XL-123

[edju1958]

Back in Jan.of this yr.I picked up an XL-123 for a meager $15.At first I didn't even lnow that it was a 123,I thought it was an SEZ until I brought it in the garage to work on it.The saw was dead - no spark,so I set it aside,not knowing anything about doing points.A couple of weeks ago I asked my neighbor to show me how to do points.Well he kinda shows up when he feels like it,& me on the other hand ,I don't like waiting around for a week,so I set the piston at TDC & set the points myself.I still didn't have any spark,so I figured that I screwed up the setting,or something else was wrong.A week later my neighbor showed up.I had the saw all put together,so I had to take it apart again for him.He checked the setting & said I had it right on the money at .015.We came to the conclusion that the condenser was dead.I'd already replaced the coil because the old one tested at under 7,000 ohms.Originally thought that was the problem.So I ordered a set of points (the old ones were not very good looking) & a condenser from Feebay for $8.00 + $3.50 shipping.I got the ignition parts today.I hope to install them this weekend & hopefully have spark on the saw again.

                                                            Ed

[rowdy235]

Looking forward to seeing some progress, post some pics when you can!

[edju1958]

I'm having problems posting pics here & elsewhere since I got my new phone.With my old phone I was able to download the pics into my PC,then onto Flickr,then here,but now I can't download the pics onto my PC.

                                                                                     Ed

[rowdy235]

That's a bummer Ed. Can you get a flickr app on your phone and upload them directly?

[edju1958]

I suppose that's possible.I never really thought of doing that.Thanks Rowdy!

                                                                     Ed

[edju1958]

About a week ago I went to change out the points & condenser & noticed that the screw that holds the condenser wire in place was loose.Since then I've been trying to figure out how to test the condenser to see if that was the problem.I only have a simple digital ohm meter.I've read on some old posts here that I must take the condenser off the saw in order to test it.I'd like to know the procedure for testing a condenser with an ohm meter,if possible.I don't like to throw away a perfectly good condenser if I don't have to.

                                                                           Ed

[sweepleader]

I don't think you can definitively test a condenser with an ohm meter. You can see if it is bad in a couple of ways but you cannot tell if it is good.

If you connect an ohm meter to the condenser, watch the needle. It should swing to some high reading. The battery in the meter is charging the condenser and the meter is measuring the charging current. A digital meter makes this harder to see. If it goes to zero, the condenser is shorted and shot. If the meter stays at infinity or maximum, the condenser is open and shot.

You will not be able to tell if the condenser has the right value which I think is about .2 mfd or little less. (edit, thinking about this a little more, I am not certain the decimal is in the right spot. Anyone have the right number?)

A dedicated condenser tester can be purchased for as little as $30 on line. It uses AC to actually measure the capacitance and will tell you exactly (sort of depending on the the quality of the meter) what the capacitance is. You can compare that to the specs for the unit you are testing.

[edju1958]

Thanks Dan!  I didn't even know that condenser testers even existed.

Can you tell me where I can find the tester for about $30?I've looked all over the place & can't find a tester for that price.I've tried Amazon,Ebay,Sears,etc.

                                                            Ed

[sweepleader]

www.banggood.com/search/capacitor-tester.html

Several here, some DVOM's have the capacity (!) to test also.

I searched for "capacitor tester", you might also try "capacitance meter".

Use only the short (2" or so) test leads that come with the meter, do not use longer leads as they WILL throw off the readings.

Banggood is where I got mine, I don't know just now which make it is or if it was a good deal. It does work and it was about $30.

[edju1958]

Dan,I found the meter that I think you bought for $30.It's a Daniu? The only thing I don't like about it is you have to plug things into the leads which would be difficult to do with a condenser,if not impossible.Maybe I don't have the right one?

                                                                    Ed

[sweepleader]

I don't think there is anything special about the one that I have, its just the one I have. I also don't thing there is a "right" one.

This one is Vici DM4070. It has slots that you can plug in the leads for circuit board mount caps and it has short leads with alligator clips that can be connected to ignition or other caps that won't fit the slots. The slots are the best because they introduce the least error in the measurement. When the leads are used a simple adjustment is needed to account for the length of the wires.

I do not know how accurate this meter is, it usually comes up with the numbers that I expect so I think it is close enough. Engines run with caps it says are in the ball park. Like most everything else, there is a fair amount of leeway in this business of making old things run.

KIMG0012 by

KIMG0013 by

I would guess that most of them would be fine, I would stay away from the very cheapest ones. I bought this one as an experiment and it turned out fine, the ones at work cost over a thousand bucks. I was not ready to go there.

[edju1958]

Apparently they don't carry the one you have anymore Dan.I looked on the site you recommended.I found wehat I think is a fairly good one on Ebay for $26.I wasn't going to go with a cheap one,I found that you get what you pay for.

                                                                                             Ed

[edju1958]

I ended up buying the tester on Ebay for $24.I should have it by week's end.

                                                                       Ed

[edju1958]

I put the new points & condenser in the 123 today.I figured as long as I have them I might as well put them to good use.I can test the condenser & if it's good I'll save it for another saw.I didn't get quite finished with the hook up.I need to attach the points strap & the condenser wire yet,that looks to be a fun time.Lol I'd better bring the saw in the house for that maneuver,if I drop that little nut on the shop floor I'll never find it again.I could be very close to having spark on that old saw again.

                                                            Ed

[edju1958]

I  got my new capacitence tester today.Right away I had two condensers to test.The XL-123 condenser tested at .06uF.I have no idea what the #'s should be on this.I had another condenser from another brand saw & it tested .13uF.The nF is 212.74.Can someone shed some light on this?

                                                                                   Ed

[sweepleader]

I think that most chainsaw condensers should read about .2uF, give or take about .05, so between .15 and .25uF. I am not certain but all those I have tested, perhaps 2 dozen, have worked inside this range and failed outside this range. Anyone else have more experience or more numbers with this issue?

[edju1958]

Nov 9, 2018 20:05:33 GMT -5 sweepleader said:

I think that most chainsaw condensers should read about .2uF, give or take about .05, so between .15 and .25uF. I am not certain but all those I have tested, perhaps 2 dozen, have worked inside this range and failed outside this range. Anyone else have more experience or more numbers with this issue?

According to what you're telling me Dan,neither one of those condensers that I tested were any good.I wasn't sure about the 123 condenser after I found the loose wire,but now I'm sure.The condenser from the other brand saw I had suspicions that it wasn't good,even though when I checked for spark,I had spark.I was told that I'd have spark even with a bad condenser because of the rate of speed at which I'm pulling over the engine with the recoil.I was also told how to check the condenser while still on the saw & connected - take the recoil off & take the plug out of the saw like you're checking for spark & ground it to the muffler.Line up your magnet on the flywheel with the coil & just slightly turn the flywheel to & fro,making sure you're not touching the outer portion of the flywheel,or you'll light up a bit,keep your hand on the inside of the flywheel.You'll hear it click & the plug should fire.You must do this several times (6-7) & it should fire every time.If it doesn't fire one time out of 6,then your condenser is bad.

    What I'd like to know is how to discharge the condenser after it's been tested?Because while testing, the condenser gets charged.

                                                                           Ed

[chainsawlady]

edju
I have new condensers 64086 for the Homelite XL=123.
chainsawlady

[sweepleader]

Nov 9, 2018 20:38:33 GMT -5 edju1958 said:

According to what you're telling me Dan,neither one of those condensers that I tested were any good.I wasn't sure about the 123 condenser after I found the loose wire,but now I'm sure.The condenser from the other brand saw I had suspicions that it wasn't good,even though when I checked for spark,I had spark.I was told that I'd have spark even with a bad condenser because of the rate of speed at which I'm pulling over the engine with the recoil.I was also told how to check the condenser while still on the saw & connected - take the recoil off & take the plug out of the saw like you're checking for spark & ground it to the muffler.Line up your magnet on the flywheel with the coil & just slightly turn the flywheel to & fro,making sure you're not touching the outer portion of the flywheel,or you'll light up a bit,keep your hand on the inside of the flywheel.You'll hear it click & the plug should fire.You must do this several times (6-7) & it should fire every time.If it doesn't fire one time out of 6,then your condenser is bad.

    What I'd like to know is how to discharge the condenser after it's been tested?Because while testing, the condenser gets charged.

                                                                           Ed

Check the specs on the condenser you are testing, there are differences from engine to engine and the factory specs overrule whatever I had to say.

If you have spark, you have spark and all parts of the system are working.  I am not sure what else besides spark one could expect from a condenser, how it would be bad if there was spark.

I would be surprised if that condenser test method was definitive.  Too many variables to say much about the condenser unless you have spark, then it is good.  I would also be surprised if you got spark just slightly turning the flywheel.

If you are concerned about the charge on the condenser, just short it out, that will clear any charge.  If it is in the saw, turn the switch off.

[edju1958]

I'd like to know where to find the specs on any condenser for any saw.The only specs that are provided in an IPL is the plug gap,points gap,& coil gap.There is nothing mentioned about how many mF's (micro-farats) a condenser should have.

     Also you said that if a condenser produces  spark,then the condenser is good.I disagree with that statement.Tell me what happens when a condenser begins to breaks down?(a condenser doesn't just suddenly stop working,it gets weaker & weaker over time).Also,you can have varying degrees of spark - a good "hot"spark,usually bluish in color,or you can have a weak spark,which is yellowish in color.

Ed