Author Topic: Recommended Source for Condensers  (Read 1504 times)

Offline philward

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Recommended Source for Condensers
« on: April 22, 2019, 10:20:16 PM »
Out for a ride today on the standard K2 and it started irratically mis-firing and surging/slowing. Managed to make it home and checked the usual  things - cleaned plugs, checked petrol tap filter, points and timing. Noticed lots of arcing on 2-3 points and guessed it was the condenser - changed for a spare and cured the mis-firing. The original condenser (and replacement) are after market and so in line with the advice I've read on the forum, have been trying to source some genuine condensers for piece of mind but the price at DS is about £30 each!
Can anyone recommend a proven alternative? - as at that price, I'll just buy an electronic ignition (have one on my CR750)
Cheers
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Offline adespin

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2019, 12:42:34 AM »
I fitted after market condensers from DS in Febuary and they are working fine, £19 inc' postage and VAT for the pair.
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Offline philward

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2019, 08:34:03 AM »
That's what I have in - just worried that they have only lasted 1500 miles and might let me down again (can't remember ever changing condensers in 40000 miles I did on my 500Four back in the 70's) - might just be bad luck

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Current Bikes:-
Honda CB750K2 (1975)
Honda CB500K2 (12/1972)
Honda CR750 Replica (1972)
Honda CB350K0 (1969)
Kawasaki ZZR1100D3 (1995)
Kawasaki ZZR250 (1990) Project (Going on eBay ASAP)

Offline Moorey

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2019, 09:29:57 AM »
Or maybe good luck in the 70s doing 40000 on the same condensers.

Offline adespin

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2020, 05:08:37 PM »
I fitted after market condensers from DS in Febuary and they are working fine, £19 inc' postage and VAT for the pair.
As a follow up to this post and my reply to it, the after market condensers from DS failed after 200 miles, bought another set from ebay at £16 delivered, one of these is now giving trouble, miss firing, back firing, so the last one is now fitted and cured the problem for now, but for how long, i'm fearfull about going any distance from home as the first time it happened i had to ride home ten miles on two cylinders. They do say buy cheap buy twice, but Silvers genuine Honda condensers are now £72 delivered, and their pictures look the same as the after market ones. Anyone else having this problem ?
« Last Edit: July 15, 2020, 12:02:09 AM by adespin »
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Offline Bryanj

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2020, 05:50:52 PM »
I am going to fit a pair of range rover condensers by the coils, i had to get 10 so you can have 2 for a fiver plus postage

Offline adespin

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2020, 08:00:08 PM »
Great, thanks but how do they fit, is it a straight swop ?
1971 cb750 K1

Offline Bryanj

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2020, 08:39:54 PM »
You just bolt the condensers to the coil mounr and connect the leads into the leads to points

Offline JezzaPeach

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #8 on: July 15, 2020, 07:18:30 PM »
There are other threads on failed condensers. Could there be a basic problem such as a faulty generator, rectifier or coil causing it. Or even a bad plug cap or poor plug cap connection cause some sort of back surge.  A basic way of testing each might be useful.
« Last Edit: July 15, 2020, 07:40:08 PM by jeremypeachey »
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Online K2-K6

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #9 on: July 15, 2020, 08:09:57 PM »
As I understand it,  increase of resistance in HT circuit along with minimal specification plug gaps will give the triggering/ switching components an easier time. That's for both points and condenser or electronic.

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2020, 11:28:22 AM »
Very interesting overview to consider

http://nonlintec.com/sprite/cap_failure/

It's not unusual it appears that condenser quality is an issue for others too.

Interesting that the physical construction in his view is not particularly tolerant to vibrations,  and possibly the differential between originally supplied Honda components.

It looks like much of currently available components are just not matching OE fit regardless of how much they cost.

Offline SteveD CB500K0

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2020, 12:19:26 PM »
Would anyone care to dissect one of Bryan’s Range Rover caps?

Thanks for posting that Nigel, it’s the sort of non-emotional investigation we need.


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Offline adespin

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #12 on: July 16, 2020, 12:45:38 PM »
Very interesting overview to consider

http://nonlintec.com/sprite/cap_failure/

It's not unusual it appears that condenser quality is an issue for others too.

Interesting that the physical construction in his view is not particularly tolerant to vibrations,  and possibly the differential between originally supplied Honda components.

It looks like much of currently available components are just not matching OE fit regardless of how much they cost.

  That is a very interesting article, i now know what is going on inside a condenser and why they fail. We are at the mercy of cheap shoddy goods, probably made in China regardless of what it says on the box.
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Offline hairygit

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2020, 12:51:57 PM »
I used to use Lucas car condensers, as fitted to Morris Minors or Landrover petrol engines. Used to cost around £1 each at the time, and genuine Honda ones were around a tenner each at that time. Like Bryan I fitted them beside the coils, and they never failed there. I think the heat and vibration of the original location was often the reason for failing.

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Re: Recommended Source for Condensers
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2020, 01:33:01 PM »
I'm wondering if Hondamans system protects the condensers better due to the reduction in voltage etc.

I've asked him as I haven't heard from him for a while about the systems I wanted to order.

Yes,  it (as far as I can determine) takes the condenser completely out of use while it's in operation.  The points opening is just used as a signal of timing to his electronics, so switching virtually no load at all (the reason a condenser is needed) just being used to provide a pulse on time to trigger the additional system which are doing all the donkey work in switching the coils. 

His system replicates points open time, dwell etc electronically if I understand the details correctly.


 

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