Trying to repair a Bolex M8 projector.

[Simon Haycocks]

Hello from a new member.
I was doing some googling after taking the bottom off my projector to work out why it has stopped working and came across this forum. I found the end cap of the capacitor has blown out! I bought the projector a few years ago when 7 large film reels my grandfather shot in the early 60's, before i was born, turned up. I managed to watch a couple of the holiday films shot in Tunisia before the projector fizzed and stopped, tripping the house socket fuse at the same time.
I am wondering if there is a modern capacitor i can replace the blown one with, it's got 3 wire coming out of it which seems strange for a capacitor, ones an earth by the looks of it!




It's a lovely projector in great condition and i've got the original box, a couple of small reels of film shot in northern ireland by the original owner and the original instruction book so i'd like to get it working and get all nostalgic again.

[Ozzie Williams]

Hi..

You might try this ebay ebay seller for the cap inside the bottom of an M8:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CAPACITOR...YAAOSwy1pbIPgC

You have to select the rating, which for me was 0.1uf (100nf), 1500v. Or just search on this.

Soldered it in, and the machine worked a treat...though mine has only the two connections (no earth as far as I can see).

[Ozzie Williams]

Sorry, my mistake, I have just had a look, and of course you mean the other bigger capacitor, which I have not needed to replace (yet), so don't know where they might be obtained. Best of luck with it anyway.

[Joseph Banfield]

I believe that capacitor is just used as a line filter so the projector does not introduce radio frequency noise into the ac line.

You should be able to just remove the capacitor completely and the machine should run just fine without it.

[Maurice Leakey]

Simon
In the good old days (!) electric motors caused interference on radios and later, televisions. Your capacitor was used to suppress this interference. It was connected across the mains with a third wire going to earth.
As Joseph says, just remove it. The motor should run happily without it.

Maurice

[Simon Haycocks]

I believe that capacitor is just used as a line filter so the projector does not introduce radio frequency noise into the ac line.

You should be able to just remove the capacitor completely and the machine should run just fine without it.

Oh that's interesting. I'll give it a try and report back. Thank you.

[Simon Haycocks]

Simon
In the good old days (!) electric motors caused interference on radios and later, televisions. Your capacitor was used to suppress this interference. It was connected across the mains with a third wire going to earth.
As Joseph says, just remove it. The motor should run happily without it.

Maurice

Thank you for the confirmation.

[Daniel Bottom]

This has been an interesting thread to follow - I've learned something from Mr Leakey et al. ( I have a Bolex M8 too )

[Erik Snel]

Hi, you don't need that capacitor in these modern times. just cut it out and enjoy films. i made two videos on YT with instructions on how to do some maintenance on them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5rJQLDlm8E&t=4s

and replacing the belt (if needed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-HZNwqDl1Q&t=245s

[Daniel Bottom]

Very useful Erik, am going to watch those now!

[Simon Haycocks]

Thank you for all your help gents, it's working perfectly! I'm using my DSLR to film the cine films and putting them on my laptop so i can send them to my mother. My grandfather filmed their holidays in 1960,61 and 62 as well as a film of "around the home" in 1961. My mother was a teenager in the films. They still lived in the same house until i was in my 20's in the early 90's so it's nice to see how it was only about 10 or 15 years after they had it built.
The holidays were in Tunisia, Corsica and the French Riviera.

[Maurice Leakey]

That's good news, Simon.

Maurice