testing an 8N Front Mount condenser.

I have two 8N Front Mount condensers sitting on my bench. From what I have gotten from the internet, If I put the analog multimeter (set to 1K ohms) Red (+) lead on the end of the condenser's wire clip and the Black (-) lead on the condenser's body, the analog meter's indicator needle should show a rise, indicating the condenser is charging. Neither condenser shows any movement of the analog needle. Am I doing something wrong? Or are both new condensers faulty? I have put the Black lead on the end of the wire and the Red lead touching the condenser's body and still nothing indicates on the analog dial.

(quoted from post at 19:10:44 10/17/18) I have two 8N Front Mount condensers sitting on my bench. From what I have gotten from the internet, If I put the analog multimeter (set to 1K ohms) Red (+) lead on the end of the condenser's wire clip and the Black (-) lead on the condenser's body, the analog meter's indicator needle should show a rise, indicating the condenser is charging. Neither condenser shows any movement of the analog needle. Am I doing something wrong? Or are both new condensers faulty? I have put the Black lead on the end of the wire and the Red lead touching the condenser's body and still nothing indicates on the analog dial.

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ry the higher Ohms scales and immediately after one reading, reverse the leads for next reading. Touch meter leads together to verify batteries are good.

try the higher Ohms scales and immediately after one reading, reverse the leads for next reading. Touch meter leads together to verify batteries are good.

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1k is the highest the meter goes for Ohms. Touched the meter leads together, meter responds, so batteries good. Reversing the leads gets no response from the meter...indicator does not move from zero position.

Your gonna need a better meter . 1k ohms is not enough to see any "kick" on the meter leads as you reverse them on the capacitor or condenser. A analog volt-ohmmeter is not the most definitive way to test a condenser anyway, but it can show leakage or short and the meter kick may indicate capacitance if you have a good one to compare it with. Best to just replace it with new one.

(quoted from post at 04:42:18 10/18/18) Your gonna need a better meter . 1k ohms is not enough to see any "kick" on the meter leads as you reverse them on the capacitor or condenser. A analog volt-ohmmeter is not the most definitive way to test a condenser anyway, but it can show leakage or short and the meter kick may indicate capacitance if you have a good one to compare it with. Best to just replace it with new one.

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have two meters, the analog one and a digital with a 20ok Ohms setting. When I use that on the two condensers (both new, out of the packaging, never used), the digital scale just stays at "1", never moves. Having a Front Mount to work on (difficult), I wanted to verify that that [b:bdbf27a258]the condenser was good before[/b:bdbf27a258] I put it in the tractor (which will not start at this point).[i:bdbf27a258][/i:bdbf27a258]

The front mount distributor condenser is a funny component. Some new ones can be junk out of the box. Some old ones last forever. When I do a tune-up, I use to replace the condenser with the one new supplied IF after the rebuild, it failed the testing mode. I test the distributor on my bench before it gets mounted on the tractor and I would leave the old condenser in place. Nowadays I'll replace it simply because it is included in the tune-up parts kit. I have a coffee can full of several used ones as well as some new ones, all marked as such. Back in the day, they use to make Condenser Testers. HEATHKIT made some you could build yourself. Also, back in the days, you could walk into a hardware store or drugstore and there'd be a tube testing machine by the front door. This was back before solid state took over and pretty much made tubes obsolete, except for vintage Fender and Marshall guitar amps where a tube amp is desired to have over any solid state unit. The tube testing machine also had a condenser tester on it, which was also a capacitor tester. There was an article a few years ago in "The N-News" about condenser testing, and the author was using an old HEATHKIT unit. I've seen these on fleabay, but, like anything else, you take your chances on if it is working or not. Old electronic devices often need repairs. Capacitors dry up, have a shelf life of 20 years on average, and transformers too often need replacing. It might be easier to just replace with new than trying to determine if one is good or bad without the proper testing device. I'm currently working on some vintage Ford car radios and there are tubes in them. Can you imagine a Ford tractor with tube technology electronics? FWIW: Most all tubes are made in Russia nowadays.

Tim Daley(MI)

That is all well and good, but does little to help me determine if my condenser(s) are good before doing the stoop labor of changing out Front Mount components.

(quoted from post at 07:43:27 10/18/18) That is all well and good, but does little to help me determine if my condenser(s) are good before doing the stoop labor of changing out Front Mount components.

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K, if you are determined........but don't electrocute yourself. Your good condenser should be very close to the 0.2 marked with *.

You must be kidding.

(quoted from post at 16:08:43 10/18/18) You must be kidding.

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hy would you say that? Outside your capabilities?

(quoted from post at 13:13:49 10/18/18)

(quoted from post at 16:08:43 10/18/18) You must be kidding.

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hy would you say that? Outside your capabilities?

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Hey JMOR, can you email that drawing to me please?

done

I would say it would be pretty unusual to have a bad, new condenser. I restore old vintage radio's as a hobby, and typically all the power supply capacitors need replaced and the paper capacitors are pretty suspect so they all get replaced too. I have never run across a bad new capacitor. I have one of those Heathkit capacitor checkers but rarely use it. It will test for leakage and breakdown at higher voltage. They have become rather pricey on EBAY for some reason, and can sell for $300 or more. One thing about old radio tubes, there were so many made they are still available so finding a tube is never a problem. Some audio tubes can sell for more to satisfy the audiophiles demand for certain tubes. Getting off subject .

(quoted from post at 12:43:27 10/18/18) That is all well and good, but does little to help me determine if my condenser(s) are good before doing the stoop labor of changing out Front Mount components.

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Not sure where the stoop labor part comes in... you do know to take the dizzy out and work on it on you bench? Pop the wires off, unsnap the coil, and use s 1/2 inch wrench to unbolt the body of the distributor and pull it out.

"stoop labor" is getting it out...consider that I am 75 years of age and just went through chemo therapy to get rid of Lymphoma
(Pet Scan indicates no cancer left). I have taken the distributor, cap, coil off many times to install new points. It sits on
my bench as we are posting this. But note, that until a few days ago, I was so weak that I had to have a fourteen year-old
Amish neighbor push the clip on the distributor cap on the off-side inasmuch as I could only get the right side on.

So yes, I do know that it is worked-on while on the bench...but have never relished getting it out and putting it back in, in
such a confined area...use a lawn chair instead of bending over...those days are gone.

[i:a37f7473d5]"(Pet Scan indicates no cancer left)"[/i:a37f7473d5]

good deal. glad to hear it

(quoted from post at 07:11:00 10/19/18) "stoop labor" is getting it out...consider that I am 75 years of age and just went through chemo therapy to get rid of Lymphoma
(Pet Scan indicates no cancer left). I have taken the distributor, cap, coil off many times to install new points. It sits on
my bench as we are posting this. But note, that until a few days ago, I was so weak that I had to have a fourteen year-old
Amish neighbor push the clip on the distributor cap on the off-side inasmuch as I could only get the right side on.

So yes, I do know that it is worked-on while on the bench...but have never relished getting it out and putting it back in, in
such a confined area...use a lawn chair instead of bending over...those days are gone.

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I cut down a deep well socket and ratchet handle to make the job easier, also removed the fan shroud. (don't need it anyway). Still not an easy job while sitting in a wheel chair.