Hello everyone....I've just recently bought a '59 F100 with 6cyl and a 4 speed manual. Its a driver but there are plenty of things I need to fix and I hope y'all don't mind if I ask for your knowledge from time to time. Firstly...my brake lights aren't working. I have gotten the laminated wiring schematic off ebay which I'm sure will be a big help. I have read about the brake switch attached to the master cylinder (sw-24) often being the culprit....seems as though that could easily be the problem. What I need to know...if I get a new one and put it on there....will I have to bleed the brakes?

Other questions that come to mind....what motor oil do y'all use? The manual says 30W....but it was written in 1959, lol. I've read that I should use an oil with a zink additive??

What fluid should I use on the transmission....rear diff? Speaking of the rear diff.....I was under the back of the truck for a minute and didn't see any bolts on there to remove the rear diff cover...what's up with that??

I've seen some bolt on power brake boosters on ebay....do they install easily and work well?

I'm sure i'll have a LOT of other questions in the future. I'm just going to try and fix one thing at a time. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Hi and welcome to the world of the orphan/fridge trucks. I'm thinking if you cap the top of the master cyl with saran wrap or some way to make it airtight you shouldnt have to bleed the brakes. Even just doing it fast should be ok, as long as it doesn't run out to the point below the output line. I have run multigrade in all my old trucks for 40 years with no ill results. Since most of my trucks are diesel these days, I run delo 15-40 in everything, including the gassers. The tranny and rear end use plain old 90 w, but often all I can get is 85-90 and I assume thats the modern equivilent. I don't think those gears are too fussy as long as they are at the proper level. Never worked on a diff without a cover. Seen 'em, but that would be ok with a full floater( like on a 3/4 ton plus) because you don't have clips to pull for axle shaft removal. I guess you need the factory service manual to figure that one out..... Ebay is the place. Havent looked into power brakes, I just maintain them really well and stand on them. I live on a 75 sq mile island with about 4000 people and no traffic, so I plan ahead. Hope I've helped some. It's been a fun learning process with old ford trucks and has been a lifetime of enjoyment for me, having bought a '28 model AA 1 1/2 ton at age 19, 40 years ago this summer.

 

Hello and welcome to the Orphanage!
What GB said on the maintenance items and I agree if you don't dillydally when changing the sender you should not have to bleed the brakes, however if you have not bleed and adjusted the brakes you should have that at the top of your to-do list.
good luck in your quest!

 

No rear cover because it's a 9 inch Ford rear end and they never had a removable rear cover, everything loads through the front.
Why not test the brake light switch before you replace it? Easy to do with a test light.

 

Thanks for your help everyone. I went out and got a voltage tester. Looking at the wiring diagram it looks like one of the wires from the brake light go to the headlight switch...and the other wire goes to the blinker switch. So I'm not exactly sure what to test. Will 1 of the wires going into the brake switch have power when the brake is not being pushed..and the other wire gets hot when the brake is pushed??

And about the rear end....where in the front do you put the diff fluid in? I think there's a bit of diff fluid dripping out of the rear axle...no way to fix that?

A new question....why do you all refer to the trucks as fridges? Because of the boxy shape? I'm guessing that you say orphans because these model trucks aren't as widely collected?

 

Welcome to FTE! Yes, one of the wires on the brake switch is hot and the other one gets that way once the pedal is pressed.

There should be a fill hole on the front side of your differential. Add gear oil there untill it starts to flow back out. If it is leaking it probably needs a gasket. It takes a minute or two to change but not really rocket science. You will have to disconnect the drive shaft and then pull out the "third member".

You guessed it on why they are called Fridges, and some feel like orphans but most of us prefer it that way!

 

Do what?!?!

 

I thought you might bite on that one!

The Rear end has a removable differential carrier. (third member) After removing the axels from each rear wheel, you can then take the nuts off that are around the circumference of the carrier. This entire bearing assembly will come out in one piece. You can then replace the gasket that is leaking.

The best thing to do is to buy yourself a Ford shop manual. You will find it very helpful. It will save you a lot of time waiting for dopes like me to try to explain how to do stuff.

 

The first thing I did after bringing the truck home was order the shop manual. After reading your post about the rear axle I waited a while for my heartrate and blood pressure to normalize.....then went digging in the manual, lol. Found a picture of my rear axle and see that its supposed to have a drain plug in the bottom which will help me sleep better tonight, lol. I really think though that the info experienced people like yourself can give greatly enhances the shop manual...especially for novices like myself.

Next question.....where the heck is the fuse box? And please don't tell me I'll have to remove an axle or something to get to it!

 

GP your truck came with two fuses on the back of the light switch and one circuit breaker for the low beams. Not all circuits were fused on these trucks.
Have fun who knows what has changed over the last 50+ years!

 

I've got a dome light in my cab that isn't working.....I can't find any door jamb switches around my doors.....where should they be located?

 

The dome light is manually operated by turning the light switch counterclockwise, it is one of the circuits protected by fuse.

 

Thanks Teddy