Jack..... .....a condenser/capacitor is 2 metal conductors separated by an insulator. It is generally 2 tinfoil sheets separated by plastic or wax sheet insulator and rolled up so it fits. It is measured in Farids (named after some old dead dude that discovered it) But a Farid is really very very very large (about the size of a room). So most capacitors are measured in microfarids or micromicrofarids or picofarids. While this may or maynot be of interest, you need to understand so you can visualize the 2 types of eazy checks for capacitor faults. MOST COMMON FAULT, is the insulator shorts/burns thru and nolonger separate the metal conductors. Ohm meter will show continunity between the inner terminal and outer shell. BAD condensor. 2nd MOST COMMON FAULT, is the insulator developes a high resistance leak, not quite a short. It will also measure on an Ohm meter as a resistance as opposed to a short (zero resistance). BAD condensor. CAUTION: don't be fooled by the charge effect of the ohmmeters internal battery causing a momentary surge of electrons flowing into the 2 metal conductors of the capacitor. The OTHER CAPACITOR FAILURE is OPEN circuit. It is most eazily diagnosted by burned points. You ignition will still make sparkies while a shorted or leaky condensor won't make sparkies. To check a coil, again, use an ohmmeter to check a coil for continutity. Primary winding (+ to -) about 3 ohms and the secondary (sparkie hole) to eather + or - about 7000 ohms. Exact value not critical. Voltage checks on a positive ground sidemount 6 volt coil, -6 volts on the coil (-) at all times. On the coil (+) you should read -6 when the points are open and ZERO volts when the points are closed. Coil + goes to battery + (ground) thru the points. Understand? Don't try measuring voltage out your coil sparkie hole unless you wanna gett knocked on yer butt..... ....respectfully, Dell
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