I have a 51 F1 and for some reason every time I turn on the lights the circuit breaker starts ticking. I have checked all the diagrams and things appear to be wired correctly. I have never work on 6v systems. Help please.

 

Give us a little more information please.

Was everything working properly, and this just started happening?

Did you recently add any circuits to the truck?

Did the circuit breaker open earlier and only recently start this ticking?

When you turn on the lights, do they come on?

Circuit breakers will go bad if operated too many times.

If you just have a bad breaker, I have a set you can have for the price of shipping.

 

There's a short somewhere, the lights should be flashing as the breaker cycles. Does it happen when you put on the parking lights?

 

Oh, and Welcome to FTE!

 

This truck restore was started by my great uncle who pasted away. Now my dad and I are putting it back together. As of now we have the engine, drive chain, brake system, and cab on the truck. We are now installing the harnesses to complete the cab. The dash gauges and switches are now wired up. When we connect the battery to chech the lights(using a meter as the lights are not installed) as soon as we pull the light switch to the on position the breaker starts ticking. I am getting 6v for the head lights but the parking light are not getting any voltage? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Lets see, we have a breaker one terminal is supply (6vts) in. The other
terminal is supply (6vts)out. Lets say a breaker is rated for 20amps, any
thing drawn per say 30 or 40 amps will trip the breaker (blown fuse),
difference is when the breaker cools it will supply again. Senerio, you
have taken all bulbs out. You pull the light switch and the breaker trips?
Don't forget the tail / running lights are connected to the head lights, but
you said you get 6vts from the headlite socket then it trips. Sounds like
something from switch to the back tail lights have a short & short means
that wire is grounded (shaffed or pinched ). I would remove the park &
tail light wires off the switch. Pull switch, Now what Yes or No. No means
its tail or parking short . If yes (its breaking) and headlites are bright? kinda
boils down to the breakers bi metal is fatigued and need a new one. Nother
word by trial each wire in the circut has to be disconected to narrow it
down. Prime example my 59 Lincoln lighting will break every 10 min.
These cars have more bulbs ash trays vanities and a big Autronic automatic
headlite dimmer. So my voltage is good all bright lights so my circuit breaker is weak. Problem is, its integral with the switch. One look under
there tells me 2 weeks to get to the switch as in the wires grew in there.
hope this helps a little I'm no letter writer.
sam

Oh one more to check light sockets (not much room for wires grounding out) dont worry 6, 12,24,36 110, 220 volts; the principle is the same.

 

Your park lights go off when the headlights come on. That's normal. The light switch has two positions, halfway out for park lights/taillights and full out for headlights/taillights. The taillights come on in both positions.

Check to see if you have park lights with the switch halfway out.

How frequently does the breaker "tick"?

I agree with Ross, you have a short somewhere.