Are there any good condensers?

[bkeith85]

I've bought 3 Bosch condensers lately and none of them will work. The last two were supposedly NOS, so I hoped they'd work. The grommet is loose in the distributor body for one thing, but now I find the wire is too short so the grommet won't fit in the bracket that secures it. Has anyone else had this problem? These are the "made in turkey" ones. I've heard Napa has good ones,but I can't get to a Napa for a few days. Guess I actually have to ct the old wires off and solder them to the new condenser. This is ridiculous.

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My build thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=614323&highlight=

[Glenn]

I've sold thousands and only had a handful reported as going bad in a short time.

Try SMP (Standard Motor Products)
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[bkeith85]

You've sold the Napa ones, or Bosch?
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My build thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=614323&highlight=

[Glenn]

Sorry... bosch.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[bkeith85]

Had to add an inch of wire for it to reach the fork in the bracket.

No one will notice. Looks factory, right?

Now I can at least tell if the condenser was the problem. If it is, I'll go get one from Napa.
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My build thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=614323&highlight=

[metoooo]

New Bosch products are crap. Get BERU brand

[bkeith85]

Do you have a part number for the Beru ones? I'll try to look for them locally.
I have checked NAPA, but the only one that looks correct is Echlin EP259. On that one the long wire to the coil looks to be too short. I haven't seen it in person, but the pic on the website doesn't look quite right.

The SMP GB122 looks pretty good, but I don't know if I can get one locally. I'd have to order it.

I'll look for Beru parts and see what I can find.
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My build thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=614323&highlight=

[Glenn]

[heimlich]

Those are not NOS condensers. Those are currently produced in the Turkey factory for Bosch. I sell a lot of them without any issues. There are no problems. Bosch generally guarantees it's parts for 2 years. Different sellers warranty for different periods.

If you buy from me I will make sure they work for you without issue.

For that one that you have you can push up on the grommet and stretch the wire a little bit until the grommet foes into the fork. Those grommets do not fit the hole in the side of the distributor tightly. They kind of just lay in there. What holds them in place is the screw that goes in the side.
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[nogoodwithusernames]

I dunno, I just had one from a local auto parts shop go bad in my 914 after just a couple drives. Can't remember the brand but looked just like that one. Wires were kinda short too. Tossed it in the trash and put the original back on and running good again.
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71 Squareback, 1.7l T4 w/ crank trigger fuel and spark
(Conversion thread https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=732508&highlight= or https://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=151375&sid=f0542d44a322d290c29d6609fac7f215 )
74 914, 2.0L w/ D-Jet

-Derek

[scottyrocks]

I stumbled on a fix that involves a printed circuit board capacitor. The specs are the same as a condenser, 22 microfrands, or some such. I mounted it in a piece of J track and then to one of the coil bolts, and wired it as the condenser would be wired. It works perfectly for what it does.

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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch'

[bkeith85]

[Glenn]

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2241678

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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[bkeith85]

Well, I ordered the Standard Motor Products (SMP) version of this part and it came today. It's identical to the Bosch part except for the laser etched part number. It is also made in Turkey. Same short wire. So there is another one I can't use. I may try one from Napa just to see if it is a viable option. But at that point, I will have spent about $100 trying to get one good condenser, which is supposed to be the cheapest ignition part you can buy. Except for a single spark plug, I guess.
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My build thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=614323&highlight=

[heimlich]

[scottyrocks]

[sjbartnik]