If you can't get the resistance wire you can probably get a 10 ohm 5 watt resistor from Radio Shack.

Dave - I understand your point about using aftermarket gauges, but I like having the factory gauges working as well as the aftermarket ones. And, in the three trucks of this vintage that I've owned I've had three set of gauges that would change their readings every once in a while. The 82 Explorer did it frequently. Day's truck did it some times, and Rusty's gauges were normally high and came down every few minutes. It was that issue, that kept telling me the engine was hot, that led me to install aftermarket gauges and that's when I learned the factory gauges were reading high most of the time. But, with a good regulator the gauges in Dad's truck always read where they should.

 

Connecting the aftermarket regulator was very simple. I actually tried to post an entry in the big IVCR thread here, but for some reason I was not given the option of uploading pics/files of any kind. In any case, I don't know if those of you that have installed these knew it, but there's a connector available that plugs right into them. Just go to any decent hobby shop and tell them you want a JR/HiTec servo connector. There common as dirt in the RC hobby world.

Another thought...On my 2WD I essentially have two spare idiot lights available for use. They are the 'emmission' light on EECIV equipped vehicles, and the 4X4 window, which goes unused on my 2WD. You could very easily, and I plan to...install auxiliary warning lights for oil pressure and coolant temperature. For the oil light, all you'd have to do is machine out an extra 1/8"NPT port on the long sender adapter that is already there. For the coolant temperature, I confess I haven't yet taken the time to identify any unused ports that protrude into the water jacket in the heads, though most domestic engines have at least a few extra ports in them. For the indicator windows, I got some transparent red plexiglass which I can apply factory-style lettering to via a handy-dandy laser toner image transfer technique I learned a while back...These indicators, routed through a module to provide a 'flashing' action would make for an easy second layer of protection against driving around with low oil pressure or a boiling over cooling system. Those idiot lights are nice and high on the dashboard too, making it more likely that you'll notice them casually.

At present, the warning lights are just an idea, in among 10,000 other things I want to do...and I haven't done any Christmas shopping yet!

Rick

 

I knew of the connector for the module, but since you still need to solder wires to the connector I opted to solder to the module instead.

On the warning lights, that would work. But mine is 4x4 so I only have one spare slot. But, my ZF doesn't always go into reverse so I'm thinking of using that slot for a Reverse indicator.

 

Yes, I did think of this but there are many wire within the singular plug ( If memory serves me it is a singular plug with maybe 8-10-12 wires within that plug) If you or someone could tell me what I should be looking for, you say resistance wire.

I google resistance wire and I come up with this...........Resistance wire is a type of high resistance electrical wire.

Ok so there is a wire that I should be looking for but is it a wire that is encapsulated within something?

If I had an idea of to find it, where it might be found that I could surely get this. I have access to many of these trucks.

I can go back tomorrow and just cut out a few feet of wire from under the dash of one of these things but again I still wouldnt know what I should be looking for once I cut the harness open.

 

I can see from the diagram posted on # 24 here that it is somewhere between the ignition and the gauges.....that is alot of wire. HELP

Oh I see maybe...is it telling me black and light green wire? If that is the case than that might narrow it down a little bit

 

There are two black wires in the #1 position of the plug that goes into the cluster. One of those is the resistance wire. You can tell which one once you cut and strip the wire because the resistance wire itself is stiff and shiny.

 

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Welcome back, Kotter! We missed you.

 

I am looking forward to my trip to the salvage yard today, it sounds like you are saying that it is a solid core ( un-stranded ) wire. You say cut and strip the wire, the wire itself ( once cut and stripped ) is stiff and shiny. I cannot imagine anything else that you would like to have me understand.

I am also assuming now that the entire wire from the ignition switch needs to be this specific wire? I planned to ask you how much or how long I needed this wire too me but contemplating it here after reviewing all the information given this is what I come up with.

Better to be safe than sorry so I will get ( or try ) the entire wire assy unless of course I run across something that changes my thought.

Will report back, Thanks again

 

It's not necessarily a solid wire. Don't over think it too much, I think if you look at the correct color wire at the correct position, it will be obvious. Just bend it and compare how it bends with some of the other wires. I say this, but I have never messed with this part before, but I am sure you will be able to figure it out. You could even take your meter with you(you have better have a meter doing all this custom elec work) and take a ohmmeter reading on the wire. A regular wire will read pretty much zero ohms. The other wire will read the resistance. If you get 8 to 9 ohms, the you know you have the whole thing that you need. Something less,, and you have cut it too short.

 

It is a solid wire. Probably Nichrome. I don't know how long it is as I only have a short piece of it on that connector. But I can see resistance in the little bit I have so the resistance piece can't be too long.

 

This is one of the problems with forums like this one...

Poster A: It's like this.

Poster B: It's like that.

How is the poor OP supposed to know who and what is right? Especially given that both posters are knowledgeable & helpful & well-respected here....

 

Because Dave was telling him he may be over thinking it, and said "not necessarily". I went to the shop, looked at the connector to see which pin and the wire color, came back and erased "IIRC" and replaced it with "it is". But normally you'd go with Dave's statement instead of mine.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of the OP connecting unknown senders from his '52 engine to the '80's gauges. If the Ohms scaling is not right then he could get out of range readings or reading hot when it's cold etc.

 

I over think everything, you are right. In this case though I am enjoying what I have been learning here, I am not very bright and I was pleased with myself to have come to that conclusion of it possibly being a solid wire with the bit of info I was given to work off of

I do have a better meter, in my hands I dont know how much good it will do me but it is there.