Distributor shield cover
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 327
Likes: 75
From: west mi. / ms. gulf coast
Distributor shield cover
I have over the last 55+ years have owned many cars from Vw's , Honda, Ford , Dodge, Plymouth,Mercury, Pontiac's and even other Chevrolets + some more. None had the distributor cover shield. What was / is the reason for it on a Corvette and not on any other car?
Racer
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 412
Likes: 25
From: Sultry Steamy Muggy Humid Texas Gulf Coast
I was always told it was to reduce "noise" to the radio. I have a 1970 big block with the shielding and grounded woven "metal" jackets on the plug wires from ignition box to the plugs. I don't know if the effort works as you can't hear the radio when the engine is running. Radio is easily heard when the engine is not running.
Okay, a little pulling of your leg, but seriously, many consider the sound level obnoxious, but it sounds like music to me.
Okay, a little pulling of your leg, but seriously, many consider the sound level obnoxious, but it sounds like music to me.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,380
Likes: 838
From: New York
2017 C3 of the Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '20- '21
It was designed to block the "noise", static that the electrical system would cause on the radio. I guess, I don't really have a clue, that a metal body car would shield the radio and thus not necessary. In fact if you ordered a car without a radio the shielding was left off. Please be careful some of the shielding you see on the engine is for heat and is heat shielding. I hope I got this correct. Someone will come along and verify all this!! Ike
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,057
Likes: 421
From: BC
It was because of the fiberglass cowl between the engine compartment and interior instead of metal but it was mostly just for AM radio. Never mattered much for FM and when was the last time you found an AM station? My first Corvette was a 69 427 that I bought in 1970. I removed all that ignition shielding, smog equipment and other "worthless" stuff and tossed it in the garbage. I think that was just before I took the same original black on black 1969 427 coupe with about 2000 miles on it and painted it green.
Crazy and then some...
Back to reality, you won't notice it missing but it looks cool and, um, what was the question again?
Crazy and then some...
Back to reality, you won't notice it missing but it looks cool and, um, what was the question again?
Last edited by CanadaGrant; Sep 25, 2019 at 12:04 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 224
From: Pawleys Island, SC
Guess I can buy the radio noise reason regarding the chrome distributor shields but aren't there some with black plastic shields? How's that do anything to reduce radio interference?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,493
Likes: 1,501
From: Little Rock AR
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,232
Likes: 1,232
From: PHX AZ
Radio noise suppression ONLY.
Following on...Notice that the spark plug wires are the 'suppressor type'...same reason.
Induced 'popping' on AM due to lack of Faraday cage like metal structure.
Also all the little shields along the manifolds...same reason suppression.
Back in the day, you wanted to hear 'Wolfman Jack" lol.
ps the antenna is in the rear for the same reason.
Unkahal
Following on...Notice that the spark plug wires are the 'suppressor type'...same reason.
Induced 'popping' on AM due to lack of Faraday cage like metal structure.
Also all the little shields along the manifolds...same reason suppression.
Back in the day, you wanted to hear 'Wolfman Jack" lol.
ps the antenna is in the rear for the same reason.
Unkahal