KEM Condenser

G

goodcar

Senior Member
I bought a couple of NOS KEM condensers today in an antique store. One is labled 212, the other is 81U. Wondering if anyone knows anything about these.
Guess I was impressed with "Made in USA".
 
Please share with us how you are going to use these for an OEM set up for a Model A. I looked these up on google and could not find out much about them except for what kind of car they were used for.
 
wwirz said:
Please share with us how you are going to use these for an OEM set up for a Model A. I looked these up on google and could not find out much about them except for what kind of car they were used for.
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These look no different than those I'm currrently using. If there is enough difference that they won't fit correctly in the distributor, could then be used externally connected to the coil--better than nothing as a spare. Guess my biggest concern would be that they're no good due to shelf life deterioration. Having recently gone through a frustrating ignition problem fiasco, I'm skeptical of using foreign ignition parts, coils and condensers.
 
These old condensers will deteriorate. Modern condensers are made with different materials and will last a lot longer. I would not want to carry one of these thinking I will have a good spare if I should break down on the side of the road.

My opinion,

Chris W.
 
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Those old condensers are made with two long ribbons of tinfoil separated with a paper ribbon that is soaked in grease. The grease will dry out after 20 or 25 years and the condenser will no longer work. Most old condensers are only good for display purposes.
 
When radio repairmen rejuvenate old radio sets, the first thing they do is replace all the capacitors. They were not made to last due to the materials used back in the day. Mica was the only insulator that had any longevity so it depends on whether they were made with mica or not. Even those didn't last forever.

Modern condensers would use Mylar as a quality insulator if they were built well.
 
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