Its electrical time for the 54 project. The painted cab will be going back on the frame soon, so its time to prep for the the next phase

Electrical Rewire

So, I'll be honest. This is the phase that I am afraid of. I hate electrical wires. I have concluded that every electrical wire is filled with smoke. When I cut it, I let the smoke out every time.

So here are my novice questions...

1) Connections
I have the original 6V harness and another spare 6V with all the connectors. I was planning to simply solder the connectors onto the new harness and shrink wrap them with heat tubing. Is it that simple?

2) Blinkers
My truck had blinkers installed as a dealer option. I dont intend to keep that setup. Can I use the existing front and rear lights as turn indicators? I read about dual filament, but I dont quite understand it.

Everything else will be 12V -- I purchased new 12V components for all the other critical parts and will be using an aftermarket gauge cluster.

Time to break out the volt meter and testing light. Certainly would appreciate any guidance in this area....

 

your looking at alot of issues trying to soder to harnesses together, I'd save yourself some real headache and buy a new harness. if your switching over to 12v you'll need to change out components, like bulbs, generator, coil, amoung other things, do a site search on this forum, your bound to get alot of material...good luck

 

I agree with low 54. get rid of all that old wiring. The one piece of it you leave in will be the piece that shorts.

If you are rewiring to 12 volt, first you don't need the heavy gauge wire that your 6 volt harness has, and second all the cloth wire is probably pretty brittle at this point

You can solder the bullet type disconnects on your wires and cover them with heat shrink, but be sure to install sockets that you can pull apart someplace on each wire.

The light thing is fairly simple. Withthe older style lights, the bulb had one filiment. Power came in from a wire, run up to the bulb through a single tit in the bottom of the socket up through the bulb then to the socket wall which was grounded by a second wire.

If you want to add turn signals, you needed to add a second filiment to the light bulb. So the front socket has been modified so that there are two **** in the bottom of the socket plus, instead of the power coming in on one wire and it being grounded by the second, now both wires carry power in and the socket is gounded by simply contacting the light housing. So one wire carries power for your running light, and the other wire carries power for your brake/signal light - the signal flasher uses the brake lights to flash as the blinkers in the back, and the new second filiment in the front on a seperate new circuit.

What this means is that if you have stock lights with light sockets that carry only one circuit in the front, you need to change them to light sockets that will carry two. I'd also change out the back ones as well to base grounding sockets so they all take the same bulb.

 

If you are going to upgrade to 12 volt and change things in your truck,You might want to look at a complete wire harness,I used a kit from EZ wire it comes already to go and all wires are marked.It was very easy to use with no problems,I have also used kits from Ron Francis and the detail zone.I think it is much faster than doing it from scratch.

 

Oops, sorry guys. Just reread my post and realized I left out some info...

I have a new 12V EZ Wiring harness for the truck. The connectors will need to be soldered onto the new harness. Those two old harnesses are going back to the earth at this point. Between the two of them, I can salvage enough connectors though. Or can you buy new ones??

Still need some help with the blinkers, anybody have any tips?

 

Does you steering column have the add on blinker switch unit and are you keeping the original column. I think the original switch will work with 12 volt, but you may run into problems going with a single bulb unit in the back with brake lights. I had to add a electronic unit that allowed double filiment for brakes and blinkers with the add on blinker unit in my 54. It had two sets of lights in the rear when I got it. One for tail and brake lights and another set of lights for blinkers. It was an add on unit. I'm in the process of rewireing the whole truck and am using an EZ kit and changing the steering column to a mid 70's Ford truck column with the built in blinker switch. I haven't got it done yet, so don't know what I'll run into doing it.

 

I went with the painless wiring harness on my 55 F-100. They had a great support staff and answered all my questions. The harness came with all bulb sockets and terminal hardware. I joined all wires with butt connectors that had silver solder and heat shrink all in one. I am electrically retarded, and couldn't believe it when it started when I hit the key the first time. Good luck you should be able to get bulb pigtails at NAPA for all lights.

 

Are you sure it was silver solder? Should be lead based solder or an evironmentally freindly equivelent.

 

Spade terminals (flat 1/4" wide blade = male, flat 1/4" blade with a curl up each side = female end) and bullet (round 1/8" bullet = male, round 1/8" hollow tube = female) are readily available new at automotive parts stores, elctronic stores like Radio Shack, and even the big box DIY stores like Home Depot (they can be found in the "low voltage" wiring components section) so it's not worth messing with the old ones off your old wiring harnesses. Specialized multi wire plugs are a different story. If you need any of them you may be better served by splicing the wires near the connector. Be sure to solder the wiresplices together with electronic solder and cover with shrink tubing. I really like my weller butane powered pocket soldering/heating pencil for automotive wiring soldering and with the accessory flameless heating element for shrinking tubing without burning. It's small like an oversized fountain pen, you don't have to wait for it to heat up, fits in your pocket even immediately after use, and doesn't need an electrical cord that gets tangled up pulling the hot iron into your armpit whle you are upside down under the dash! Well worth the 35.00! (Whatever you do tho, DON'T buy one of the "instant heat/cool" soldering pencils they sell at RS for about 50.00, it's a piece of junk!)

 

No I'm not sure it was silver solder. It was silver and it melted with my butane torch

 

Most of the readily available modern components use a silver based solder. Industry has phased out lead as much as possible, although it is still available in some applications.

AX is dead on - use new connectors throughout. If not for the sake of cleanliness and reliability, it will save time. Removing old connectors, cleaning them up to workl, then reusing them is rediculous.

If you have a stock in column turn switch it will work with the 12 volt conversion - you will of course have to get a 12 volt flasher.

And you will have to replace the light sockets in you running lights and parking lights to two post/base grounded as I mentioned above. It's usually quite a bit more reliable (unless youare pretty good at electrical and metal modifications) to just get new light housings with the upgraded sockets already installed.

If you look in my #1 gallery, there is a wiring diagram that shows the lights circuit using the clamp-on-the-column type switch in a 12 volt system. I have it in MS Power Point. So if you would like a larger copy, send me a PM with your real e-mail address, and I will send you a copy.

There has been quite a bit of discussion in the past about lights, troubleshooting and signals. Althought they are repairing the search function, you might want to go to the "Search this Forum" function in the forum page upper right corner, typ ein signal lights or tail lights, and look at some of th eprevious posts. There are also quite a few on rewiring, and buying and soldering new connectors.

 

"silver solder" is really a misnomer when applied to any solder you can melt with a soldering iron, it contains no real silver, but is usually bismuth based. Real silver solder melts at ~ 1700*F and requires a fuel/air or fuel/oxygen torch to melt. The insulation on your wires would be long gone before the solder ever melted. Always use a "Flux core" solder that states it's for electronic work, of no more than 1/16" diameter for your wiring needs. If I am using an electric soldering pencil, I keep the tip clean by dipping the hot tip into a tin of paste flux I keep handy, then immediatey wiping it on a quite damp piece of cotton cloth or small piece of cellulose (kitchen) sponge. I keep the sponge handy by having it sitting in an ashtray with a little water in the bottom to keep it wet. I also use the ashtray as a handy place to rest the iron. After wiping the tip should be clean and shiny. Never try to use an iron when the tip is dark and rough, it will not transfer heat efficiently and will contaminate the solder joint.

 

Well I must agree with the technique part of you statement above AX, about using the fine rosin core solder and soldering pencil. It precludes the need to prefluxing and provides good flow and will produce the best results.

And I'll also agree that the term "Silver" solder is a misnomer from a pure definition standpoint - having only 3 to 4% silver in the alloy, but unfortunately it has become a generally understood "lay term" for some of the new lead substitute solders. The picture below is a role of solder I have that is sold for soldering copper pipes in plumbing.




Another point is that although pure silver may melt at 1700 degrees, solder is an alloy which by definition melts at a significantly lower temperature than the pure metals it comprises - right?

And you are correct in that there is an increased use of Bismouth solders since the banning of lead solders in consumer products.

But many of the substitutes are tin/silver/copper alloys melt at only 5-20 degrees higher than the 60/40 tin/lead solders.

There are two types of high percentage silver solders that are used for medical applications and require a higher heat to flow.

Here are a few notes if folks are interested:

"On July 1, 2006 the European Union Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) came into effect prohibiting the intentional addition of lead to most consumer electronics produced in the EU. California recently adopted a RoHS law[3] and China has a version as well.

Lead-free solders in commercial use may contain tin, copper, silver, bismuth, indium, zinc, antimony, and traces of other metals. Most lead-free replacements for conventional Sn60/Pb40 and Sn63/Pb37 solder have melting points from 5–20 °C higher, though solders with much lower melting points are available [usually bismouth based].

The properties of lead-free solders are not as thoroughly known and may therefore be considered less reliable in select applications, these problems are now considered negligible in modern alloys for most applications, however solder containing lead is still used in high reliability military, aerospace-satellite and life-critical medical applications.

SnAgCu solders are used by two thirds of Japanese manufacturers for reflow and wave soldering, and by about ¾ companies for hand soldering.

SnAg3.5Cu0.7 is another commonly used alloy, with melting point of 217-218 °C.

SnAg3.8Cu0.7, with melting point 217-218 °C, is preferred by the European IDEALS consortium for reflow soldering.

SnZn9, with melting point of 199 °C, is a cheaper alloy but is prone to corrosion and oxidation.

SnSb5, tin with 5% of antimony, is the US plumbing industry standard. Its melting point is 232-240 °C. It displays good resistance to thermal fatigue and good shear strength. [and this is probably what your rosin core solder will now be made of as well]

SnIn52 melts at 118 °C and is suitable for the cases where low-temperature soldering is needed.

Different elements serve different roles in the solder alloy:

Silver provides mechanical strength, but has worse ductility than lead. In absence of lead, it improves resistance to fatigue from thermal cycles.
Copper lowers the melting point, improves resistance to thermal cycle fatigue, and improves wetting properties of the molten solder. It also slows down the rate of dissolution of copper from the board and part leads in the liquid solder.

Bismuth significantly lowers the melting point and improves wettability. In presence of sufficient lead and tin, bismuth forms crystals of Sn16Pb32Bi52 with melting point of only 95 °C, which diffuses along the grain boundaries and may cause a joint failure at relatively low temperatures. Antimony is added to increase strength without affecting wettability."

Just fyi: Sn=Tin; Ag=Silver; Cu=Copper; Zn=zinc; Bi=Bismouth; Sb=Antimony; In=Indium; and Pb=lead

No blasphemy intended AX, just offered for discussion

 

No problem Julie!
More clarifications:
Lead is not banned for use in solders except for that used in plumbing potable water lines, so I dont expect that the solder used in electronics will remove the lead.

As a goldsmith/jewelry manufacturer I am sensitive to the common misuse of terms relating to joining of metals aided by heat, especially precious metals. Calling a solder that contains <4% Ag "SILVER" solder is a gross misnomer (according to the FTC), as is calling the high % alloys we use for joining precious metals silver "SOLDER" (or gold/platinum etc). In the former case it should correctly be called "Tin/copper solder containing silver (approved for plumbing application)". In the latter case it should be called "silver brazing alloy".

To review the correct definitions of heat joining metals:
Soldering: the attachment of two metals using a low melting point mettallic alloy (that need not contain any of the metal(s) being joined). That soldering alloy's properties are such than when molten it intimately wets out the surface of the metals being joined and resists mechanical separation after cooling. If you replace the terms molten with liquid, and cooling with drying, you essentially have the definition for glue. The joint is a mechanical one dependent on the alloy's ability to infiltrate and lock into the surface irregularities of the metal being joined. The penetration depth is submicroscopic and little to no chemical change has taken place in the intersection. You are "glueing" the pieces together using a high strength mettallic "glue".

Brazing: a surface bonding between metals using high heat and a brazing alloy as the joining medium. The brazing alloy may or may not contain the metal(s) being joined, but will have the property to be able to be liquified and form a new alloy with the joining metals at a lower temperature than the melting temp of the metals being joined, with the application of sufficient heat. In this process an alloy "rainbow" is formed to a depth dependent on the time and temp the joint is subjected to the alloying conditions. This sandwich is composed of a continuous transitioning of alloy composition blending from one to the next, i.e. joined metal - intermediate alloy - brazing alloy - intermediate alloy - joined metal. There is not a defined boundary where the chemical composition of the alloys change. With proper technique, very little of the original brazing alloy alone should be left, all having alloyed with and into the joined metal at the intersection.

Welding: the joining of identical metals across an intersection by applying enough heat to melt both pieces of metal together. A filler metal may be used to add addition metal to the joint to strengthen or replace any metal that has vaporized in the process, but that filler metal will be chemically identical to the metals being joined. In welding there is no change in chemical composition across the joint, both sides have been liquified and mixed as if made from and become a single piece.

There are actually a wide range of silver "brazing alloys" made having different melting and flow points (we distinguish the two, meltig point is the point the alloy first become liqufied or "slushy" pulling into a ball from surface tension, flow temperature is the (higher) temperature at which the intermediate alloy forms.). We often employ these various alloys to allow us to do multiple "solderings" on a piece without affecting a previously made joint.

 

All good info. Sometimes, I forget that what happens where I live is going to be different that what happens where you live. California has a lot of "progressive" environmental laws that many other places don't....so things are different here.

I use a lot of nickle/silver brazing rods when I want high strength or am brazing some weird alloys.

Yep I have to agree, the marketing folks who have never soldered in their lives, are giving all these things these new "names" to help sales, but also to please the lawyers.

For example the other day I wnet ot buy a sheet of plywood at home depot. It wasn't labeled 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8 or 3/4 inch (in conjunction with standard lumber nomenclature) but it was labelled withthe true dimensions of the plywood. So if it was sanded on one side it was 31/64 in stead of "Sanded 1/2 inch." A couple of the hardwood 3/4 inch sheets were labelled 18mm. What's next? Are we going to start calling a 2x4 a 1 1/2 by 3 1/2. Oye.

So anyway, I'm with you...nomenclature tends to be out of control.