why did my cap go bad

[Bnjnz]

i did the tfi conversion about 4 months ago using all msd parts. i recently put in a rebuilt distributor and my cap went bad. i have seen used cap worn, like they were scored in one spot. but not like this. the points inside were black, looked almost melted or corroded. i had some installation problems with the distributor with some misfiring. i changed the cap and all is good. is my problem over or just beginning. thanks for your time

benjamin
1991 GW

[joe]

I've seen the el cheapo caps the ones with the aluminum or whatever metal terminals go bad that way. Use a good cap with brass lugs and they'll last a long time.

[Bnjnz]

from what the info in the catalogue said the terminal were brass for all MSD caps. i thought about that too but i figured they were brass

benjamin
1991 GW

[joe]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bnjnz:
from what the info in the catalogue said the terminal were brass for all MSD caps. i thought about that too but i figured they were brass

benjamin
1991 GW<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hummm...it was brass huh? Jeez Ben I don't know. Sounds like you've got some serious arcing going on to burn a cap up in 4 months. Electro dizzies are still somewhat smoke and mirrors to me. I really don't know much about them. I was going to do the TFI thingie to mine but I'd need a new dist too so that brought it up to about $150 per rig(2 trucks) and for $300 I can buy myself and everyone else I know new points for the rest of their lives. :(
One thing I never got clear on in the TFI instructions was where they say to remove the ballast resitor/wire. But...some folks replied here say don't do it? If you did you might want to try re-installing it. Just a wild guess there though?

[Bnjnz]

i looked on the new cap i put on and the burned marks were there. i will look into the ballast resistor, from what i remember everyone saying it should be hooked up. but from what i know of my 1991 i thought it was already in line with the connections. i will have to track it down. thanks for the help

benjamin
1991 GW

[Snakeyes_Tx]

Ballast resistor.. that little resistor/canister looking thing next to the oil coil right? The one that helps against RF noise? The one that's attached into the + side of the coil?

I didn't put mine back on yet, but thank's for the head's up on it.. I'll put it on and see what changes.

[JOECOOL]

That can doo hickey is for noise suppresion only.
The resistor is actually a piece resistor wire spliced into the hot (+) wire to the coil.
You can tell if its there by using a volt meter. It should be a volt or two lower that normal voltage.

[joe]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Snakeyes_Tx:
Ballast resistor.. that little resistor/canister looking thing next to the oil coil right? The one that helps against RF noise? .<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't know what that is SE? Yeah prolly a noise supressor. The ballast resistors that reduce volts to the dist I'm familiar with are ceramic blocks with a resistor built into the back with an in/out wire(older style) or newer style that's just a resistor wire itself.