955Lincoln
Gold Member
I've found over the years that condensers hardly ever fail.
That has been my experience also and I have always had tons of stuff with points and condensers. However, just last year the condensers went out in both my Homelite Super XL saw and a 60's vintage 4 cylinder generator and both had the exact same symptoms as your saw. I had to do some internet searching but I finally found a replacement for the saw.
Just a few weeks later the genny went out and I was actually quite unlucky to find a NOS condenser (ordered only that first) and complete magnetos for it because all of the condensers were bad because of age...brand new in sealed packages. New carb, new plugs and wires, 2 new magnetos with new condensers plus another condenser in a rebuild kit, I was just about to give up until I noticed the points looking a little black on one of the new magnetos that had only run for a few minutes.
In the end, old carb and magneto back on. A trip to NAPA for a standard automotive condenser is all it took. I wish I had all of those aggravating hours back. :laughing:
I feel that you did have a condenser failure but something has changed during your rebuild to make it work again. At least you will know right where to go if your saw acts up again.
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