Mongrel truck
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 278
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From: Lewisville, NC
Mongrel truck
The '53 (?) F100 that I've been restoring proved even more interesting this weekend. I found two things that surprised me:
1. Wipers were vacuum, not electric
2. When I removed the instrument cluster, there was a bracket screwed on the edge (looked factory) with what appear to be voltage dropping resistors on it. The truck had been partially converted to 12V when I got it.
Are vacuum wipers stock on '53 and if so, what can I use as a drop in electric repleacement for either the motor (unlikely) or the whole assembly?
Is this a later (maybe '56) instrument cluster that is already set up for 12V neg ground?
The main power to this ran past the ammeter gauge where it passed through a clip. Does the ammeter measure the current inductively? I expected a shunt resistor arrangement...
-Scott
1. Wipers were vacuum, not electric
2. When I removed the instrument cluster, there was a bracket screwed on the edge (looked factory) with what appear to be voltage dropping resistors on it. The truck had been partially converted to 12V when I got it.
Are vacuum wipers stock on '53 and if so, what can I use as a drop in electric repleacement for either the motor (unlikely) or the whole assembly?
Is this a later (maybe '56) instrument cluster that is already set up for 12V neg ground?
The main power to this ran past the ammeter gauge where it passed through a clip. Does the ammeter measure the current inductively? I expected a shunt resistor arrangement...
-Scott
Junior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 97
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From: Rocksprings
wipers
if you need an electric wiper conversion or repair parts for the vacuum stuff, Macs Auto Parts has them so does sacramento vintage ford and Kanter Auto parts as well. i was lucky and mine worked w/o any problems.
i think vacuum wipers might be better on the trucks w/a generator, i know my generator has measly output and any additional load would zap my battery for sure!
sean
i think vacuum wipers might be better on the trucks w/a generator, i know my generator has measly output and any additional load would zap my battery for sure!
sean
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 2,813
Likes: 6
From: Connecticut
Your dash would be the same for 53-55 and was originally 6 volt. The 56 was 12V and the dash was completely different in size and shape, so it couldn't be swapped around. Someone has been back there and messing with it. THe ammeter measures the voltage passing by it thru the wire. What they were doing was feeding the drop down device 12volts which then fed all the guages 6volts as that's what stock guages operate on. You put 12v to them and they will fry eventually.
As previous posts said, vac wipers were stock on most trucks up until 1961. Electric were a option on 52 and later, but is a rare option to find. As you get up into the later 50's, you'll find more of them. Bosch made a motor that fit in, but you have to hunt around for them. Look in the classifieds here and try Ebay.
Barry
As previous posts said, vac wipers were stock on most trucks up until 1961. Electric were a option on 52 and later, but is a rare option to find. As you get up into the later 50's, you'll find more of them. Bosch made a motor that fit in, but you have to hunt around for them. Look in the classifieds here and try Ebay.
Barry
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 587
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From: Augusta, ME
Are you sure they weren't circuit breakers, and not voltage drop down resistors? It sounds just like the earlier F1 like I have, a bracket screwed on the side of the gauge cluster with 2 circuit breakers in it, fed by the wire passing through the ammeter.
Scott.
Scott.
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 628
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From: High Park, Toronto
Originally Posted by Narwhal
I found two things that surprised me:
1. Wipers were vacuum, not electric
2. When I removed the instrument cluster, there was a bracket screwed on the edge (looked factory) with what appear to be voltage dropping resistors on it. The truck had been partially converted to 12V when I got it.
Are vacuum wipers stock on '53 and if so, what can I use as a drop in electric repleacement for either the motor (unlikely) or the whole assembly?
Is this a later (maybe '56) instrument cluster that is already set up for 12V neg ground?
The main power to this ran past the ammeter gauge where it passed through a clip. Does the ammeter measure the current inductively? I expected a shunt resistor arrangement...
-Scott
1. Wipers were vacuum, not electric
2. When I removed the instrument cluster, there was a bracket screwed on the edge (looked factory) with what appear to be voltage dropping resistors on it. The truck had been partially converted to 12V when I got it.
Are vacuum wipers stock on '53 and if so, what can I use as a drop in electric repleacement for either the motor (unlikely) or the whole assembly?
Is this a later (maybe '56) instrument cluster that is already set up for 12V neg ground?
The main power to this ran past the ammeter gauge where it passed through a clip. Does the ammeter measure the current inductively? I expected a shunt resistor arrangement...
-Scott
As stated, the vacum wipers were stock and they "do suck"
(pun intended)The factory bracket is stock as well however I'm not sure whaat was there......previous post on circuit breakers sounds reasonable. The "Battery guage" was simply measuring current flow/direction I believe.
A wiper motor from any Cchrysler minivan (and many other mopar products) bolts in with some minor modifications and will work with the stock wiper linkage on our "slant cabs"
GW
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