OK, one more tidbit of information, and I'm going to back out of this discussion- - - -Just as the points break the primary current as they open, the same magnetic field that collapses and induces 10,000 volts or more in the secondary winding that's attached to the big center terminal of the coil to fire the spark plugs also cuts across the primary windings. That spikes the primary voltage up to 100 volts or so every time the points break. With the points open just a thousandth of an inch or so, that voltage spike would arc across the points and burn them. The condenser provides a temporary path for the spike to travel to ground while the condenser is charging, and as the points continue to open and close, the high voltage dissipates by "flywheeling" back and forth from the insulated side of the condenser and back to ground hundreds of times, losing a little voltage each time as it makes the circuit. A proper capacitance condenser will discharge itself completely before the points close again. Now for a little perspective of how fast this happens- - - -at 2000 RPM, a set of points on a 6 cylinder engine make and break 6000 times a minute- - - -that's 100 times a second! The condenser must charge and discharge that often. He's a busy little guy! It's a good thing that electrons travel at approximately the speed of light- - - -186,000 miles per second!
Jerry
