Home Forum Ask A Member 60s sears outboard motor

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  • #218311
    aaronjmartin
    Participant

      I believe I need new condensers for my old sears 14 horsepower outboard motor. It does not create spark. I also do not have continuity on my coils, is that a problem?

      #218313
      billw
      Participant

        US Member

        Roughly speaking, you should have just about full continuity between the coil’s ground wire and the coil’s wire that attaches to the points. You should have maybe 5000 to 7000ish ohms between the coil’s ground wire and the spark plug terminal…..or if you have taken the coil off the mag plate, then where the coil wire would attach. There are exceptions to every rule; but for the most part, if a coil appears to be in good physical condition, it is probably going to work.

        There are electrical brains on here that get deep into condensers; but what I have found is, yeah, yours are probably bad and if you can get new ones that will physically fit where the old ones were, they will probably work fine.

        last but not least, you should have zero ohms (complete, 100% continuity) across the points, with the points closed and the coil NOT attached. If you even have ONE ohm, you have a problem. When the points are open, you should have infinite resistance.

        Long live American manufacturing!

        #218316
        frankr
        Participant

          US MEMBER PAY BY CHECK
          #218408
          need2fish
          Participant

            How did you arrive at the condenser decision? With over 100 “projects” hanging in the rafters and on the garage wall, I’ve found only 2 where condensers needed replacing. The remainder had spark problems related to dirty points, bad gaps and/or OMC-coil-death syndrome. Too much time immersed at the bottom of the lake also contributes to spark failure.

            Clean the points by running some 400-grit emery cloth through them, wash with isopropl and gap them properly. Inspect coils and plug leads for cracks; use known working plugs.

            Follow Frank’s recommendations for Langs in Tonawanda NY.

            #218421
            billw
            Participant

              US Member

              Not to start a crap storm but I usually test my condensers with a legit magneto analyzer, doing a leakage and short test. You can use an ohm meter for the rest of your life and never be able to match this test. Every once in a while, an old OMC condenser will pass. However, odd ball magnetos like Wico, Phelon and Eismann almost never do. The condensers may or may not be good enough to generate some spark, but they will not be optimum.

              Long live American manufacturing!

              • This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by billw.
              #218436
              Tom
              Participant

                US Member

                Yeah, what Bill said. The WICO stand up condensers with the fiber insulator are rarely good. They will generate a spark or two when you turn the flywheel by hand and the plug is out of the motor. But that doesn’t mimic the load and frequency that they see under use.

                I’ve had success using replacement capacitors inside the brass cans for applications in Martins and Scotts. You cut them open near the bottom, watch out for spring loaded flying pieces, then remove what’s in there using a sheetrock screw. Drill a hole through the fiber, next to the post, and insert the capacitor in the can. Drill a hole for the other cap lead in the bottom of the can, the part that you managed to keep from flying away. Solder back the bottom of the can, then solder the two leads, one to the post and the other to the bottom of the can.

                But you need to figure out what’s up with your coils first.

                T

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