VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Radio Condensor on Generator and Voltage Reg

I'm about to mount radio condensors on my generator and voltage regulator. The condensors have one wire and a bracket on the side to mount to. What do I hook these to on the generator and on the voltage regulator?

Page 258 of my 1940 service manual talks about the hazards of connecting a radio by-pass condenser to the voltage reg. Don`t understand it all , but thought I`d mention it. ~D

I dont think condensor on a generator will make that much difference as it is totally DC unit. Alternators are AC windings that is converted to DC within the unit and are well known for radio noise.
Tony

The condenser will suppress any low,medium or high frequency electromagnetic emissions put out by the arcing that occurs at the commutator bar face where the brushes make contact.The degree of arcing will vary with speed & current output of the generator,and will usually only effect AM radio reception,not FM reception.Condensers are never connected to the regulator,as it will cause severe arcing of the voltage & current regulator points,and eventual regulator failure.
The body of any condenser connected to a generator is usually mounted underneath the head of one of the through bolts that hold the generator together,and the lug on the lead is connected to the "A" or armature terminal of the generator.

Later generators have a threaded hole on the case near the "A" terminal for the mounting of the condenser.

You should install a condenser on the battery terminal of the regulator. It will be helpful in cutting down the noise.

The question here that everyone is missing...how do I install the condenser on the generator and the regulator?

I think I understand that on the generator, the body of the condenser is ground and the wire should be connected to the "A" terminal.

If I hook one to the regulator, what does the body of the condenser hook to and what does the condenser wire hook to?

I'm thinking that you missed the point that you should NOT attach a condenser to the regulator. The one on the generator will take care of any noise you may have feeding into your radio. Putting one on your regulator just causes other problems. The manual has that all in capital letters, which usually means it is important!

Here are the GM instructions for installing the condensers on a 1951 sedan including the condenser connected to the battery terminal of the regulator. GM Instructions Your installation will be similar.

Thanks so much old216!

That is the most detailed radio manual that I've ever seen. It answers all my questions on getting my radio completely installed. My 41 has never had a radio before but I happened to run across a 42 model on Ebay for $35 that actually works really well. I plan to install condensers and complete the installation.

Thanks again so much! That's exactly what I was looking for!

I am curious as to where you got your information. I have been at this for many years, but can still learn something.

No...here's the real point. In all CAPITAL LETTERS, the shop manual says don't connect condensers to the FIELDS terminals of the regulator or the generator or you'll have problems.

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1941/41csm266.htm

The radio manual that old216 supplied to us tells us exactly how to install the condensers by hooking to the battery terminal of the regulator and the ARM terminal of the generator.

Again...I really appreciate old216 for supplying us the proper link to solve this problem. I was afraid I'd hook something up wrong and blow something up. Now I know.