hey there, Got my mallory twin point at a swap meet, and have just noticed it has no capacitor! Im ***uming it goes out side the body, do they run two? or one? and are capacitors all the same or do I have to find a specific one??its for a SBF 289. sparky bits arent my forte....
I do believe they take only one,externally.Have you checked www.speedwaymotors.com?? I'll look today I may have one I'll give you. Sparky
are you talking condenser? If you are it mounts on the outside.you can probably cross referance it & get it for about a buck!!lol I had one go bad & it left me stranded.You can run 2 if yuo want. JimV
condensor? may be called that over there, Ive always called em capacitors, the little cylinder with a wire stickin out, kinda like a steel tampon. so are you saying they are universal? that would be handy, means i can get one tommorow.
Ignition condensers are all rated the same. Which means you can use a Ford condenser on your Yamaha 4-stroke TT500. You can mount them anywhere you like as long as they're in the correct place electrically speaking. I thought for a long while they were all 37 mf (microfarads), but someone corrected me a while back and if If remember right the rating is .37 mf, but all you really have to remember is you want one for a car. Make a point to get a good quality one. This means skip the condensers with the flat cardboard end where the wire comes out. Get the condenser with the molded rubber end - better quality and better moisture sealing. Try to find a USA made one - if you can....
thanks C9! I'll try and get a quality AUSTRALIAN one... although we probably havent made any ignition parts here since 1983....nearly all car parts here come out of asia, almost none from the states.
[ QUOTE ] I'll try and get a quality AUSTRALIAN one... [/ QUOTE ] That should work although I wouldn't be afraid of a Japanese made condenser. Right from the junkyard would be ok. The Japanese electrics seem to be very high quality. Some of the offshore import stuff I see here . . . why bother....
Here's a little something else to keep in mind. Lotta guys are looking for a particular set of points for a particular engine. Some points models can be hard to find - specially for the Resto guys. Use points from another brand. All that's needed is to note where on the distributor cam the points rubbing block seats then drill & tap the distributor plate for the new points so the rubbing block on the new points ends up in about the same place. Although most distributors can be swiveled to wherever you want so the rubbing block location is not too critical on cars, but it can be on bikes. We adapted a set of Ford points to a two-stroke Maico when we were doing the riding in the Dez dirt bike bit. I believe one of the original Maico hold down holes was used and only one new hole was required. Since many points are just about the same size, if you could find the right ones a little judicious filing or drilling the mount holes oversize could do it.... Far as aftermarket distributors go, Mallory may make their own points, but brands like DuCoil used stock Ford points. All you need there is a sharp parts guy or gal.
I like the looks of the BIG old Mallory condenser #25010 on an old hot rod Mallory dist.(especially with the br*** case polished) I found an old Mallory dual point conversion set for a Studebaker on Ebay for 10 bucks. I was pleasantly surprised to find it came with the big condenser. If you are looking for one, open all of those blue mallory dual point boxes even if it's for a Nash!
. The large Mallory condenser can be seen on the side of the dissy. It bolts to the side like you figured out. I polished the one laying on the manifold.
I don't believe so unless they have started to make them again. That's why I was pleased to find an NOS one in the dual point kit.
The big can Mallory Condensors have not been available for many years (at least from Mallory). You can sometimes find them at swaps or ebay as part of Mallory points conversion sets, or you sometimes find them in the bottom of loose small parts boxes at swap meets. Although you can use a modern small condensor as a replacement, they just do not look "right".
Can anyone tell me how I can test the old, original capacitor on the YC I just got? It has such a great patina! Just got it for my 8BA. Cheers, chrx
Testing the condenser. (capacitor) Open the points and set the meter on ohms. The meter should start out at several megohms and drop to 0, then start rising again. Reverse the leads, and it should do the same again. A steady low reading means a shorted condenser. No reading at all, (OL on a digital meter) means an open condenser. A condenser is a 0.25 to 0.43 microfarad (approx) capacitor with high voltage and heat ratings. It absorbs the reverse kickback from the coil as the points begin to open. If the condenser is open, the points will arc over as they open up and the engine will have weak if any spark, because the coil's current falls off too slowly. If the points aren't all that old, but have m***ive contact buildup, it's going bad. If it's shorted, it's the same as points that aren't opening at all.
IMHO, there is a big difference between a capacitor and a condenser. A capacitor absorbs energy, and can discharge it. A condenser absorbs energy and dumps it to ground, it completes the circuit for the energy fed to the points from the coil. That is why points get burned up when the condenser fails, it actually opens up inside, so it can no longer complete a circuit.
True, that's why I stated "If the points aren't all that old, but have m***ive contact buildup, it's going bad." There are commercially available condenser testers but they are not easy to find these days and are the only way i know of to test one that is leaking. And Condensers can store energy, charge one up and leave it laying on a wood desk and watch what happens when some unsuspecting person picks it up. They do dump the energy when wired into the ignition system.
yup, I say grab ya one and be happy, mounts to the outside of the distributor body, should be a small threaded hole there.
I'm thinking now that I could buy a new condenser to match my coil, gut the original big Mallory one and then hide the new one inside the original case, so it don't show. I'll photograph the process and toss it up here if/when it happens. Cheers, chrx
I agree, Last week I posted a reply on Mallory conderser testing and values from the Mallory manual. Do a Mallory search
I know all about being stranded with those damn things. I bet the condensors are all made in China. They sure dont seem to last long. I am over Mallory twin point dizzy's.
Check this thread for info, do***entation on the Mallory Magspark system & ZC/YC distributors... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=351824#4 Cheers, chrx
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