When I bought my '36 P2 driver a few years ago, it had its original generator and 6 volt system, as it still does. The previous owner had installed a hot water heater, a pair of sealed beam auxilliary driving lights, and turn signals front and back. Each of these, by themselves worked fine. But there appeared to be inadequate power to run the turn signals, the headlights, and the brake lights (as when stopped at a stop sign or stop light) at the same time. The turn signals just shut off! Not a very safe situation. Also, the headlights were dim (all the time).

Trying to resolve the problem by making the most of the available generator power, I did the following---since the engine block and body were mounted to the frame on rubber, I connected them by adding braided ground straps for a really good ground, threw in new heavy duty battery cables and a new Interstate battery with good cranking power, had the head light reflectors re-plated by UVIRA, and installed an NOS headlight switch, floor high-low beam changer, and a headlight relay.

Now, the headlights are at least as bright as sealed beams and the starter
turns the engine over briskly. But, the turn signals are still lost with the headlights and brake lights on. Forget even thinking about the heater!

My next move was to add a 30 amp., positive gound, 6 volt alternator. This kept my battery in good shape, but didn't improve the losing-the-stop-lights problem.

Well my most recent move was to put in a new manufacture, positive ground, 6 volt, 60 amp. alternator, thinking surely this will kill the problem.

Guess what? No change in the problem. And, I even seem to have lost some of the performance I had had with the 30 amp. alternator (e.g., turn signals blink more slowly).

Do any of you who have waded throught all this think that the wire from the alternator to the (original) ammeter needs to be heavier gauge? And if a heavier gauge wire IS run from the 60 amp alternator, will there be an overload in the birdsnest & 20 amp. fuse at the ammeter? Or, do I need to look elsewhere?

Auto-electric gurus, please help! Thanks.

1) wire the headlamps using a headlamp relay, 2) try a heavy duty flasher.

As noted, I already have installed a headlight relay, and will check out the flasher.

The flasher is a heavy duty 6 volt thermal unit.

All those things should run off just the battery. There is something funny in your wiring someplace. As I did not wire it I don't know where. But either all those things are drawing power thru the same inadequate source, such as a thin wire or corroded connection, or worn out switch, or you have bad ground or grounds.

HI Rusty1

I'm in process of:

(1) installing a 10 gauge, stranded copper cable between the (60 amp.) alternator and the ammeter,

(2) checking the turn-signal connections and ground front and back,

(3) de-mounting the alternator & bracket and making sure of good grounding there, and

(4) installing a smaller pulley on the alternator.

I had, awhile back, installed two woven copper ground straps, to set up a good ground connection between the the block, frame, and body. This really jazzed up the starter and the lights, as the engine and body had been mounted on rubber at the factory. A heavy duty 6 volt flasher is in place.