Timing problem

[Craven]

There is a lot more to capacitors than just stated value, a capacitor has impedance, this means there are internal losses that causes heat. Far better to stick with tried and tested purpose constructed capacitor.

No there isn't. They are pretty simple devices to specify actually. The "purpose constructed" capacitor is just a garden variety film capacitor in a tin can. You can get an any rating you want virtually polycarbonate or polypropylene capacitor from RS components, etc. that will be far better than the remanufactured automotive condensers you get these days. Only issue may be the physical constraints - size and where to put it.

In response, again it’s seems there are some readers making comments based on elementary knowledge of electronics.
A capacitor used in a points coil system is subjected to some very fast high voltage pulses, this is a totally different operating conditions than in an application dealing with simple sinusoidal wave forms.
Why would anyone having suffered from capacitor failure move to an unproven component in this application when high quality, reliable, direct fitment replacements ( Distributor Doctor ) are available. As far as the cost argument goes it is totally negated when compared with the time and effort involved in accessing the distributor on an Elan, then to find your experimental capacitor may is causing that mysterious misfire.

[alan.barker]

+1 Craven well said that man
Alan