I have tail lights while my headlights are on but I have no blinkers or brake lights. I suspect this is the culprit. I reattached the wired and it started smoking. I haven't checked the fuses yet but that is next. What is this and where does it go?

 

Dead short in the switch itself I believe. To test it, connect a test light to the battery positive and touch the probe to the terminals of the switch. You shouldn't get a light from either terminal.
The smoking wire should come from an unswitched terminal at the fuse box.
The other wire goes back to the flashers then to the brake lights.

 

C1AZ-13480-A (replaced 0A-13480) .. Brake (Stop) Lamp Switch-Use with single 'pot' master cylinder (Motorcraft SW-24) / 1940/66 FoMoCo vehicles.

The little charmer is pressure activated by stepping on pedal, is notorious for getting gummed up with dirty brake fluid, brake lamps no longer work.

 

How is the rest of the wiring on the truck?

 

Looks pretty good based on a cursory inspection. I'll replace that switch and probably rewire that part.

 

Thats a plus. If the wiring is FUBAR, then you may as well just rewire the truck and be done with it instead of patchworking the wire back together multiple times.

 

I agree with you. I've already thought about that. I may just do that anyway. There is an abundance of electrical tape surrounding the wiring.

 

Thanks, Bill. I will go by and get that today.

 

$23 bucks from the local Ford dealer. Any tricks to install it?

 

C1AZ-13480-A = Available from a gazillion auto parts stores for less...considering it not only fits 1940/66 FoMoCo vehicles, but Studebakers as well.

 

This is just a simple pressure switch, under pressure the contacts close.... If your wire smoked, it has to be grounded inside the switch or there is a dead ground downstream of the switch and it is stuck shut. So..... unscrew the switch and replace it.

Take a cheap $19 meter and determine which wire is hot, black to neg. ground, red to positive. Hook this wire up to the switch. Have someone hold the brake in and quickly touch the other wire to the new switch to see if there is a ground downstream, if there is, it will have a fairly large spark and will get hot.

OR.... learn to use the meter and check for a ground or determine the resistance of the downstream wiring. I am not sure what the ohms reading should be but some one on this forum can check their exact same truck and tell you. ZERO ohms is bad, indicating a dead short or ground.

Learn how to check for continuity, voltage, amperage, and resistance. A good continuity meter is a cheap 12 volt buzzer with a wire you connect to ground and one to the wire you are energizing to test.

You can salvage your wiring with a little work, modern wires are insulated with something made of mouse and rat food so I prefer the old wires. If you store an old truck the mice will test eat at any modern wires (maybe it is peanut oil in the insulation????) and will not generally chew on the old wires. Just saying.....