I am having trouble with radio static (all I hear is static with engine running) and I have run out of ideas. The ignition is fully shielded and I have installed a new ground plate and ground wire. The radio plays perfectly when the engine is off and I have sent the radio back to the repair shop twice and they say there is nothing wrong with the radio. I have also replaced the plug wires with a new set of original equipment Packard wires from Corvette America.
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
Richard, go to the radio section of the AIM and ensure you have all the capacitors installed. If not, add them. If yes, check the ones installed, that they are installed correctly. Also check to see if they are damaged.
Probably 7 or 8 capacitors
Around 5 or 6 ground straps
static arrestors in the front wheels
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
Richard.... AM or FM? or both?
Is the static coincident with engine revs, or is it a clicking sound at any rev?
RichComment
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
Rich, I'm thinking the capacitor on the VR or the Coil has failed, disconnected or come apart (wire disconnected from capacitor body).
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
Harry, Yes could be, but every capacitor is questionable since they're so old. Each one should be tested with a capacitance meter.
RichComment
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
Hi Rich: The static is coincident with engine engine revs. As you increase the engine revs the pitch/frequency of the static increasesComment
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
Harry: Thanks for the suggestion. I will check it out and let you know if that fixes my problem.
RichComment
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
It looks like it is time to get out my multimeter and start checking capacitors. Thank you both for your suggestions.
RichComment
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
Rich, Probably start with the ones at the Ign coil and Voltage Regulator as Harry mentioned. There's also one built in to the Alternator but not easily accessible without taking it apart to get a isolated uFD(microfarad, aka MF on the cans) reading. Most are 0.5 uFD iirc. Tolerance is typically +/- 20%.
Does your meter have a Capacitance range?
e.g. Alt is a .5 uFD.
P9110003.jpg
P9140014.jpg
Capacitance meter
P9140015.jpg
Rich
PS if you want to take them down here to my shop I can measure them for you if your meter isn't capable.Comment
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
Rich, Just a thought....
To eliminate the Alternator you could pull the belt and run the engine for a short test.Comment
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
FWIW>If you are getting static when the blinkers applied then you will need this capacitor on your flasher.
This will be hard to find and you will pay high dollar for this. Been There; Done That! LarryLarry
LT1 in a 1LE -- One of 134Comment
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
Hi Richard:
I had no idea there was a capacitor inside the alternator. Before I take it apart and break wires, I am just going to unplug the alternator pigtail and see if this fixes the problem.
RichComment
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
Yes you could do that too, but if you don't disconnect the Red Pos+ lead, the cap is still in the circuit.
Not sure if you saw my last post but it said you could disconnect the belt and run it up for a test. This way it doesn't spin the armature.
RichComment
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
Had a bunch of static on my 64 radio, cleaned the old hard grease off the antenna sections and lucked out, fixed it.1964 Red FI Coupe, DUNTOV '09
Drove the 64 over 5000 miles to three Regionals and the San Jose National, one dust storm and 40 lbs of bugs!Comment
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Re: 1964 327 Radio Static
I simply want to thank all of you that helped me solve this problem. Harry Sadlock was spot on. The problem was with a faulty condenser and it was the one that attaches to the positive side of the coil. I replaced it with a new one from Zips and the radio place like it did in 1964. Of note is the fact that the part description from Zips perfectly describes the problem. "This condenser suppresses the static created by the ignition system".
However before you run and get your multimeter out of your tool cabinet, I would like to share some additional information with you. Most of the articles on the web suggest that one needs to use the 2 micro farad scale on their multimeter to test most automotive condensers. My faulty condenser did not have and scale printed on it. I used the 2 scale and got "no reading". The new condenser had 3mf stamped on the bottom. On the 2 scale on my multimeter, the new one also gave no reading. But, when I ramped up to the 20 scale, it tested out perfectly. I got a low number of about 2.5 and this quickly increased to about 18. The new one did exactly what one would expect to see from a functional condenser. However, so did the non-functional old one. I took the shot gun approach and installed the new one and the radio works perfectly. The bottom line is that on a series of one, using a multimeter to test your condenser may not give you the correct answer.
Lynn BroadmanComment
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