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help name this part: small cylinder attached to side of ignition coil - PIC INSIDE

2K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  mozzerx 
#1 ·
guys and gals,
can anyone help me identify the part pictured below so i can order a replacement? it is located right next to the ignition coil, wired between the + (plus) side of the coil and the side of the distributor. why would power be running onto the housing of the distributor? am i missing something here? as you can probably tell, the wire has apparently broken off on one side of the cylinder. i'm starting to worry that i may have trouble getting a replacement? could i replace it with a stock (yet similarly rated) component?

any electrical folks out there?

Thank you!
greg

 
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#4 ·
In the automotive world it's called a condenser, for the rest of us in electronics, we call them capacitors. It stores charge from the coil when the points open and then delivers a nice big spark to the plug.

Fun things to do with electrolytic type capacitors, charge a big one up and then short it out across a small piece of copper and blow it to bits or reverse charge it (small ones are best) and wait for it to start smoking and then explode. Big ones are less fun because they have a safety plug that just goes "ppfft" whereas the small ones done and they blow the canister apart.

Because big capacitors store significant charge, you don't go opening up TV's and sticking your hands around because they can be charged to several hundred volts even though the TV is off and likewise other electronics can use them as a back up type device for when you change the main batteries. Remote controls for example where you've got a few minutes to change batteries.

For your ignition theory see the "Ignition theory" (oddly enough) here

http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/ignitiontext.htm

David.
 
#10 ·
djtaylor said:
On a 1986 distributor, does that still have points or it is a contactless ignition?

Either way, a capacitor (condenser) is frequently used as a component for high frequency noise suppression :).

David.
It is a contactless ignition. You're all right. It's a capacitor/condenser/noise suppressor. That said, the one on my '87 was disconnected for years. I never noticed any problems, either in the engine or in the radio signal reception. I did have whine in the stereo. But, that was remedied by moving my amplifiers to the back (instead of under the seats) and keeping power and signal wires on opposite sides of the car.
 
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