I have my hot bus and switched buss in. So if my headlamp switch gets power from the battery side of the ignition switch or where ever how are the head lamps and tail lamps fused? In line breakers or fuses?

 

Julie Cool uses a couple of zinc plates.

 

I stopped at West Marine today and asked for a zinc for my F-100 and the guy looked at me funny.

 

One thing i have learned BOB. Never ask for a 50 something parts. Most the people that are working in parts stores were working at burger king yesterday. LOL

 

Could be wrong , but I thought the fuse was "in" the headlite swx..

 

I believe that fuse is just for the dome light.

 

You want the headlights to be on a breaker, so the lights will come back on after it cools (it will cycle). Personally, I don't trust the 58-yr-old ones on the back of the cluster and put them on a brand new one I bought at an RV store. They sell them in all sizes and very reasonably.

 

Sounds good, Thats what i thought. I'll get two breakers one for the heads and one for the tails. I got the truck with no wires so there wasn't any breakers on a cluster.

 

Ok, aren't you guys just all kinds of hilarious. Another truck fire in the making!

First, Bob, it would really help posters if you would update your header info to show that you have a 1953 F-100. It's important to know that because wiring changed alot between certain models - especially in the area you are asking about.

It would also be helpful to know if you are wiring to OEM 6 volt drawings or are converting to 12 volt with fuses (the busses you mentioned)

Ross is right for an OEM wiring scheme - the OEM circuit breakers are the distribution points.

If you are using distribution busses (fuse blocks) as you stated, then I'm assuming you are converting to 12 volt and aren't able to use the OEM 6 volt circuit breakers (and no they weren't in the headlight switch until 1955).

Rule #1: On a 12 volt rewire, EVERYTHING is distributed off the fuse blocks (busses). Not off the ignition switch or the battery.

The ONLY things that come off your ignition switch when you have fuse panels are: 1. Power to the coil for the Ignition off the "I" (or "IGN") post; and power down to the SWITCHED BUS from the "A" (or ACC) post.

True, on an OEM 6 volt set up, anything electrical that was added on (signals, heater, wipers, etc) had inline fuses and ran off the "ACC" post of the ignition switch. And everything "HOT" came off those circuit breakers. If you have fuse holders now, they are hooked to the fuse panel instead.

All the "B" post on the ignition switch is for, is a spot to get power to the switch on the main line from the Generator Regulator; to the HOT BUS; to the Ignition switch; to the starter solenoid (and thus the battery) in that flow order.

I'm not sure why you are running power off the "Batt" post of the ignition switch to begin with. That's not the way they are wired in the original drawings, and it's not the way they are wired in any of the rewire drawings.

On your 53 for OEM wiring, the power for the headlight switches comes off the outbound side of the circuit breakers. For a 12 volt rewire, the power comes off your HOT BUS through two fuse positions.

Pictures (your charging system may not be the same, just trace the flow from the regulator on this) for a 12 volt negative ground rewire:

 

This is how it looks for OEM 6 volt - except the instrument panel is different than the 51/52 shown.



Note that there are two power inputs to the headlight switch in this - one from each circuit breaker.

That way if one pops and the headlights go off, you will still have power to the running and parking lights.

 

Okay, I have two fuse blocks. Hot buss ran a wire from batt. side of starter sol. to batt term. on ignition switch then from that term to hot buss panel. acc. off ignition switch i ran to the other panel. my headlight switch does not look like it has two places for a hot wire. It has D=dome B=batt P=park R= running H= headlights I= instrument if thats right. So i thought if i ran a wire off the hot buss to the head light switch i would only be able to run one wire with a fuse for everything on that switch? [Changing to 12 volts.]

 

Heres the switch

 

Suggested improvement. Running an 8 or 10 ga wire directly off the battery to under the dash is asking for trouble.

 

That's a good suggestion Ross.

The drawing is of the OEM wiring though and there wasn't one originally installed. I guess Ford didn't think it was necessary. And unfortunately, I'm not willing to customize the drawings for every possible set up contingency. Actually, there is a fuseable link is on this wire and it's in the top drawing between the Generator Regulator and HOT Bus panel. The closer to the generator the better. Maybe there should be one at both ends to prevent flow from either source in the event of a short. 6 of one half dozen of the other.

Bob, the wiring flow you have is correct (the way I read your first post was that you were powering your headlight switch directly off the ignition switch). I'm just describing it as coming in from the generator side and you are describing it as coming in from the battery side. (and btw the wire coming in from the starter solenoid to the "B" post of the ignition switch goes through the indiction loop of the ammeter or light - I think 53 lights were induction too)

Your headlight switch is a later type and probably has a circuit breaker in it. So, converting to 12 volt, you'll probably need to swap that out with a 56 or "off the shelf" 12 volt headlight switch. (the only reason is because the dash light dimming rheostat on the switch you have willnot work on 12 volts - lights stay bright).

The 56 Headlight switch also has a single input terminal (and internal circuit breakers) that you would hook a single wire from the fuse panel. In that case it would have redundent protection, which won't hurt anything.

Most switches will have: "B" for power in; "H" for headlights (goes to the foot dimmer then out to the headlights); "P" for the parking lights (front); "R" for running lights (back); "D" for dome; and "I" for instrument lights. If it has an "A" tab on it that powers your brake lights. But in this case power those off the hot bus instead.

Edit note:

After blowing up your picture of your headlight switch, it appears to me to be a 55-57 switch already. Very hard to tell with that small of a picture.



Look Familiar?

If that's it, wire it as in the picture. I just decided to draw out the flow for you. Easier than trying to describe it verbally

 

Thanks again Julie and Ross. That is my switch, And that is exactly how i have it wired as Julie shows. What i didn't realize was the old Ford headlight switch had internal breakers, Thats why i was trying to put breakers in after the switch. So i'll do one wire off a 25 amp fuse from the hot buss to the headlight switch and i'll have the double protection. Next will be the tooters not to be confused with Hooters. will i have to reduce voltage to them