Condenser

[ate1980]

Hi, where should I go to buy a good quality ignition condenser? I have a 79 MGBGT and seem to be replacing mine all the time.

I put a new one in, the car does 50 or so miles perfectly then runs rough at high revs until I replace it. This process repeats.....

Thanks

[Luxobarge]

Best source I've ever come across is this guy:

http://www.distributordoctor.com/

But JPB on here is an electronics guru and will no doubt also reply with schemes for using normal electrolytic capacitors, I think he gets really good quality ones form somewhere, maybe Russia? He'll tell you!

Cheers

[JPB]

Sovcom, an eBay seller specialising in components that are made to CV spec (military grade) has suitable ones in stock, I have a few left here and could send one if you'd like to give that a try. There's no need to buy car-specific caps of this type as they're bog-standard, paper-in-oil ones with a value of between 0.1 and 0.2μF @ 630V working.
For concours cars, you can hollow out the old one or, for ease of maintenance on a car that's in use; extend the wiring to the outside of the distributor and fit the new cap somewhere in the engine bay with a cable tie or P-clip.

Luxobarge; I'd written the above before seeing that you'd posted. Note, they're not electrolytics.

[Luxobarge]

Luxobarge; Note, they're not electrolytics.

Ah! Learn something new every day eh?

Thanks for proving my prediction right, I knew you'd post an answer - at leat I got the "Russian" connection right eh?

Cheers!

[Wicksy]

I gave up on CB ignition after similar failures and went for electronic.
Hall effect type systems are now so cheap, easy to fit, are unobtrusive, reliable, maintenance free and more efficient. Your choice

[JPB]

I gave up on CB ignition after similar failures and went for electronic.
Hall effect type systems are now so cheap, easy to fit, are unobtrusive, reliable, maintenance free and more efficient. Your choice

That's undeniably the case. The Britpart system, as sold at a huge markup by eBay seller "SimonBBC", but available from MM4x4 at around £11 is one of the most reliable of the lot.
It fits discretely under the distributor cap and is more stable than any other, magnetically triggered system tried during the tests carried out for various R3W forum members a few years ago after my Rebel had failed yet another - many times dearer - Pertronix Ignitor.
Even those high quality PiO caps cost around as much for a dozen (which would last a very long time, it must be said) as the total cost of the Britpart system so while I'd be glad to let the o/p have one or two to try, my preference would be for electronic ignition. Every time.

[ate1980]

My only aprehension in fitting those kits is someone told me you have to dynamically set the timing, and I have no experience of this.

[Wicksy]

Don't understand "dynamic" Do you mean strobe
Got a good result on my Princess by the time old method of advancing the spark untill it just pinked on a hill in top gear then backed it off a smigen - got a pretty advanced strobelight but found the old way is better for setting with modern fuels

[Luxobarge]

Yes, by "dynamically" I'm sure you mean while it's running, with a strobe.

As Wicksy says, you do indeed need a strobe light to do this if you want to set it to the book figure. However, on several classics I've found that the "book" figure no longer gives the best actual setting - this is due to the different characteristics of modern fuels.

If you can set the electronic ignition so that it can run (and this is always possible, otherwise you wouldn't be able to set it by using a stobe either) then as Wicksy said, keep gradually advancing it until it pinks when under load. Then back it off until it just stops and you'll have the perfect setting - and I'll bet it isn't the same setting as specified in the book! I use a local long straight hill to set mine, it's uner load all the way up and I can hear/feel if it pinks.

So bear in mind with your conventional ignition, the way you're using to set the timing isn't giving you the best setting anyway, even though it's easy to do!

Hope this all helps a bit...

Cheers

[Wicksy]

Yup Luxo that's what I meant - you explain it more explicitly though
You're right about the book setting too, I don't even bother running a check these days as it's always a few degrees less when running sweet