Capacitor question...could a faulty one causea "no spark?"

[tonyp71]

Or does that sound most likely to be bad coils? <br />I have a 1960 Johnson 5.5 hp. I'm planning on replacing both coils anyways (since they are cracked... and cheap enough!) and only one side is sparking. But could a faulty capacitor cause the intermittent/no spark problem? The points are opening and I just wanted to know if a bad capacitor could be the cause of this problem.

 

[orca]

Re: Capacitor question...could a faulty one causea "no spark?"

G'day. There can be a number of reasons for lack of spark on these old timers. Coils, Condensers, points or wiring. If you remove the coils and turn them over you may find a small black hole burnt through the bottom of the coil. A sure indication that the coil has died.

 

[tonyp71]

Re: Capacitor question...could a faulty one causea "no spark?"

I haven't pulled the coils off completely yet but I will surely check the underside of each. Both coils are cracked all over externally (rendering them useless I understand) despite one of the two still firing perfectly. I was wondering what the capacitor does exactly and if it could cause a no spark condition.

 

[wilde1j]

Re: Capacitor question...could a faulty one causea "no spark?"

Tony, the condensor (or capacitor) stores low voltage energy between firings. The low voltage then goes to the appropriate coil, then to the plug and bang!