does run, the points will be toast in about 20 minutes. I've seen this demo on a dizzy machine with a scope.

Unrelated subject- I'm clueless as to why only half of your monitor top valve seat corrodes. Turbulence erosion?