How to test a condenser ?

[Bill in NJ]

How can you tell if a condenser is good or bad ?

[Bob C]

I use one of these.

Bob

[davehc]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNEOsWJCQlc

[Kurt in NJ]

I have used various checkers too, then I find that they don't work at 200degrees,

on the car ---weak spark with big spark at the points (a recent new from the dealer Harley condenser looked like a fireworks show at the points) --along with lowpower,popping /backfiring when hot ( it tested good on tester hot off the bike)

Then I got the A&L burnout proof one, over 25 years still working good, don't worry anymore (I did melt the solder off a early production A&L condenser, condenser still good, Al replaced it with improved welded on tab, looks old now, still good

[Kevin in NJ]

Not with the fancy electronic tester you see above!!!

They may test fine at room temp. It is when it is heated up it fails dramatically. The old style coil condenser checker is your best bet. I do also have a fancy old tester with a magic eye tube that will test them, but that is over kill.

Your best solution is to buy 2 A&L condensers (even if you have the V8 points!!!) one for your car and one to help the club mate that is too cheap to buy good parts so you do not have to stop and help him again for a bad condenser.

The deal is the modern condensers should always be great, but they low bid source them from china and they have a certain fail rate out of the box. A&L probably sources the high quality capacitors and pays the extra $.15 for ones that can handle the heat and vibration.

[wmws]

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Is the A&L condenser marked some way. I got mine from Brattons but not sure if it is a good one or not. No trouble in about 5000 miles.

[H. L. Chauvin]

Some Model A owners may think that the quality of Model A condensers experienced by Model A owners may appear to be similar to the quality of a new knee joint replacement experienced by Model A owners, and some not .......... i.e., after using it for thousands of RPM's ........... "No trouble in about 5000 miles"?

Hmmmmmm! Would it matter if it did not from A & L?

Usually with Model A's, all of us always have something to maybe think about at times!

[Kevin in NJ]

Call Bratton's and ask who sources theirs. It likely does not matter as they are likely using a higher quality capacitor inside.

[ursus]

Along with a stash of parts that came with my car are several dozen boxes of condensers that look to be from the 1950's or thereabouts. I was told that I should discard them as old condensers are no longer any good, but have to wonder if there is any truth to this.

[H. L. Chauvin]

Some condensers have been hanging around since the 1930's ..... most work ..... but sometimes both appearance and doubts if they will continue to last appears to usually prevent their being re-installed in some of our Model A's today.

[captndan]

So what resistance should you expect from a good coil and condenser?

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by ursus

I was told that I should discard them as old condensers are no longer any good, but have to wonder if there is any truth to this.

I wouldn't. They are easy enough to check first . Or you could charge them up and hand them to your "(ex)friends".

I wonder how many good condensers were thrown out with the old "Plugs, Points and Condenser" tune ups.

[Gary WA]

I use a Condenser tester.

[George Miller]

By a new good one if you think it is bad. They are cheep why take a chance with a old one. But by the best you can find.

[Kevin in NJ]

The condensers are two thin pieces of aluminum foil(well close enough for this) and a thin seperator coated with a wet 'chemical'. So all old can capacitors are suspect, in fact on tube radios and such the first thing you do is replace all the electrolytic capacitors. I have been throwing away CPU boards from computers that have bad caps.

I have 'rebuilt' several Seeburg Jukebox amps for my W and some friends Seeburgs. I do not even try to power them up, just cut and paste.

As a kid my job was to sort through old condensers for the A's. When my father bought a bunch of them I would take out the coil condenser checker and go at it. Nothing like a long spark to a 10 year old boy. Until the burnout proof condenser came along changing a condenser was a regular thing in the A's. It did not matter if the coil or condenser was new in box they all got tested. Yes, some new in box ones failed.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Kevin in NJ

Not with the fancy electronic tester you see above!!!

They may test fine at room temp. It is when it is heated up it fails dramatically. The old style coil condenser checker is your best bet. I do also have a fancy old tester with a magic eye tube that will test them, but that is over kill.

Your best solution is to buy 2 A&L condensers (even if you have the V8 points!!!) one for your car and one to help the club mate that is too cheap to buy good parts so you do not have to stop and help him again for a bad condenser.

The deal is the modern condensers should always be great, but they low bid source them from china and they have a certain fail rate out of the box. A&L probably sources the high quality capacitors and pays the extra $.15 for ones that can handle the heat and vibration.

What he said!

[cjkohnast]

How can I test a coil?

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by cjkohnast

How can I test a coil?

If you are serious then please start another thread. But I'll tell you now that you need specialized equipment to truly test it as they often go bad only when warm/hot.

[jm29henry]

When in doubt throw it out !!!!!

[Kevin in NJ]

Originally Posted by cjkohnast

How can I test a coil?

With a coil tester.

The early ones used either a motor and points or a vibrator to make and break current in to the coil and you had a spark gap you could make longer.

You checked the coil cold to see how far the spark could jump a gap.
Then you let current pass through the coil to warm it up and tried again. If the gap really went down then you knew the coil was bad or weak.