Looking for a 6V condenser

Condencers are actually just a capacitor. The smaller ones like an old Ford ignition system uses are generally rated in micro farads of capacitive reactance. They could be used in any low voltage system from 6 to 32 volts as long as there is a pulsating DC current to make them function and the micro farad rating is something close to what Ford entended them to be.

Napa Echlin parts still seem to be relatively reliable. More and more of this stuff is made in countries where they could care less if it works or not. Major companies that market this stuff should care but it is such a small nitch market for them, they just don't worry much about it. If you get one in three that has the correct rating, you have to consider yourself lucky these days.
 
I have a new coil and condenser on order from NAPA, we'll see if this clears up my sputtering issue after engine is warmed up.
Thanks everyone for the fast replies!
 
MAC sells an adapter plate (2 or 3 hole depending on your distributor) that will separate out the internal coil to an external one (Mounted on the block somewhere), condenser connects to the adapter plate and the high tension wire back to the coil.
 
JC Put an 8 or 10-32 screw about 3/4" long through the hole in the coil that held the condenser from inside where the old condenser was. Put a lock washer and nut outside and tighten it good. Use the mounting band that comes with the IH-200 with the screw on the passenger side of the coil to hold the condenser in place and ground it. Put the wire lead terminal on new screw with another lock washer and nut. G.M.
 
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Call Ray Helger in RI at 401 635 4849. Ray likley has NOS ones that replace the originals without any modifications.
 
If you have the 37-41 Ford distributor the NAPA FA49 is the direct replacement. The FA54 is for the 42-48 distributor.
 
Neat thread guys. Heres the straight scoop right off the work bench.
After watching this thread for a day or two and all the variations given i thought i could help.

First of all there are tons of problems out there because of defective condensors.
I just checked 6 new napa condensors for the crab units and only 3 of the six were even close to the needed capacity . They ran from .14 mfds ( very low) thru .15-..20- .24.28 etc.
Pretty common and we just return them for others . >28 is where they should be. Then i grabbed my nos box for the helmets and found the same issues ,spec is over .30 for the six volt cars and many were on the money with quite a few below .20.
Beware of old capacitors as they loose their seal gather moisture and ruin just laying on the shelf.

Early Ford need approx .30 mfds for proper operation...
 
JCWEEZER said:
bubba, so is the NAPA IH-200 a good match for my stock 36?
Click to expand...

The IH200 is a good number and may be very good , as long as it meats the .30mfd specs. Some will , some wont.
I just got off the phone with a parts store ( NAPA) and one of the parts i have used forever has been reboxed and the old parts replaced with some very poor quality off shore stuff.
Company a was bought by company b and then company c buys the company and reboxes the product. Makes it even worse when the parts you need are for very old vehicles...
 
Reguardless of the mfd's the IH-200 has been used on hundreds of old Fords for over 10 year with no fireing, heating or point problems. I have never heard of an IH-200 failure. I woildn't try to tie the mfd's to an exact number based on the amount of success with the IH-200. G.M.
 
I just looked up 36 Ford on the NAPA site and they listed ECH FA5 for it. Has anyone used that one? It looks like it would fit but the ground is wrong.

Bill
 
My fear is that even NAPA/Echlin will succumb to manufacture & distribution of parts with less than ideal quality. It's starting to look like they might be starting to already. My local NAPA warehouse recently had a large selection of automotive hardware disappear from the isle and when I asked the counter person about it they said they were doing away with it since it was too difficult to inventory control.

I wish I could say it ain't so but I've seen all the other manufacturers go this route.

Hopefully some entrepreneur will step up to the plate and start making decent quality ignition parts again and be someone who cares about the quality of their products.
 
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