I have a 63 F100 and the tail lights are out. Looked at the switch on the master cylinder and it works fine, jumped the switch from the battery and the tail lights work. looked at the fuse box and the wiring under the dash is a mess. Does anyone know a good place to get a wiring diagram for these trucks? I bought a couple of fuse blocks that I am going to attach to the upper firewall and start to re-wire I have way to many burt smashed and cut wires so I would like to clean up the wiring. The wiring on these trucks are pretty easy if I can get a wiring diagram with color coding it will make it much easer to re-wire the fuse block.

 

Found a 64 wiring diagram I am assuming that the wiring is the same if someone knows differently please chime in.

 

Topic has came up recently where member's posted opinions on 'laminated' vs the 'soft cover' Ford truck wiring manual. I had both and lost, or gave the laminated away, I found it difficult to follow, especially if the circuit ran from 1 page to another. Purchased the soft cover manual from Jim Osborn Reproductions Inc., for $7. I did not bookmark the laminated link, you might try scrolling down this forum a few threads to see if able to find it?

If it's just the dash harness it's possible to make repairs and add a couple of extra circuits but it can be time consuming. I used plastic ties to keep the individual wire trunks separate while making the repairs.

The wiring on my 65 was bad and at the time no manufacturers made a dash harness for the 61-66 Ford truck so I ended up purchasing reproduction harnesses for just the headlight, alternator, and taillight harnesses, ran around $200. Recently topic came up and member posted a link to a source for the entire reproduction wiring kit for around $500. I believe it's the same manufacturer who I purchased the individual harnesses from which I found to be very good quality, with the same electrical connectors and wire color codes. If decide to go this route I can post the harness link?

 

So the electrical nightmare is over I still have more electrical work to do but the electric is much better I will do several posts this morning to give you a feel for what I did.

 

Switch and fuse box




New fuse boxes on the firewall


I pulled the fuse box off the light switch and pulled them apart, I was very happy that I could wire up to the switch without the fuse box. Then I installed the two new fuse boxes on the firewall, one will end up being switched and the other one will not.

 

New positive wire run with the wire bundle




New fuse box wired up ready to be wired, its easy to move items around now and easy to get to.


Ran new positive wire from the battery to the new fuse boxes, started re-wiring the lights and power to the new fuse box.

 

this is about half way done, I ran the new wires along the wire bundle held on with strip ties.




Switch all wired up ready to be re-installed


Finished, all the lights are about twice as bright the charging meter on the truck is about twice as high as it was before (might have to look at that) very happy with the results. Next up is replacing the ignition switch, and wiring some of this through the switch because right now nothing is switched you just turn it on.

 

So my drivers side front turn signal never worked so step one pull the bulb, they had a single post bulb in the socket. Drive to the auto parts store buy a bulb install lights up nice but the turn signal does not work on that side now. Any thoughts?

The light switch on the dash was painted when the PO painted the truck. The dimmer is either painted or is shot, can I clean the switch with brake cleaner will that remove the paint without killing the switch.

Took a look at my fuel sending unit, it will read 1/2 tank when full and 1/4 tank when empty any ideas with the fuel gauge?

 

ever think about a complete rewiring? i'm in the middle of mine. it's a pain, but when i'm finished i'm pretty sure i won't have to worry about for a decade or so.

 

I believe brake cleaner is basically acetone, so using it on plastic will probably melt or degrade it. I would try denatured alcohol first, though it will probably be slow going, depending on the kind of paint used.

~Steve

 

I agree, think that I am just going to replace the switch and call it a day. then all I have to worry about is the front left turn signal.

Anybody know of a good place to buy wire for auto use? with the re-wiring I am doing and another project I have I might buy some small spools.