Re: What is the correct condenser rating?
Quote:
Originally Posted by tubman
It is really dependent on a number of factors : the coil and engine speed primary among them. The only way to make sure that you have the optimum capacitance is to run the entire system at the desired RPM and watch it on an oscilloscope.
In the real world, it doesn't make a heck of a lot of difference. When I was developing my "Trash Can" condensers, I tried a lot of combinations. The engine ran fine with values as low as .047 microfarads. The main concern is point life, and you have to get way out in left field for that to be a major concern. Anything between .20 and .50 microfarads should be fine. (I have some large Mallory "Bus Capacitors" that look like a larger silver "Trash Can" that are rated at .46 microfarads.)
More important than the actual capacitance is stability over a large range of temperatures and voltages and longevity. I have seen an old Ford publication that stated that too low a capacitance would accelerate point wear, while too high would compromise performance.
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Thanks for the easy to understand lessons here. I knew about the oscilloscope but didn't realize there many other contributing factors.
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