Bill,
As Dave pointed out, the radio may have been mounted so that it was "electrically isolated". Your last test from the radio to the wiper **** indicates the radio is hot. Maybe probe from the radio **** to any metal surface with the test light, but it will most likely indicate as hot.
First thing I would do would be to disconnect the battery. Then try to trace the power source wires for the radio and find out what the PO has done to cootie bob the radio installation. If you do not intend to keep the radio, then start removing the same wires until you get to the stock harness.

Good Luck and let us know what you find!

 

I agree take out the radio solve the problem!

 

From Dave Boley's post above. I think he nailed it.

If the radio is not stock and maybe a negative ground unit it might have been mounted electrically isolated so it would work with the positive grond system. This would have made the controls electrically hot in respect to the truck. This is just one possibility. I wouldn't drive it or leave the battery hooked up until you know what the problem is. Your truck could end up being a crispy critter.


Anything that makes a connection between the radio case and any other part of the truck will cause a short. Time to look for another radio.

 

GET RID OF THAT RADIO !!!

Take it out and trash it !!! You got a fire waiting to happen there. Since it doesn't work anyway you have everything to gain by taking it out.Later Bill...

 

Hi Walford!

Is it just me or are you guys just really bending over backwards lately to come up with these very entertainig stories?

I have to tell you I'm glad that it wasn't one of Rogers engine mice - woulda had to get the SPCA out there after you!!!!!!!

Hey all good inputs here, but just for giggles and grins, put your keys in the ignition, start the truck up and take a meter to see if your fob isn't carrying current. Just a voltage check from fob to a ground from the ignition switch. Do it for meeeee?

If you smoke checked something and it didn't fry your wires, I'm thinking you had to be carying some pretty good current on some pretty hefty wire (the kind going to ignition switches not radios).

And just to be the monday contrarian, I'm wondering if the weight of the fob and keys didn't skew your cylinder in your ignition switch just enough to have it make inadvertant contact on the back of the lock cylinder and turn your fob into a lightning rod (and grounding out on the radio)!

Just curious.

And don't you guys think it's funny how this stuff always happens with the wife in the car?

Look at the bright side, if you ever get stuck with a dead battery someplace, you can use your key chain as jumper cables!

Good luck,
Julie

PS but I have to agree with the guys here as well. If the radio was installed to be negatively grounded, and insulated from the frame, then basically what they have done is hook YOUR hot side to it as the ground - not good, not good -very dangerous. I would put a grounding strap from the cab to the chassis anyway just for good grounding flow. But one thing is for certain, that new muffler installation should take care of everything - right guys?

 

I really enjoy some of the input I have and why is it--that a electric-dislexic or autistic person owned my truck before,and now I have this problem!!
I hate wiring problems,and will remove the stereo tomorrow.
I installed a new exhaust myself in my hot-rod barn today and it sounds great. Julie you are so humourous(sp) and my wife likes your inputs. haha
I do have a magnet key fob of a 56f100 and I think this problem created the fob to be magnetic.
I really wanted to jam to some EAGLES in my 8track--but will remove it to save the truck.
I want to get it ready so I can drive it down to ksmith and bigwin's place and do some brodies in the snow...and show these guys how to drive a effie in the snow. haha
Thanks.....Bill

 

maybe you should just park it and buy a newer truck, like a 56. you know how it is when they get old and start having problems.

 

I have a '68 VW that when the loose keys touch the steering wheel hub, the horn sounds. It took me a while to find out what was going on. I kept looking to the other VW.

John
NNY

 

Somewhere earlier you posted that the radio doesn't work and you mention 8-track. Is this a radio with 8-track player? If so I would bet it is a 12V unit and the truck has been run on 12v at some time. The only problem with thaty theory is why would the radio have been wired reverse polarity from the rest of the truck. Do you suppose at one time the radio was hooked to a seperate battery and the truck still 6v? Later someone tried to wire it into the truck the same way?
Just some thoughts that come to mind after reading thas thread. Quite an interesting situation.

 

Now there's a thought...

 

After a quick search on the web I came up with quite a few sites that provide DC-DC converters, here is one 6 Volt to 12 Volt Converter
Without seeing the actual radio and the wiring that goes to it, it would be hard to identify the source of the problem. Suffice it to say that based on the "key chain incident" that there is a difference of electrical potential between the radio and the ignition key/switch (which I am assuming to be at chassis ground potential).
Bill, I would look to see if the PO had installed one of these converters. I would lean towards the idea that he was "electrically autistic" and that he installed the 12v neg grd radio, fried it, but never took it out of the truck. I am a retired electrical engineer so I can understand your frustration with wiring problems. I have always found that electricity is much easier to understand if you look at it as water..."potential" or "voltage" is much the same as water pressure, it is the "push" behind the electrons. The volume of electrons or "current" is much the same as the diameter of a water hose/pipe. Just as water will seek the path of least resistance, so too will electricty...even if the path is in the form of a key fob!

 

I only installed the exhaust so far and it sounds great and idles nice. I think this little six cylinder is cool.
ANYWAY--We are getting a big snow storm today and put the truck in the hot-rod barn and can remove the radio today.
I am better at removing --than installing anything electrical--haha
I bet this is a 12 volt radio/8trac---and I know there were no 8tracks in 1953...haha
Thanks......Bill

 

Hey Bill,
I know where you can get the right radio for your '53...

 

[quotI want to get it ready so I can drive it down to ksmith and bigwin's place and do some brodies in the snow...and show these guys how to drive a effie in the snow. haha
Thanks.....Bill[/quote]

I already know how to drive one in the snow, How about 46 hours driving with only 2 hours sleep from Denver to Akron in the snow Decemer 23rd/24th 1988 driving a 61 unibody with a y block TOWING a 62 unibody . My Dad was riding shotgun.We had the trip of a liftime, the only sleep we got was at a rest area in nebraska and I woke up freezing (we were sleeping in the truck) the radio said 9 degrees. I'll never forget, my dad had a down coat on and it was zipped over his head!Kevin Bigwin

 

I already know how to drive one in the snow, How about 46 hours driving with only 2 hours sleep from Denver to Akron in the snow Decemer 23rd/24th 1988 driving a 61 unibody with a y block TOWING a 62 unibody . My Dad was riding shotgun.We had the trip of a liftime, the only sleep we got was at a rest area in nebraska and I woke up freezing (we were sleeping in the truck) the radio said 9 degrees. I'll never forget, my dad had a down coat on and it was zipped over his head!Kevin Bigwin[/quote]

Kevin--so you know how it is!! I drove my father-in laws 56 to Phoenix from Santa Cruz in August and it was HOT and pulled a 56 behind me on a tow dolly....let me tell you that yblock had it's hands full.

I drove cross-country from Ytown to San Fransisco 7 trips pulling trailers and machine tools and pulled trucks and cars also. It was the January trip when we were coming home over DONNER PASS on 80 that they closed the road on us and made us sleep in the truck ALL NIGHT and till 11 next day--and it was brutal.....but I am always prepared and usually have everything we could ever need ,and we used it that trip---LOL
My brother-in law wanted to sleep in the trailer in the bed of the truck in there,and he took my big-dog(LEAH) WITH HIM AND CUDDLED UP TO HER ALL NIGHT FOR HEAT!! I opened up the trailer and saw that and laughed my arss off --but Leah kept him warm and he actually slept real well......LOL