okay, most embarrasing moment to date:
my girlfriend: "is that wire supposed to be connected to anything?"
me: "come to think of it, yeah. but i don't know what."

that was pretty bad, but she understood that i was more concerned about the fact that i had a random wire hanging loose that i was about looking incompetent in front of her (she's a great woman). well, i found a small metal cylinder near my coil and determined that the wire had worked loose from that. the pros at AutoZone told me that it was the ignition condenser. call me inexperienced, but i didn't even know ignitions had or needed condensers. to top it off, they didn't have a replacement, and their computer said "Not Required." it looks pretty required to me. so i went to NAPA. same thing. they guy there said he had one that would fit an 86 Bronco, so i got that one and hoped i could splice it in to make it work...at least until i can find the right one. the truck runs fine...but it's obviously not the same part.

so, what does an ignition condenser do, actually, and where in the world can i find one?? and am i severly screwing up my truck by using the wrong one. it goe me to the store tonight and back, and has to get me to work in the morning, and i might be able to order one from Ford after that, if i have to. and what's with the "Not Required" thing at the parts houses?

anyone that can tell me anything will be very appreciated.

 

When it was diconnected, did you hear a whine from the speakers that sounded like it was the radio messing up and the noise fallowed the speed of the truck?
The condensor just filters out noise the comes from the ignition system and they were requier back when all you had was AM radio, and it was very vunerable too interference. In todays world the new radios are sheilded from this kind of stuff, except for the AM/FM tape radios that came in chevy trucks, so I learned from my parents 93 surburban.
So, I would say if it made no noise when disconnected, then you can leave it off.

 

It is commonly referred to as a Radio Choke or Radio Noise supression device.

Radio Shack should have one

 

Ohyea, forgot about those names.
Also, there is another condesor inside your alternator.

 

ah, now i feel better. i've got a new head unit in the truck, and i didn't hear anything that i noticed. i was wondering what in the hell that thing did. thanks for the info...

 

Condensers (capaictors) were a required part of point-type ignition systems. Without one the engine would not run. It worked in balance with the inductive nature of the coil and helped supress the arc when the points opened.

With electronic systems it is just an extra radio interference filter, along with resistor wires and spark plugs.

Jim