Since I think it will be the cheapest place to start, I plan to replace almost all the wiring in my truck. I'm not buying wiring harnesses, but rather "making" them myself. I got a wiring diagram which omits a couple of features.
1. Turn signal flasher and switch
2. Wiper motor (did the '51 F4 have this option) and switch.

Can anyone tell me where to find diagrams of these components? I think these will be rather simple to connect, but I would like to see a drawing.

My son said the button on top of the left side of the dash is for turn signals. Is this correct?

The horn button is currently a push-button stuck on the side of the steering column.

Also, the truck is currently wired negative ground, which appeared "normal" to me when I had to charge the battery as soon as I bought the truck last week. But on the wiring diagram, it shows positive ground. I saw a thread on FTE about that, and I'm just wondering if I can safely switch the connections on the battery posts and starter relay without causing problems.

I'm sure this thread will entail many more questions on my part.

Joe

 

The **** on the top of the dash is the control **** for the vacuum wiper. No electricity required (They're a hoot. You have to take your foot off the accelerator in order for it to take a swipe across the windshield). There were no turn signals originally on these trucks. Hence the reason you are having a hard time finding the diagram. Most people went with aftermarket turn signals that clamped onto the steering column (Signal Stat was/is a popular brand for this). The trucks were indeed 6 volt positive ground originally. If yours is a negative ground 6 volt now, I'd try to figure out why they did it (i.e. some sort of aftermarket gadget that required a negative ground, etc.). Are you sure it's a 6 volt battery? Most of these trucks got converted to the usual 12 volt negative ground as time passed. If it is indeed still a 6 volt battery, nothing drastic will happen if you switch it around. The starter will probably work, etc. BUT you'll have to re-polarize your generator and re-wire things like the ammeter. Otherwise, it will read backwards and the generator won't charge among other things.

 

I remember vacuum wipers (yes, I'm an old fart) in one of my dad's cars. I will have to figure out how to make those work again. Thanks.

OK, so the parking lights below the headlights are just that, and not intended (originally) to be turn signals. Thanks for that also. And if the truck didn't come with signals, I still know how to signal with my arm, though I doubt many here in Southern California will have any idea what I'm doing. Better not get on the freeway!

It's actually a "new" 6 volt battery (according to the seller) which I had to charge for about 6 hours to get up to 6 volts.

I'll re-polarize the generator, but you just explained why the ammeter is working backwards now!

Thanks for the quick response. I'm amazed at the speed with which I get questions answered on FTE.

 

Before I changed the battery cable positions to re-achieve positive ground, the ammeter was operating smoothly, although reversed.

After reversing the battery leads, and polarizing the generator, the ammeter is "jumpy", but moves correctly toward charge and discharge with RPM increase and decrease.

Any ideas what could cause this "jumpy" ammeter?

UPDATE: I found the "jumpy ammeter" cause. The ammeter only jumped with the door(s) open. The dome light wiring was bare and arcing to the metal housing. Glad I found it before anything bad happened.

 

I recently craned my old neck to see the wiper motor and wiring under the dash. It is indeed electric, and the switch on the dash is wired to it. It doesn't work, but I have not investigated it any further. But from the pictures I've seen in catalogs, it looks like a 12v motor, which would certainly explain why it doesn't work in my 6v truck.

 

Electric wiper motor was an option in 51 and standard in 52 (I believe). There are three reasons why the wiper motor doesn't work: switch, motor, or wiring. It could also be a combination of a few or all three.

It's ok for the ammeter to jump as long as it works.

As for the turn signals, they're easy to install. You'll need to buy four (4) double contact replacement pigtail, which is available at your local O'Reilly's auto parts, Dorman Conduct-Tite! 85801 - Pigtail | O'Reilly Auto Parts.

You'll need to replace all four (one in each parking lamp and one in each tail lamp). One wire will be for the parking lights in front and rear, as well as the rear brake light, while the other wire will be dedicated to the turn signal. You'll also need to replace the current light bulbs with dual filament bulbs. If you're staying with 6v, make sure that the bulbs are for 6v. Instead of the regular incandescent bulbs, you can buy 6v LED bulbs here, http://www.highspeedmotors.com/Webled.html. Although I don't have these bulbs, yet, I hear that they work much better than the regular bulbs. I plan to order a few sets for my cars soon.

Lastly, you'll need a regular turn signal flasher. If you buy the Signal-Stat turn signal switch, it'll come with wiring instructions to finish the rest. However, here's a link to the wiring instructions, Turn Signal Wiring Diagrams.

 

Thanks. This is very helpful. I don't have brake lights yet. I'm thinking the parking lights will make great front signals. And thanks for the links. Saves me the trouble of shopping.

 

I've read several comments about using heavier gauge wiring in a 6 volt system than in a 12 volt system, which is understandable since the current draw will be greater.

My question is: aside from the obvious battery/starter connections, which circuits are drawing the most current and what gauge wire is big enough? Will 10 gauge wire work for those circuits? Will 18 gauge wire melt?

I'm not spending the money to buy harnesses and will be making my own, but I don't want to have to redo it after a fire.

I also want to put in a fuse panel and some connectors and barrier strips under the dash to keep it neat and make troubleshooting problems easier. Does anyone have a recommendation on a particular fuse panel?

On a side note, I discovered this morning that the the wire to the dome light was missing about the last 2 inches of sleeve going into the socket, and that bare wire was touching ground. The dome light housing was really hot. Luckily, the doors (both switches work) have usually been closed, or I might already have had a fire. There was no bulb in the socket. That was the cause of my erratic ammeter needle.


UPDATE!!! I just found the reply from ALBUQ F-1 to ssj7kids five days ago on this very subject. I should have refined my search the first time. And what a great resource Earl's site has been. Sorry it's gone...

 

This is not quite correct. The rear lights already have the correct double filament bulbs installed. You do not have to change anything there except the voltage of the bulb, if necessary. The turn signals and brake lights share the same circuit. It is the function of the turn signal switch to make them all work together, if you have the right kind of switch. They make 2 differnt kinds, one designed to integrate with the brake lights, and one that does not. In the case of the latter, you have to run an entirely separate turn signal lamp at the rear, independant of the original brake/tail unit.

 

OK thanks. I don't have taillights yet, but I know the bulbs for them need to be dual filament for brakes/taillights. I was planning to use the brake filament for turn signals.

Is there a way to determine before purchasing the turn signal switch which of the different types of switch it is?

 

Usually they will say in the description. Commonly, they are known as 4 wire or 7 wire, the 7 wire being the one that integrates the brakes and turn together. You have to wire in the brake light switch to the turn signal switch. You can google the terms and get wiring diagrams.

 

I too have decided not to buy a harness, and ordered wire this weekend, online. $113 with shipping. Ordered #10, #12, #14 and #16. Need to get connectors.

 

Do not forget to check the wiring to the coil Not a big thing but it does matter which way it is wired. If someone changed it to negative ground they may have or may have not done it correctly. If you've gone back to positive ground wire it like the schematic shows.

 

I took the wiring diagram I got from ClassicCarWiring.com and the gauge info from the link I previously mentioned and put together a list. What's missing is the length needed, but it may be helpful to anyone making their own harness. Oops, I left out some wires. Later...

 

If it starts and runs, can I assume it is wired correctly? I changed it back to positive ground, but I didn't touch the coil. It ran before I changed it back, and still does.