Morris Minor Owners Club

Yes, spark is used all the time around here. I used it a lot as I trained to be one a while back. Oh and the engine WILL run without a condenser, it's just not a good idea to do it for a prolonged period. The points are earthing the coil with or without the capacitor in parallel which is earthing the harmonics (excess sparks).

What exactly is the 'auto spark'

heard it many times - also in Scotland. The industrial electrician is just a 'sparky' and we used to call electrical engineers "wobbly heds" as they were not real 'dirty hands' engineers like us on mech eng apprenticeships.

rayofleamington wrote:we used to call electrical engineers "wobbly heds" as they were not real 'dirty hands' engineers like us on mech eng apprenticeships.

We used to call you lot (the Mech engs) either grease monkeys or spanner monkeys.

Nope - my daughter's Mini ground to a halt when the condenser failed. It's not just there to kill harmonics - it interacts with the impedance in the coil to create a very much higher voltage than the simple ratios in the coil would suggest. As the points open the voltage on the lv side rises (very briefly of course) to several hundred,and this converts to several thousands on the hv side.
The Mini was instantly revived with a new condenser - the points were still in ok condition and nothing was done to them.

Practical classics also said in the ignition parts-swapping guide "If your condenser breaks down completely so will your car".

bigginger wrote:

simmitc wrote:You're right, Onne, and certainly it should point towards the exhaust in the winter and away in the summer; but it's primary purpose is as a silencer - and very effective it is too; but I can speak only from experience on the 1098. The 948 had a similar tube from the side of the container; and I'm not sure about the earlier cars - but no doubt someone will know.....

Apparently. the Australian built cars didnt have them ('zat right, Scott?). Just thought you might be interested

We don't have many 1098cc Morris Minors here. There were a few LCVs built here & the sedans are all private imports so they have the same air filter housing as the UK cars. We don't usually bother with Winter/Summer settings .

The later 948cc Minors here had the "saucepan" air filter housing, earlier cars were oil bath.

Cheers - I know I've read somewhere that cars in somewhere didn't have them - all I have to do is remember where... probably on an untrustworthy site

well my vans and pickups have all been kept outside and in the winter and rain, i have never had a problem with starting in the wet or damp.
nor after a few weeks or few months come to that

bmcecosse wrote:Nope - my daughter's Mini ground to a halt when the condenser failed. It's not just there to kill harmonics - it interacts with the impedance in the coil to create a very much higher voltage than the simple ratios in the coil would suggest. As the points open the voltage on the lv side rises (very briefly of course) to several hundred,and this converts to several thousands on the hv side.
The Mini was instantly revived with a new condenser - the points were still in ok condition and nothing was done to them.

Yes, thanks for the explanation. It's just that for some odd reason I have run engines before (albeit very short term) without a condenser!