The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay The newest condenser update...8/2024

Hi folks,
The condenser project (which began over 4 years ago) has been well received and the project definitely is continuing. Thanks very much to everyone who has supported it! This post is being made not as a historical review but just to bring everything current as of today. I still import the capacitor from Germany and it is still made by the same company and designed to have a life between 200,000 and 300,000 operating hours...an incredibly long time even if you use your truck 24 hours a day. Occasionally somebody asks a question like "I've had this 3 years...do I need to replace it?" The answer is "thanks, but you should never have to replace it." The brass still comes from a firm in Chicago and the wiring connectors are made by Emerson.

Despite 6 increases in USPS rates, numerous increases in the cost of electronic component parts, increases in the cost of brass, copper, wire and even the little flag-type connectors, the price has been left at $12 each including cost of shipping within the USA. In these days of inflation, how can that be? Please understand any project I do which produces a part for sale puts no money in my pocket. That's right. Some people have told me I should be charging more for these, but I'll resist doing that because any of these projects have been designed to first pay for themselves (this one has done so at this point) and second to spill funds into work on other projects. In particular these days the project is the FM/MP3/Bluetooth/Bluetooth phone answering radio which will work on 6, 8 or 12 volts. That will be ready to release soon and I hope you'll like it. I'm actually very happy with it, despite the time delays associated with anything like this. Odd as it may seem, work on it began about the same time as the condenser project.

Here are a few more things:
1. I'm avoiding PayPal these days. Fees are too high. But a personal check, money order or cash is fine.
2. You still can not buy them in this section. I'll try to keep a posting current in the Swap Meet section...parts for sale.
3. You can send me a PM or email any time. jon_goodman@yahoo.com
4. Any product produced by any project I do will only be sold here. Not on Etsy, not on eBay, not anywhere else. Once again, I'm not doing this for income.
5. Today it looks a bit different. Because these have been used in trucks, cars, buses, tractors, boats and other applications the design has changed a bit. Also there have been some changes to make these easier and faster to assemble.

That's about it. Images of the condenser as it looks today are below. Thanks again! Also included is a picture of the coming radio...

Appreciate the update and information Jon. My capacitor is still working like a champ!! My '52 216 fires right up.

My appreciation too Jon G! The condenser I got from you a good while back sat for some time before getting installed into my Grandpa's 1951 3100 with a 1954 235. It made a big difference in helping get the truck started and running after having not run for 13 years. You make great stuff my friend!

A very fine capacitor design and total dedication effort.

Hi Folks,
The last update was only in August of 2024 but I would like to make everyone here aware of a couple of things:
1. The 90 degree flag spade terminals have been discontinued by both manufacturers (lack of demand and they were only being made in the USA to my knowledge). The remaining stock has been sold to some people who are now re-selling them at about 4 times the last cost I paid. I've bought enough of what remains out there from the highway robbers to last another couple of years but nobody yet has stepped in to reproduce this product and so it appears when what I have is gone I'll have to use a 3M terminal and simply crook the wire to accomplish a 90 degree angle...image below. Won't affect anything functionally but will look a bit different. Sorry...things change, you know. I'm reminded of that each morning when I shave and comb my imaginary hair.

2. You may see the rubber used on the top of them in different colors. Could be red (image below), blue or maybe yellow and maybe black. All it means is I had to buy this product when the price was right and consequently I got some containers of it in different colors. Economizers usually can't be choosers.

3. 10 of these were made with the brass piece pointing the wrong direction. It doesn't mean they won't work. What it means is I got distracted, flubbed up and made 10 of these before I realized what I was doing. Actually they will work just fine in a Stovebolt distributor or similar sized (6 cyl, 4 cylinder or tractor type) distributor, but they may not work in a V8 or larger distributor without splicing/lengthening the wire. Please watch for these to show up in the parts for sale section at a slight discount.

Thanks again to everyone for their support of this project.

These things are great. Thank you for recognizing a need and crafting them.

I have them in every vehicle I own. It's saved me a lot of hassle.

Jon G
Thanks for my condensers, got em! Next I have a couple of questions. First when do you think your Bluetooth item will be available and what will the price be? I am very interested. Second, the 90 degree wire terminals. How many would you like and at what price point>? I spent 30 years in Sales/ sourcing and I may have some ideas as to who might have some of these. Maybe, as i have been out of the "game" for a few years, but willing to try if you would like me too.

Jon, a couple of minutes of creative surgery with a pair of diagonal wire cutters and needle nose pliers can turn those conventional terminals into the flag style. Not pretty, but effective! Spread the barrel section out flat with the diagonals, and bend it around a proper sized round mandrel with pliers. Then solder the wire on as before. Just a suggestion! I have done that modification on occasion when I didn't have the right ones on hand.
Jerry

Hi guys. Brian...the fact is those have been discontinued by the makers (there were 2 US companies remaining and they both stopped at the same time) and I bought up 200 of what was left out there at Ali Baba prices so I'm ok for a while. When those are gone, I'll just adopt an alternative approach. Brian, please look in the Swap Meet section and go to the truck parts for sale part. You'll see the FM/MP3/Bluetooth device and also the speaker part along with some instructions for each...or the instructions might be in the radio section of the Electric Bay section. Sorry...can't remember but they're there in pdf format.

Thanks for the suggestion, Jerry. I actually tried doing that and it did work. I guess I work too slowly. I felt like I might be heading off for a nursing home before I got finished...

Click

Snip Snip
Gotta think outside the bottle

A full ring tongue terminal is by far the best crimp-on terminal to use if at all possible. Edit: I realize it's not viable for this case, meant it to be a general comment.

www.ebay.com/itm/334808895208?

Another option

Be careful how close the terminal wiring comes to the tip of the rotor- - - -it's possible to get a flash over to the primary wiring as the coil fires, particularly on the "short cap" distributor that was used on 6V ignition systems. That will cause an intermittent miss, mostly on an uphill pull at heavy throttle. A slightly dirty spark plug, a wide plug gap, or a high resistance plug wire will make that problem much more likely to happen.
Jerry

Yeah, that Molex terminal is the one I'm using. You can see it below. Please ignore the sheet in poor focus below it...the control board of my CNC machine died and I'm chasing mosfet goblins. I was paying around $.04~.05 each (depending on volume) for these terminals, then in November I had to pay about 4 times that to get some and today Mr. AliBaba and his buddy Vantex mentioned in Bart's message have increased their price to at least 7 to 8 times that since they own Molex's remaining inventory. Two US makers had these...Molex and Emerson. Both stopped at the same time which some might say indicates Molex was making them for Emerson or vice-versa. I crimp and solder them, by the way.

Thanks very much for the suggestions. I'm extremely thankful for all the support and help. If you hark back to my original post, you'll see I'm doing all I can to keep the cost to $12 each (shipping included).

Jon G - Just a question out of curiosity. I seem to recall a mention about possible arcing with the exposed connector in some applications. Could that be resolved by a small application of something like This on the crimped end of the connector and wire???

It would add a bit of durability to the crimped connection in addition to reducing the arcing potential I think.

Jon - how do you get a good crimp on those flag terminals? I have a few of them in my terminal assortment for my rewire project.

Thanks for the suggestion, Dan...arcing won't be a problem, I think. At least in the typical automotive or truck distributor. The gap between the connector and the rotor is over an inch and so it would be kind of uncommon to have that much free voltage there. Also all the old type connectors were bare. I use Plasti-Dip to coat the top of the capacitor and usually use two layers. That more than anything is to hold the wire and keep it from moving.

As for crimping I use a pair of vise grips set so the compress the terminal connector down to about 3/32" or so and then I also solder the connection.

Jon, do you think snipping a flag ring tongue, as shown, would work when your supply runs out?

It might. Just cut off the end. Some of those have been about as costly as the remaining flag spade type out there. Don't know.

Thanks for the feedback Jon G. The only reason that thought came to mind was due to Jerry's mention in his reply above.

The distributor in the picture is the "tall cap- - -tall rotor" design, which was specifically produced to minimize the possibility of flashover from the rotor tip with 12V ignition systems. If the short cap- - -short rotor system is used with a 12V setup, and the side connector has a taller than normal terminal lug, a flashover is very likely to result. Electronic ignition systems can also develop secondary voltage that was completely unknown in the 1950s. The miss it causes can be extremely difficult to diagnose without an oscilloscope and a very skilled technician operating it. Not a WAG- - - -I've seen it happen on occasion.
Jerry

Well, another update. This time of year is typically when I start the process of getting capacitors (from Germany where this specific one is made) and this time there is very likely going to be an extra fee...at least one I haven't had in the past and the maker is adding extra for that possible eventuality. That and the already imposed 2025 USPS rate increases make it seem unavoidable the cost will have to be increased somewhat. Not tremendously but a bit. There will be a tariff imposed on the importation of the parts and while I will not entertain and will delete any discussion or even any comment political you should understand I am not fundamentally opposed to tariffs from purely an economic point of view. The reason is because in the 50+ years I've studied economics (I have two degrees in the subject fwiw), I've not seen tariffs account for more than .5 to 1% of any nation's revenue...and you have to take certain liberties of imagination to arrive at even that much. However in this case it is a specific increase in costs and my contract includes and has required that I pay up front for them, so we'll need to see. Just a heads up for you and a glimpse into what happens behind the scenes. As for the postal rate increases, I don't know if there is an easy answer there. Way too many moving parts go into the calculation of those rates and even though they're extortionately high in my opinion, they are lower than the rates in many countries. My guess is when the dust settles we're going to be looking at somewhere between $13 and $14 each, delivered.

But look on the good side. We're not talking about eggs.

It's very generous of you to offer your time to make and ship these at a reasonable price.

Whenever you are ready Jon, price increase or not, I am ready to purchase a couple of your condensers. One thing for certain, your condensers will last a lot longer than the eggs, lol!

Thanks guys. I'm ready and I think I probably have 30 or so made up now. Just send a PM and I'll take care of you. I mainly was just letting everyone know that circumstances outside my control are at work here. Thanks again for your support of the project!
Jon

FYI, the 100 capacitors I imported cleared customs without issue on both sides and arrived safe and sound...tariffs and all. Yes, even though they were electronic products by definition, the tariffs did apply to them. So now it is on to cut/shape/punch the brass pieces and do some more work here. Thanks again to all who have supported this effort!