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MG TD TF 1500 Condenser BBS discussion at MG-Cars.info
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MG TD TF 1500 - Condenser
Interesting that a condenser for our cars from the normal distributors is around $15.00 each, yet a condenser for a Plymouth Arrow which fits, is around $4.50 each. Quite a difference. PJ
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| Paul161 |
| Paul and forum members - Here is info about the Plymouth Arrow condensers that I posted on the MG Exp in response to your question. I looked at probably 300 photos of condensers on-line. I found only two that fit the distributor ... Moss and Plymouth Arrow. Two Moss condensers failed in a very short time so I searched for an alternative and found the Plymouth Arrow condenser. The condenser is a little smaller diameter than the original Lucas or Moss condenser. Here are manufacturers' part numbers: BWD G635 Echlin Ignition Parts ECH EP657 AIRTEX 5H1025 CARQUEST 501565 WELLS JA525 GM 88921447 MITSUBISHI MD607309 MITSUBISHI MD607530 BOSCH 02237 ACDelco E281 Forecast 2844 ORIGINAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT 2844 STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS JC-53 Prices range from $1.55 to $15.00. Some parts houses are closing them out at $1.99 or less. Not many Plymouth Arrows still roaming the highways. NAPA part number ECH EP657 Advance Autoparts number G635 Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
| Lonnie are those for the Plymouth better quality than the ones from South East Asia? Anyone have any problems with any on the list? Cheers Peter TD 5801 |
| P Hehir |
| Peter - Who knows! I think that today, the quality of every condenser is a shot in the dark. So far I've had 100% failure of the two Moss condensers that I bought for $15.00 each and 100% success with the Plymouth condenser that I bought for less than $4.00. My Plymouth condenser was Echlin #EP657, made in Japan. FYI, they are the correct capacitance -- "0.22 microfarad" stamped on the condenser. Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
| Thanks mate. Nice work! I'll see what makes from your list are available locally. I'd also like to present your list at the MGRA T Type Tech Day on the 1st Nov here in Sydney if that's OK with you? Cheers Peter TD 5801 |
| P Hehir |
| Sure, Peter No guarantee, just my observation from a vary small sample. Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
| Peter - Photos etc on MG Experence ... http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?46,3092960 Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
| Lonnie, In the past 2 years TD3966 came to a sudden engine stop twice. In both cases the condenser was the culprit. Searching the internet I came across the site of Distributor Doctor in the UK. My impression is that they know what they're talking about. And if it's true what they claim than sudden engine stops are history... So I ordered their 423871 condenser for my DM2 distributor. Price GBP 6,95 + shipping. Do you know this company? Or does any of the members of this forum? Experiences? see http://www.distributordoctor.com/distributor_condensers.htm Regards, Jasper |
| JL Nederhoed TD3966 |
| They are well known and have a decent reputation. Similarly, Advanced Distributors in the USA. Dave H |
| Dave Hill |
| I'm writing a "Tech Tip" about condensers for next month's club newsletter. Although I don't know anything about the Distributor Doctor, I listed him as a potential source because the website was the only one that claimed to have condensers that work and that fit T-series MGs. I also suggested that Jeff at Advanced Distributors may have a source for condensers. Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
| Why not post the photos directly to this thread? That way they are easier to view, get archived with the thread, and don't use someone else's bandwidth! Both Distributor Doctor and Advanced Distributors seem to have condensers that work. I've used them from both sources with good results. I've actually had mostly good luck with Moss units also but it's been a couple years so perhaps the latest batch has gone south in quality again. |
| Steve Simmons |
| Sportsparts here in Sydney advise that the condenser from the MGB works. A littler larger but still fits inside the cap. (It may also suffer from the same faults though..) Had no luck in chasing any of the condensers from Lonnie's list here. I did see a couple of suppliers in the States on line though. Cheers Peter TD 5801 |
| P Hehir |
| Peter - You will need to drill and tap the breaker plate to accept the mount tab on an MGB condenser. The mount is on the rear of the can. Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
Some folks think I'm a little over the top when I order parts, but if it is a part known to go bad in a short period of time, I usually order two or three. I just ordered three 78 Plymouth Arrow condensers, two from one seller and one with a different brand name from another seller. The one in the distributor now works fine, but I have no idea how old it is and the new ones will go in the tool bag, just in case. Plus, I'll have a spare for someone who needs one in a hurry. I paid $4.50 each for them and free shipping. So really, I got three for the price of one from our normal suppliers. Just sayin. PJ
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| Paul161 |
| Paul, now is the time to install each of them and let them prove themselves before you put them in the tool bag. Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
| Lonnie, thanks for the list. Found two Echlin's on eBay for $4.47 each with free shipping, so I purchased both. Hope this will help my ailing TF! Thanks again. Larry |
| Larry Brown |
| Good idea Bud, thanks, simple thing to do and could eliminate aggravation later. PJ |
| Paul161 |
I posted this in another thread a while ago. I found that the BWD G102AP fits. The mounting bracket had to be modified a bit to get it to fit in the distributor. A tiny bit of the bracket protruded into the center area and had to be bent out of the way. I may also grind away a bit of the bracket around the condenser itself so I can set back the wire a little more.
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| S Grimm |
| Installed picture. You can see how I might want to modify the mount a bit. You can also see where I bent the mount so it doesn't interfere with the distributor shaft. As you can see from the first picture, the condenser is about twice the size of the one that was in before. Not sure if that will make any difference other than to take up more space. Stuart 
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| S Grimm |
Here's a different angle.
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| S Grimm |
| It's a shame that we have to go through all of this to get a condenser that will last. Our suppliers should be doing it instead of selling us inferior junk. The next step is to make our own, not that difficult. PJ |
| Paul161 |
| Right, Paul. Just get a potato from one of your neighbors up in Idaho. Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
This thread was discussed between 27/09/2015 and 01/10/2015
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