Nu rex condenser

gdmn852

gdmn852

Well-known member
Hello, just changed to the nu rex upper plate , condenser shorted out ,wire rubbed bare on cam ,does anyone have the part number for a replacement condenser from local part store? Thanks.
 
gdmn852 said:
Hello, just changed to the nu rex upper plate , condenser shorted out ,wire rubbed bare on cam ,does anyone have the part number for a replacement condenser from local part store? Thanks.
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I believe any condenser for a Ford Product that has points will work, for example '60-'70 Mustang.
 
gdmn852 said:
Hello, just changed to the nu rex upper plate , condenser shorted out ,wire rubbed bare on cam ,does anyone have the part number for a replacement condenser from local part store? Thanks.
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The kids at the auto parts store can only deal with a car year/make/model/engine that they can enter into their computer. :confused:

To get the correct "modern condenser", I always tell them it's for a "1973 Ford LTD with a 400 cubic inch engine". :cool:

If you get one of the "higher end" condensers from O'Reilley's, it has a lifetime guarantee (as long as you save the receipt). Since we seem to have a problem with them burning out pretty quickly, it's nice to get a replacement for free. :D
 
Jim/GA said:
T...... Since we seem to have a problem with them burning out pretty quickly, it's nice to get a replacement for free. :D
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Yes - buy several.


At some point someone decided to "upgrade" the Model A with modern points. It may have been early in the restoration craze or if repro parts were junk or hard to get. Of late I've met 3 owners who have gone back to original points and condensers (with the 3 spot welds) because they are more reliable than the modern stuff.
 
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Thank you all for the replies, I only installed the distributor Friday, and was driving back from a car show only about 12 miles away so maybe 15 miles total? Lot of smoke but luckily no fire, will have to find cause of problem.
 
Hello again, ordered an NOS FD 77 condenser give it another try when itt arrives. I see the wire on old condenser has worn through insulation shorting out.
 
FA-82 is the number at NAPA stores. I ran thru a few others till I found this one. FA-82 has been in the car for years now.
Marty
 
gdmn852 said:
Hello again, ordered an NOS FD 77 condenser give it another try when itt arrives. I see the wire on old condenser has worn through insulation shorting out.
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You don't want to use old NOS condensers. They age.

You want new parts. As junky as they are (made in Mexico) they are newer.
.
 
In high school, a lifetime ago, I drove a stock 30 coupe with the original Ford condensor. It never failed. I sold the car after driving it all over California for 5 years.
 
Condensers for breaker point ignitions are measured in micro farads (uF). Ford engines including the Flatheads & the later V8s including the 289, 302, 351 & the 390 have a capacitance in the range of 0.22 μF to 0.25 μF which is usable for the Model "A" & "B".
Although a vehicle runs on 6 volts or 12 volts, the condenser must be rated for a much higher peak voltage, typically 400V to 600V DC & higher, to absorb the inductive voltage spike from the coil when the breaker points open.
 

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A friend bought the Oreillys $18.condenser just over a year ago.Last week he had trouble with backfiring,power loss,hard starting,and assorted weird banging.Said the engine would windmill sometimes without starting.Then it might start on 1/4 turn.We were thinking something internal,but I said try another condenser first.That's when he told me the one in the car had less than 200 miles on it.He stuck an old used condenser on it,and it ran perfect.He has a commercial account with Oreillys,so all his sales are in the computer.They handed him another one,and he is off and running again.
 
Keith True said:
A friend bought the Oreillys $18.condenser just over a year ago.Last week he had trouble with backfiring,power loss,hard starting,and assorted weird banging.Said the engine would windmill sometimes without starting.Then it might start on 1/4 turn.We were thinking something internal,but I said try another condenser first.That's when he told me the one in the car had less than 200 miles on it.He stuck an old used condenser on it,and it ran perfect.He has a commercial account with Oreillys,so all his sales are in the computer.They handed him another one,and he is off and running again.
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So you're saying he has a high dollar O'Reilly's that only lasted 200 miles as a spare. Hmmmm.
 
Hello again, to clarify, this was a new upper plate with points and condenser and as mentioned only around 15 miles on it , the insulation is rubbed off the lead but haven’t had a chance to go over it more thoroughly.
 
I don't bother with the new style condenser on the upper plate for the "modern" points. It is a compromise the way the pigtail on the condenser is kind of in the way of the moving cam and the rotor. Snyder's and probably Bert's and others sell the stock style "short-proof" condenser. That is what I use. Some have gone to the extent of using the "modern" condenser with a dummy that fits in the distributor's condenser hole. Why?? Just use the stock condenser and pitch the modern style.
 
Bob Bidonde said:
Condensers for breaker point ignitions are measured in micro farads (uF). Ford engines including the Flatheads & the later V8s including the 289, 302, 351 & the 390 have a capacitance in the range of 0.22 μF to 0.25 μF which is usable for the Model "A" & "B".
Although a vehicle runs on 6 volts or 12 volts, the condenser must be rated for a much higher peak voltage, typically 400V to 600V DC & higher, to absorb the inductive voltage spike from the coil when the breaker points open.
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While not original to the car, why not just dispense with the inside of the distributor location and mount the condenser grounded to the firewall as shown in Bob Bidonde's graphic? This would position it away from engine heat and be easier to replace when needed. It would also open the door to the use of other suitable condensers like the 60's era Ford condensers.
 
Got it apart,so that’s where all that smoke was coming from! I think what happened was the wire lead between plates was cut into by spring. Wire is still bare on condenser lead though.
 

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Here's an important note: I just changed my condenser ... my rotor hit the wire and mine only started missing not burned up. In looking at the situation I realized the "new one" from NAPA had a much shorter wire than the one I replaced and the next one from Snyders. I think we need to buy our stuff from Model A suppliers!

Your second shows exactly the problem The NAPA condenser makes the wire ride up...the Snyder's one is longer and lays in the cup of the distributor...where it belongs!
 
My friend bought the new Oreillys condenser just over a year ago.He put it in his car,and had only driven it a couple of hundred miles when it quit a few days ago.It has a little discolored,or burnt spot on the side of it.It had a lifetime warranty,and they gave him another one.He lives in the city and that is where it broke down.There is NO roadside fixing on the city streets.If you have triple A you can call for a tow,if not the police will arrange for a tow for you.
 
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