The Ford Barn

weemark · 07-17-2018, 05:17 AM

well folks - ive got a little conundrum. My car hasn't really been on the road since a rebuild very long. I started with a few short journeys here and there and was using it locally and I never had any trouble with it.

I then decided I would go and race it at pendine sands which meant a 1300 mile round trip. I was apprehensive to say the least but all went without any incident and I got there and back no problem. The issues started when I got back.

I decided to go to a small local show which was only 10 miles away but 2/3rds of the way there the car died, I pulled into the side of the road and it wouldn't start again so after a few tests decided the condenser had gone bad. Once it was changed out the car fired right up again and off it went without any issues. Over the course of the weekend I drove it another 40 miles or so?

This weekend I decided to go to another show which is a bit further away, maybe 60 miles. I got there no problem and parked up but then i went to drive the car ten minutes after parking up and it coughed and spluttered and I thought no it cant be the condenser again but sure enough the car died completely and I couldn't start it again. Once again I changed the condenser out and it fired right up and off it went.

Now I'm nervous about taking the car out in case the condenser goes again. Why would condensors keep going bad? the only change I made was I advanced the ignition 4 degrees - would this cause the condenser to blow? surely not?

anyway ive retarded the ignition now back to 0 degrees advanced to see how it behaves. The distributor on the car is a LUCAS 411052 - it has no vacuum advance on it.

07-17-2018, 05:17 AM	#1
weemark Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: uk Posts: 367	condensor keeps going bad well folks - ive got a little conundrum. My car hasn't really been on the road since a rebuild very long. I started with a few short journeys here and there and was using it locally and I never had any trouble with it. I then decided I would go and race it at pendine sands which meant a 1300 mile round trip. I was apprehensive to say the least but all went without any incident and I got there and back no problem. The issues started when I got back. I decided to go to a small local show which was only 10 miles away but 2/3rds of the way there the car died, I pulled into the side of the road and it wouldn't start again so after a few tests decided the condenser had gone bad. Once it was changed out the car fired right up again and off it went without any issues. Over the course of the weekend I drove it another 40 miles or so? This weekend I decided to go to another show which is a bit further away, maybe 60 miles. I got there no problem and parked up but then i went to drive the car ten minutes after parking up and it coughed and spluttered and I thought no it cant be the condenser again but sure enough the car died completely and I couldn't start it again. Once again I changed the condenser out and it fired right up and off it went. Now I'm nervous about taking the car out in case the condenser goes again. Why would condensors keep going bad? the only change I made was I advanced the ignition 4 degrees - would this cause the condenser to blow? surely not? anyway ive retarded the ignition now back to 0 degrees advanced to see how it behaves. The distributor on the car is a LUCAS 411052 - it has no vacuum advance on it.