Sound advice on the ground strap Pete. I'll be looking for one tonight. I assume this is what I'm looking for?

 

I'm not sure which part is the switch and which part is the connector, but I replaced the wiring and added new connectors to the 2 posts on the back. there is a spring in between them that is exposed..... not sure if that's normal. I'll be ordering one soon and hopefully that's it and not the wiring. Any advice on how to check power/etc to the brake lights with my brand spankin new multimeter would be appreciated as well.

 

Yes, that looks correct. I'm not sure about the length or where it mounts to the block on a '49 6 cyl. Maybe someone who has one can help with that as I don't see the wire from the block to the body (part #14303) listed in the parts description book.

 

On the brake switch, I think you said that you had a pressure switch on the master cylinder. Set your volt meter to the 20V DC setting (or something over 12v) and pull the two wires on the switch. One should be hot all the time (12V) and the other should go to the brake lights. When you press down on the pedal, pressure from the master cylinder should close the switch and send power to the lights.

First, check that you have power to the hot side of the switch. Connect the red meter wire to the hot wire and the black to a ground source). If you do have power, then you can temporarily connect the wires together, and you should have brake lights come on. If they do come on, the switch is bad. If they don't come on, you have a wiring/bulb/ground problem somewhere behind the master cylinder. The switch could still be bad too.

To test the switch, put your multimeter on the ohms setting (looks like a upsidedown horseshoe - any of the ohm options will work). With it on and the probes not touching anything, it will generally show something like a "1" on the far left indicating an open circuit. When you touch the probes together, the setting should go to zero. Now, touch the probes to the two switch connection posts and you should get the same reading as you did when the meter was turned on and the probes not touching anything (open circuit). Now, have someone press on the brake pedal while still touching the probes to the switch connection posts. It should now go to near zero ohms (like when you touch the two probes together). This would show that the switch is working properly. If, when the brake pedal is pressed, you still have an open circuit (like when the probes are touching nothing), you have a bad switch.

Good luck and stick with it.

 

Can you get a picture posted? I'm not sure what you have. Part #9 & #10 in the screenshot from the LMC catalog are the ones that I'm describing. Note that the switch is only $4.95.

 

Thanks again dmack and Pete! I only have a minute to write, but I'll get to those detailed instructions on the brake lights ASAP. As for the picture, here is all I have for now. It's a before shot but I'll get a newer one when I can.



Keep in mind that this is before new wiring...... I think #9 is the culprit. Later gents,

 

... and not worth that IMO. NAPA sells a much better-quality piece, still not a lot of money. Electrical stuff is one thing to avoid at LMC.

 

Here's what I'm looking at. I'll check Napa today and see what they have. Thanks fellas!

 

Not sure that I see the spring to which to are referring? Or was that inside the old connector?

 

Get rid of the spring or whatever it is, it's shorting the two terminals.

Those braided type ground straps have surprisingly poor capacity compared to a reular copper cable. With 12v, you need a #0 or #2 ground cable, bolted to the block or bellhousing on a large bolt. Then there needs to be connections from the engine to the frame and to the cab, at least #12.

 

Still no brake lights last time I checked, but you can see where the spring is coming out of the old switch. I got the one from Napa and put it in yesterday, but like I said no dice. I tracked all the wiring from the cab down and made sure it was all in the right places according to the manual. The fluid was low so maybe that was part of the problem. I've been busy and haven't had time to finish the job but thought I'd post a photo so anyone can see the weird spring thing coming out of what appears to be a broken piece. I'm printing out your instruction dmack and will attack it here in a minute.



You like the new (old) wheels? My oldest helped with them yesterday.



Moon caps off a Chevy..... almost fit, but have to keep looking.

 

Hey Sere,
Hubcaps you say.... I saw this ad for '49 hubcaps just north of San Francisco. (Someone else will have to vouch if these are indeed '49's).

1949 Ford F1 Pickup Original Metal Hubcaps - or best offer

Ben in Austin (From San Francisco this week)
1950 F1

 

Well I have break lights! Thanks again guys. I think the bad switch and low fluid after the swap was to blame. They are very faint though. The lights themselves are very bright,and I can see the filament light up when I hit the brakes, but it's not that noticeable. Is that normal, or do you think something is amiss. Both sides show the same brightness with the running lights being very bright and the brake lights barely making a difference.

I'm still waiting on my sloenoid to come in and I had already bought a #4 ground in lieu of the strap before that I saw Ross had reccommended #0 or 2. The #4 I put in replaced what looked to be speaker wire (yikes)! I thought I'd go all out and go big, but I guess I didn't go big enough. I also have some new cables on the way for the batt/starter. The old solenoid is starting it but it still chatters. The "new" one I got with the 12v conversion kit is still dead even after the added ground. I'll post some shots of everything after I get the new cables. Have a good one fellas.

Oh, I posted a few items for sale as well (generator/coil). Let me know if you know of anyone who might be interested.



Spins free




6V never used

 

It sounds like you have the running light wires and brake light wires at the sockets switched.

That spring has broken its way out of the switch, the whole switch was cracked and destroyed. Sounds like that part is fixed now.

Does the ground cable from the battery go to the block? It should.

 

Those appear to be shoebox Ford hubcaps, not truck hubcaps.