Transistorized Ign (64 Corvette)

couple of weeks ago when I tried to turn the ignition switch on my 64 the entire switch rotated .. (and I honestly never noticed it being loose at all) ... Anyway I now have two wires hanging loose from under the dash.. The one that I can not figure out is coming out of the condenser (looks like the condenser located inside a distributor ...I ani't no electrician) ... This condenser is mounted on the back of the dash directly to the left of the ignition switch...

I have a 1963 Factory Manuel and I do have a Lectric limited laminated electrical schematic for the 64 BUT I can not see where the wire from the condenser is connected...

I got the car home BUT really screwed up my back in the process and I have been seeing a Chiropractor for the last 3 weeks...I had an appointment this morning...)... Anyway the back is ALMOST good enough for me to crawl under the dash and begin to sort things out... Car of course will not start ..its on the lift and I do not feel like trailering it to the shop to wire one stinking wire..

Anyone out there that has a 64 with the transistorized ignition... ???

Hell when you get old and your body starts goiving you more trouble then you feel like dealing with...

Bob G.

64 72 & 98 Ragtops 76 & 79 Coupes
Reply to
Bob G.
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Regrets on the back. ...ugly way to have a switch fail!

"Diode" isn't here so here goes.

Bob, sounds like a radio suppression capacitor. In that era, they weren't considered a part of the chassis wiring so won't appear on a schematic.

The custom in the 50s & 60s was to include a variety of suppression capacitors with the radio and the installer would place them (randomly at times) to get rid of electrical noise. Factory or dealer option would probably have placed this one from the "cold" side of the ignition switch to ground. (Placing it on the hot (battery) side of the switch would have enabled it to 'leak' and discharge the battery.

At age >40, this capacitor isn't doing much suppressing. Value should be stamped on the steel shell. If not, .01 to .1 ufd at 200 volts should do the job.

Cheers & take it easy. I did that to my back messing with my daughter's VW years ago -- was down for nearly a month.

-- pj

Reply to
PJ

Bob, did you ever get this resolved and is the ignition stock (K66) or after market?? I think PJ answered the "condenser" question and that second wire can be the ground that GM puts at the base of their ignition switch with a big wire eye(connector). It's rather frail and much twisting can break it off.

As far as your decrepit body goes I was ready to trade mine off this past month myself after 3 tries to break up a 5X9 centimeter kidney stone. Lost to many good days to be out and about in this nice weather. Brought back to the reality of it all when I lost 2 more close friends in two weeks.

Reply to
Dad

I found while working on my 63 coupe that it was easier to remove the seat to allow easier access to the underdash area. Only 4 bolts and it's gone, also gave me an opportunity to clean up popcorn, candy wrappers and coins. Also helps to remove 6 screws that hold steering wheel, too.

As we get older we have to work a little harder sometimes.

PDDeen

Reply to
PDDeen
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Dad... Was at the chripractor again this morning BUT things are almost back to normal I just want to give it a couple more days THEN I will remove the saet and get under the Dash and figure it out one way or the other,.. Car is completely stock and 99.9 percent correct (which BTW is not my thing but since it is I plan on keeping it that way)...

I had major Surgery in December and again in March (to undo the Decembers Surgery which worked fantastically until the graft got infected and they had to rip it out ) now with the back acting up I'm more then a little frustrated...

I can borrow a trailer and trailer it in the one of the 2 places that I trust to work on the car BUT Part of this hobby is actually working on a car..and being truthful I enjoy that part of the hobby BUT I'm also too cheap to pay someone to re-wire a darn switch.. . LOL

Bob

Reply to
Bob G.

I have had enough experience of removing the drivers seat as the one screw that holds the back rest to the bottom of the seat frame has come loose a few times... last time it did that it was time for Lock tite...

I do plan on going out and removing the seat and I may lower the steering column if I need to... Really should not be a major problem I just wish I had more "electricians smarts" ... Actually the only problems I have had with this car in the 7-8 years I have owned it have all been electrical ...The headlight rotation switch which you kindly send me.. one powere window switch and the headlight dimmer switch...NOW the iginition switch which I think is not the switch itself... Good thing is that the iginition switch and the power window switch and the headlight dimmer switch are standard GM parts and were very cheap ..that darn headlight rotation switchthat I got from you was extremely expensive (like 120 to 180 bucks new) since it was a switch That GM only used in Corvettes and then only for 5 years.... I still own you big time for that...

Bob G.

Reply to
Bob G.

That offer to buy the drinks is still on my agenda when I get up to your neighborhood. Right now I'm in Red River, NM. My son is moving to Wellesley, Mass. to teach at the College there so, maybe next year, we will be coming that way to visit. If we do I'll let you know.

Paul

Reply to
PDDeen

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