Last spring I replaced the left waterpump in the flattie in my panel truck. when I pulled the pump I noticed a lot of gunk in the cooling system so I flushed the system with air and water and got a lot of gunk out. I filled the system with straight vinegar, as suggested by the flathead gurus on the Ford Barn site, to loosen any other slug that is in it. So far, so good.

I got the charging system to work, some times. I think I have a bad regulator or generator. At initial start up the ampmeter needle goes to "C" but then starts to flick back and forth. I had to clean the contacts on the regulator to get any charge at all so I think that might be the culprit.

In the last couple of weeks I finished rewiring my panel. I had little problems getting all of the lights to work but most do, I still need to get the dash board lights to light and install new sockets in the parking lights to convert them into turn lights.

I wanted to drive it to the Dash to the Dells show but ran out of time so I had to trailer it. The morning of the Dells show I walked out to the truck and found it had a gas tank leak, never leaked before, but the weld for the neck in my modified tank decided to develope a crack that morning. Maybe the truck was trying to tell me something. I applied some epoxy sealer and went on my marry way. Two days later my wife called me at work and told me it was leaking again. I went home and found another leak, did the epoxy patch again.

A couple of days later I took the truck out for a real test drive and got about a mile from my house and the truck started to over heat. I nursed it back home and popped the hood. There were six leakes in the core of the radiator but don't worry because by then they were plugged by rusty sludge. No problem, I have a extra radiator I bought at an auction for just such an occation, plus it's out of a big truck and has an extra core. Today I pick the radiator up from my shop and take it home. The truck also did not have a fan shroud but I have an extra in my "junk" pile, as my wife calls it. Get home and the radiator has larger water necks than the one in the panel. The radiator is marked "1946 Ford" but I thought it was the same. I ended up taking the top tank off of the panel's radiator, which was completely plugged wth rust and scale, and soldering it on the '46 radiator, the first time I have attemped to do a complete solder job, I have done repairs though. I flushed the engine again and installed the radiator, filled it with water and took it for a test drive, with the wife. We get about a half mile away and the headlights die, along with the engine. It starts right up again but then dies about a block down the road. Before it dies the lights start to flicker so I think it must be a wiring problem or maybe something with the above mentioned generator/regulator problem. Anyone have any ideas, suggestions?

I am posting this not to get sympathy but to tell you that after working a bunch of hours at my business, with a lot more to come, it felt good to get in, and under, an old truck. I find it very theraputic to be able to do something different for a change. Even though the problems with the truck get very aggrevating it sure feels good to solve a problem and start working on another one. I just wish I could spend more time working on my trucks and less time at my real job.

BTW, I checked my soldering job on the radiator, after letting the truck run a while, I couldn't find any leaks, but there's always tomorrow morning.

 

you are not alone . i know these things all too well and i have the other half complaining that i should have kept the late model truck as bessie is always needing something . i have of recent had my 53 a.k.a bessie , give me a lot of the same problems youre mentioning and a few fuel systems related also . can be trying and i am seriously considering finding a p.o.s to drive this winter and fix the issues instead of half a-- doing it as i am trying to drive it every day . it wouldn't take much other than not really having the time . i geuss instead of talking 'bout it i should just move the 55 over into the other drive tarp her up agai for another cold season , clean the garage and do it . with any luck she could probably be back on the road by late oct. or november .

 

Ain't it wonderful

 

Bob,

Sounds like a typical day in the life..........

I think I'd check your charging system. It almost sounds like you are running on battery only, when the battery finally gets low enough it dies.

Good luck
Bobby

 

I agree with Bobby, start with the charging system. I can't say enough about the use of ground wires, you can't have to many or how to install them correctly. Everyone doing an installation of new wiring should have someone else review the installation. When we are tired we make minor mistakes and miss seeing them later.

Actually, it's the dark side calling, we need more members. Have a great day,chuck

As Rosanna Danna said on "Laugh-in," If it aint one thing, it's another.

 

When it rains, it pours... and then I just pay someone to do it.

 

It sounds like you might have wired the power to the ignition switch through one of the circuit breakers and the breaker is tripping.

Craig

 

Craig,

Maybe we should follow 49fordpickumup's advice. You should stop over and check my wiring out. I don't think it has anything to do with a circuit breaker. Last night was the first time it acted this way. I have a feeling it must be a bad connection or something to do with the charging system. With the twitching of the ampmeter and the contacts I had to clean in the regulator, I am leaning toward the regulator but the generator is also making noise so I guess I better start looking at all that stuff.

 

Does the ignition power go thru the ampmeter ? you said is twitching, if so the twitching could act as if you are turning the key on and off

 

The wire that goes through the ampmeter starts at the generator, goes into the voltage regulator, going through the relay contacts in the regulator, then to the circuit breaker in the dash pod. From there it feeds the other circuits in the truck and continues to the battery with a stop at the starter solenoid. I think my problem is the votage regulator. I took the truck for another ride Monday night and it didn't cut out, but I don't think it was charging either. Another reason I suspect the voltage regulator is because when I first installed it in the truck I wasn't getting a charge because the contact were dirty. The regulator is from my spare parts pile, I should break down and buy a brand new unit, I just haven't had the time to do so yet.