HELP! Capacitor (?) in rear of 12a engine
 

Anyone know what the silver one-wire capacitor looking thing is that is on the top of the engine ag the very back? The wire broke off of mine right at the part, so I need a new one (whatever it is).

Thanks,

Jason

No idea... a picture of what you're asking about could help.

There's a coasting valve on the rear of the rat's nest that sort of matches that discription, but no actual capacitor I know of on the rear top.

Coasting valve looks like a big (1" diameter, maybe 2" long) capacitor with vacuum hoses attached to one end. Mounts to the rat's nest via a clamp.

No, this is electrical, had one wire off the engine harness going in to it. Silver round canister looking thing (about an inck long, and 3/8 OD), clamped to the engine with one bolt. Just behind the rats nest.

Jason

I know exactly what your talking about, and just like you i have no clue what it does. I think i still have one on mine even after removing the rats nest and putting a weber on it... If i can find anything about it, ill be sure to post it up.

Im pretty sure you dont need it. I think it has something to do with lowering ground noise or something like that. Either way I havent had mine on my car for ~4 years lol.

It is a capacitor. It is connected to the oil pressure gauge. Mine broke sometime ago. It doesn't seem to affect anything with it disconnected.

It is there to smooth out the reading on the oil pressure. There is an additional capacitor for each gauge inside the cluster as well.

If you want to replace it, check the JY or the classifieds on here.

I think what he is referring to is the condensor. Filters electrical noise so it doesn't interfere with the radio reception. I need one too, although the interference isn't all that bad...

There are 2 'condensors'. The true condensor (how we usually think about them with cars) is on the dizzy. It connects between the power supply of the coils/ignitors and ground (through the dizzy). This one is to deal with noise from the ignition.

The other 'condensor' is on the rear iron. It connects between the output of the oil pressure sender and ground. It will smooth out the reading, prevent spikes in the reading, etc.

haha i don't think i have either of them anymore :lol: i know it used to have the noise condensor but i accidentaly ripped the wire from it while loosening the AC mounting brackets and i just threw it away.

----------------
Now playing: Mushroomhead - Destroy the World Around Me
via FoxyTunes

That explains why I didn't recognize it... the 80's did not have a stock OPG. Thus, no condenser back there.

BTW, if you go back far enough in electronics history, capacitors used to all be known as condensers. Everybody but the automotive crowd changed terminology around the time transistors came out.

Yeah, I think it's the oil condensor. Thanks for the replies, glad to know I should be okay.

Jason

hmmm, my 82 never had one of those. IIRC my oil presure guage wire went directly into the plug for the engine harness