farmall 300 condenser

Condensers are TOUGH and rated at 300 or 400 Volts (or more) and a quality one should never/rarely fail.

If they REALLY are failing, he needs to try a different parts source.

Sometimes there's a loose connection or short in the distributor that gets jogged around when parts are changed and spark returns for a while, and the rookie "wrench" blames the condenser or the points, whatever he just changed, only to have the problem soon return.

Looks like there are a number of choices... 2 Prestolite distributors, a couple of Delcos, and an IHC.

FIRST, he needs to identify what he has, to get the correct parts.
 
"12V and not running a resistor?"

That's everyone's first thought and I DOUBT that will "kill" quality condensers, but I am open to verifiable cases in which it did.

Typically, if a needed ballast resistor is missing, the points will burn and/or the coil will overheat LONG before a GOOD condenser fails.

Let's ear your verifiable condenser "tales"!
 
Condensers are not going to go bed from any battery voltage applied. They appear as an electrical "spring" absorbing and re sending voltage as the points open to limit arcing and to provide a "quieted" circuit for the points to close into. If you have not watched the trace on an ocilliscope showing the primary voltage signal, it is an education. The most common real issues with condensers is old age (like 25 years) or physical damage or heat. The heat is not generated in the condenser, they do not get hot from electricity. So what is likely happening is that the coil is wrong for the applied and the points are failing. when it quits, the condenser is blamed and replaced for no reason. Jim
 
Sure, moreso nowadays Ive seen new out of the box condensors go bad (poor quality control), but if its a good one they usually last a longggggggggg time. If an ignition systems LV primary (coil + any ballast) doesnt have enough resistance (to limit current to 4 to 5 amps) that can be harder on points due to excess current switching, but since a condensor's voltage rating is several hundred volts anyway, I don't see it as what you call "burning up condensors" but I could envision the condenser absorbing and discharging a tad more energy each cycle as points current is increased. I guess what I'm saying is an excess in current (due to wrong coil + ballast or too low resistance coil) is more harmful to the points then the condenser, but I just dont see it as trashing condensors as fast as you install them.

If youre at 12 volts no ballast, the coil MUST BE A FULL 12 VOLT COIL. Such may be labeled "12 Volts" or "12 Volts NO ballast required" or "12 Volts NOT for use with ballast resistor" If the coil is labeled "12 volts for use with (or requires) ballast resistor" that will burn up points quicker unless an external ballast is used.

Other things might be the condensor isn't mounted tightly and is vibrating or running a bit warmer.

The term "burning up condensors" isn't much help, is it really really causing condensors to go bad and how does he know they are bad??? While a low voltage analog ohm meter kickback test can indicate charging ability to some extent and can show if a condenser is bad/shorted, it takes a real capacitor tester to fully truly test a condensor. A capacitor would show an open circuit to straight DC once its charged up and should NOT read a closed circuit short, that's definitely BAD if its a short to DC

John T
 
"The heat is not generated in the condenser, they do not get hot from electricity."

Capacitors DO experience heating due to dielectric losses and ESR losses.
 
had an issue with a ford 4000 gas did same thing. 12v conversion, and it burned up condensors. the kit the owner got was listed for a 6 volt. so after burning up several in four hours, i had one from an 806 gas. put it in there n been trouble free ever since!
the 806 condensor, was bigger in diameter n shorter in length. is there a big difference in a 6v condensor vs a 12v?
 
No.

You probably had some bad ones and got lucky and got a different part number/supplier/part.
 

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