Can I use a standard wire I buy at the parts store meant for a 12 volt system on my 6 volt system. Could it be the cause of my ground problems... being positive grounded unlike the 12 volt trucks. thansk

 

It's my understanding that the wiring in a 6 volt system is thicker/lower gauge than a 12 volt system. So it should be fine.




Keep 'er between the ditches.

 

jml: I would stick with at least the same gauge wire I was replacing.

Any questions about the size then always go heavier, never lighter. I rewired my 51 F-3, 6 volt positive ground, and all of the wiring was
very similar to the original wiring. I think I invested about $250.00 to completely rewire the entire truck. It is worth it.

One thing I did find that caused a short in the system, was the wiring for the tail and brake lights was directed through a spring guard over the leaf springs. This guard prevents the pick up bed from crashing down upon the leaf springs. The wires eventually rot out and short against this guard. Since they run through the guard you have to cut either side of them and reroute around this problem.

You see, when they short out, they tend to melt together inside that guard and you can't get to them. So just cut around them and reroute your wire another way so as to get to them in the future. That was the only design flaw I found with regard to shorts and wires. The rest of the wiring is fairly easy to get at when servicing the vehicle. I hope this helps.
Brien

 

Good info Brien!

I'm starting on my wiring too and I want to be clear on the details. Here's what I think I read in the previous posts and have gotten from a couple other sources. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

1. The actual spools of wire at your local store are the same whether you are using them for a 12 or a 6 Volt system.

2. In the simplest terms, current is what determines how big a wire you need - not voltage. A 6 Volt system generally uses more current than a 12 Volt system for a given circuit so you generally need bigger wires in the 6 V system. The actual size you need for a given circuit depends on the maximum current in the circuit.

3. The previous advice is excellent - if in doubt, use the next larger size wire.

4. Bigger wire means smaller gage number - 18 gage is fairly small whereas 10 gage is fairly big. The common automotive wire gages are in even numbers - 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 0, 00, 000, 0000 from smallest to largest.

One other tip from my laboratory days - even the best planned wiring job sometimes requires a splice or in-line connection. First decide if you'll ever want to take it apart easily like a connection to a regulator. If you will, use either bullet or other automotive connector designed to be disconnected periodically. If you're sure it's going to be a permanent connection then use a solder joint. In either case, put a piece of adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing over one wire before you make the connection. After you make the connection slide the heat shrink back over the connection and heat it until it shrinks up tight and the adhesive melts inside the tube. I sometimes put two pieces of shrink tube on and shrink the longer one over the shorter one for added protection. The adhesive inside the heat shrink really stops water from corroding the connection.

Hope you get all those wires sorted out!

Hope I get all my wires sorted out too! ;-)

George

 

Do not use battery cables designed for 12V systems, they are usually #4 or smaller.
Standard Brand still has cables in 0 and 2 gauge. The original cables in my 54 looked good but were corroded and broken down inside where they couldnt be seen.
Replacing the cables and cleaning all ground connections turned it into a new truck.