Gages dont work - Help!
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 291
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From: Ft Lauderdale USA
Gages dont work - Help!
Bought a 1952 F1 R code 239 4 speed last week, having fun, very original and solid truck except that the previous owner converted it to 12 V, with an alternator and new wiring, which is OK as I like to drive it.
My voltage gage just seems to stay in the middle, no change no mater what I do, start, turn on/off lights etc. it looks hooked up, is this normal for a alternator? What else should I check?
Temp gage just stays in the middle, no change here either and it looks hooked up.
Oil pressure works, it starts low when the truck is started and builds to normal. Is this normal for a flathead engine?
Other wise this truck runs great, it does not overheat and seems to be charging.
I have been wanting one of these trucks for years, I wish I bought one sooner. Just need some ideas on what to look for. I have read every previous post on this board and have learned a lot already! Thanks!
Bryan
My voltage gage just seems to stay in the middle, no change no mater what I do, start, turn on/off lights etc. it looks hooked up, is this normal for a alternator? What else should I check?
Temp gage just stays in the middle, no change here either and it looks hooked up.
Oil pressure works, it starts low when the truck is started and builds to normal. Is this normal for a flathead engine?
Other wise this truck runs great, it does not overheat and seems to be charging.
I have been wanting one of these trucks for years, I wish I bought one sooner. Just need some ideas on what to look for. I have read every previous post on this board and have learned a lot already! Thanks!
Bryan
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 3,730
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From: Waynesville, OH
Gages dont work - Help!
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 14-Jun-02 AT 05:06 PM (EST)]Bryan,
Here's a simple and quick way to check your voltage gage. Disconnect one battery terminal and take one of the wires off the back of the gage (there should be two). Make sure you have a 12 Volt gage and not a 6 Volt with a drop resistor! Connect a 9 Volt battery across the gage making sure to get the + and - on the right terminals. If your truck is working OK, the 9 Volt battery should read lower than what you see with the truck running. With the truck running and charging you should have between 11.5 and 13.5 Volts or so depending on what's turned on and how your regulator is set up.
The fact that the gage reads the same even when you are starting worries me - I don't think it should.
George
Here's a simple and quick way to check your voltage gage. Disconnect one battery terminal and take one of the wires off the back of the gage (there should be two). Make sure you have a 12 Volt gage and not a 6 Volt with a drop resistor! Connect a 9 Volt battery across the gage making sure to get the + and - on the right terminals. If your truck is working OK, the 9 Volt battery should read lower than what you see with the truck running. With the truck running and charging you should have between 11.5 and 13.5 Volts or so depending on what's turned on and how your regulator is set up.
The fact that the gage reads the same even when you are starting worries me - I don't think it should.
George
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 331
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From: Michigan
Gages dont work - Help!
Leave the lights on for a while, then start the motor put a volt meter on the battery and see if its charging. If you bought the truck last week and have been driving it with no starting problems the alternator must be putting out something.
Maybe the last owner never hooked the volt meter up.
For a quick check on the radiator put some cardboard in front of it and see if the temp. gage goes up
Did the 52s have the same cooling fan as the 51s? If so keep an eye on the oil in the fan housing.
Maybe the last owner never hooked the volt meter up.
For a quick check on the radiator put some cardboard in front of it and see if the temp. gage goes up
Did the 52s have the same cooling fan as the 51s? If so keep an eye on the oil in the fan housing.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 311
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From: Walla Walla USA
Gages dont work - Help!
Bryan..my oil gauge on my 48 (flathead 6 ...and 6 volt)starts in the middle and goes down from there. The oil pumps in the old trucks leaved little to be desired as everything seemed to effect their performance. But...it still works.
In your case, I would check the gauges themselves to see if they are truly working to begin with.
In your case, I would check the gauges themselves to see if they are truly working to begin with.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Ft Lauderdale USA
Gages dont work - Help!
Thanks for the help, my truck is 12V, with original gages. This could be why it doesnt work, I will test the volt and temp gage and see what happens.
Can I buy original style 12 v gages? If not how can I get them to work or should I install extra gages, I would hate to do this as the truck is very stock except for som bolt on stuff like 12v, headers and dual pipes.
Bryan
Can I buy original style 12 v gages? If not how can I get them to work or should I install extra gages, I would hate to do this as the truck is very stock except for som bolt on stuff like 12v, headers and dual pipes.
Bryan
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Ft Lauderdale USA
Gages dont work - Help!
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 18-Jun-02 AT 11:46 AM (EST)]Got under and looked at my wiring last night, the harness is new. Found out htat the amp meter is not even hooked up. The question is that the truck is 12 volts, will this hurt the meter?
All the lights in the dash work, they are all hooked up, I will have to get out a meter and see if they are 12 volts running to them.
The oil pressure appears to work fine, in a 12v conversion would the sending unit need to get replaced or does it work fine with 12?
My temp still does not work.
It looks as if I will have a long next weekend to try to figure out, any advice would be great?
Can I buy 12 volt gages? or what is needed to make them work?
Bryan
All the lights in the dash work, they are all hooked up, I will have to get out a meter and see if they are 12 volts running to them.
The oil pressure appears to work fine, in a 12v conversion would the sending unit need to get replaced or does it work fine with 12?
My temp still does not work.
It looks as if I will have a long next weekend to try to figure out, any advice would be great?
Can I buy 12 volt gages? or what is needed to make them work?
Bryan
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,070
Likes: 2
From: Boise, Idaho
Gages dont work - Help!
Bryan, Search the archives. There was a discussion about gauges and voltage. It seems that Ford had used a voltage regulator to regulate the voltage to instrument panel gauges for some time.
Best regards,
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 41
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Gages dont work - Help!
Don't know if this will help, but I have a '59 F-100 Styleside with VDO Cockpit Royale gauges. All work fine EXCEPT the oil pressure gauge. I contacted VDO and they said that the most common reason is the threading tape and/or silicon sealant that many of us use. It's possible that the tape or sealant is blocking the sender thus causing it to give a bad reading.
Hope this turns out to be it for ya... sure would be a cheap fix!
Good luck...
Daryl
Hope this turns out to be it for ya... sure would be a cheap fix!
Good luck...
Daryl
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