Just bought a 54 truck form the original owners!!!
Anyone have good info on a wiring harness(as direct a fit as possible)?
Also, need a good vin number site to decode truck ...am told all is original and appears to be so, but need to confirm y-block size..
could be 239, 279 or 317?

thanks for any help...looking forward to the super-nats
(where ever they may be this year)


Ed

 

Ron Francis makes a good wiring kit, it's not exactly direct fit, but it's super easy to wire up!

 

order an original style harness from Mid-Fifty. do not take your old one of all at once. Remove a little, put the new on in, remove a little more, put the new on in and so on... That way you now how it should go on! Take pics to before just in case.

 

If you post the VIN we can let you know what it means. I got my decoder from the catalog of lmc truck. I think there are web sites our there as well.

Your VIN should start F10 for F100
4th character will be
R -for 239
Well I was going to continue, but this vin decoder says that 1954 only came in the 239 or 6 cylinder

5th digit is year (3- for 53, 4- for 54, 5- for 55, 6- for 56)
The next character is for the assembly plant and the last numbers are the production sequence.

Joe

 

Thanks for the help so far.
I checked into the Ron francis wire kit...for that kind of money I was hoping to find an original style kit that needed no modifications, but when something is 50 years old I guess you have to be flexable.
Here is the vin....V10V4K19976
The decoders I have found on line say it is from Kansas plant (which is where the owners were originally) and also a 239 v8.
question...I thought the 53 flat head motor was a v8 239??? Did the make the exact same size motor in the y-block for the 54?
Also, I have a service book for the 54 and it lists possible engine sizes as 239, 252, 279, and 317.
Where on the block would be the ID numbers usually stamped on engines for identification in 54?

Again, thanks for all the great help. Ed

 

The bigger engines were for the bigger trucks, F-600 and up. The F-100's in '54 were 239's OHV yes the same cubic inch as the flathead in '53.

About the harness, unless you are rodding, look for an original style harness. They are easy to put on. (Idid it myself) All you really need is the harness from the dash forward to the firewall, engine, and headlights. Anything to the back can be done yourself with wire you run yourself.

 

Hey thanks for confirming the engine size, I have since learned that the stamp on block should be near distributor...havnt checked yet.
This will make it easier to order the correct parts in the future.

Where did you find the harness you installed....get lucky and find an old one in good shape or did you find a nos part?

I wes even thinking of just getting some wire and starting from scratch myself.


Ed

 

I found this link in a previous post.

http://www1.hagenhosting.com/%7Eold...ecoder5160f.cgi

I replaced the V with an F.

Your truck is a 1954 F-100 ½ ton that origanilly came from the factory with the O.H.V. 8 cylinder 239ci engine. It was assembled at the Kansas City production plant and it's consecutive production number is 19976.

Here is what you get with the V

Your truck is a 1954 Unknown Series that origanilly came from the factory with the O.H.V. 8 cylinder 239ci engine. It was assembled at the Kansas City production plant and it's consecutive production number is 19976.

My 239 had the stamp on the passenger side toward the front of the engine. I also used the intake manifold number (behind the carb) and the head numbers. They are toward the front of the engine just below the valve covers. I believe mine started with EBV, but that was for the 55

Try this link for Y-Block casting info
http://ford-y-block.com/Block%20identification.htm

 

im putting a painless wiring kit in my 60 f100 and it seems pretty straight forward and seems to be a really good setup and under $300

just my 2 cents

 

Yep my truck is 14487 of the same model and location and year. Now that is funny. BTW your truck is in great conditiion. Looks well taken care of.

 

The 54 239 is a Dearborn built block and the code should be just above the oil filter.
EBV will be the correct one if it is original.

My 1 family owner is a 54 F350.

 

Man, you still ought to be able to find the stock wire harnesses for under $200 color matched to the real wiring diagram for your year. See Mid FIfty, Dennis Carpenter or any of the fine vendors linked here.

This will work fine unless you are headed for PW/AC/BoomBox land then you go Painless or Francis

 

Is there a good reason to go with a 12v system amd an alternator?

 

A more efficient electrical system, brighter headlights, easier to find electrical accessories and bulbs, and a better chance of finding parts if you break down in Yehaw Junction (no offense to Yehaw Junction, FL as I've been through there a few times).

 

Ed,
comments on your questions: Where did you find the harness you installed....get lucky and find an old one in good shape or did you find a nos part?
**I bought mine from Mid-Fifty Truck Parts. I don't have the number with me but do a search on the net, find their web page and call them. Sy, the owner, a very nice knowledgable woman, will make what you need. Mine looked just like the original, with the wires colored in the same way, wrapped in cloth and bundled in black tape. Sy will send you just what you need. I only got the stuff from under the dash to the firewall, engine compartment (generator, voltage regulator, oil press. sender ,etc) and the headlight and parking lights. I did not replace the horn wire. you can do your own brake lights, tail lights and turnsignals, unless you are going for the complete restoration.

I wes even thinking of just getting some wire and starting from scratch myself.
** Don't do this! It is too hard!


Is there a good reason to go with a 12v system amd an alternator?
** I stayed 6 volt becasue it works and it is easier than changing everything over. There was a thread on this a few weeks ago. Make sure you have a good generator and starter and replace the cables from them (and the grounds) with new properly sized cables. I think they are '00' size (double ott).