john hess Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 New project this week... Putting wiring harness back in the car.... Should have marked things a little better..... Lots of help here on the forum though... I'll keep ya posted... John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 Fuel guage working proper now.. did not have good ground until inst. cluster bolt holes got cleaned out.. when I painted dash, threads got painted too... Oil pressure working. 30 psi on block guage.. Off a little on dash guage, but now I know where 'normal' should be... Checked temp guage on stove top with meat probe in hot water.... 175 was at center mark... Seems accurate... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 While checking wires and function of each, realized I need to glue weather strip on trunk lid... Problem is, forget which way it goes on trunk.. need photo of someones trunk lid showing placement. See photo attached.... Not sure if im on the right edge... Its been 6 years since I removed it, and now that its painted, I dont remember where it goes... Thanks.. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 On 10/3/2020 at 12:07 PM, john hess said: While checking wires and function of each, realized I need to glue weather strip on trunk lid... Problem is, forget which way it goes on trunk.. need photo of someones trunk lid showing placement. See photo attached.... Not sure if im on the right edge... Its been 6 years since I removed it, and now that its painted, I dont remember where it goes... Thanks.. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 looks like you need to turn it around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 Thank you... That helps.... John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 5, 2020 Author Share Posted October 5, 2020 Ok, I finally got brake lights working proper. I cleaned the spade fittings with a wire brush and applied dielectric grease... Seems that 60 year old wiring gets an oxidation film on every joint possible when it hasnt been run for years. Im finding switches work better, lights are brighter too when sockets and bulb ends are polished... Still having issues with turn signals though.... Think I have a bad flasher...... Getting very close to being able to go for ice cream, as this was the goal when I started this project oh so long ago..... John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 7, 2020 Author Share Posted October 7, 2020 Im sure its been brought up before, but have any of you upgraded to led taillights and marker lights.? If so, are they just plug and play or do we need some type of relay ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY F Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 I haven't done it but from what I read you just plug them in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 7, 2020 Author Share Posted October 7, 2020 Thanks Gary... guess I will hold off for now.... Still have some issues with grounds I believe.... Brake lights did not activate on first try tonight.. then a few cycles of marker/tail lights they are woking again every time. !!!... Got new headlights.... Installed, working fine.... Waiting for turn signal flasher.... Old one gets hot.... signals dont work...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 14, 2020 Author Share Posted October 14, 2020 I have come to the conclusion that my t/s switch may be the problem. Pricey for a new one, but may remove and try to repair... I stripped back the wires on right side at socket since I have a new pigtail. Wires were discolored as in a short.. If I recall, prior to 1956 they were not required anyway... Gettysburg show only 3 weeks away and Im not quite road ready yet. Got reverse lghts installed and working with temporary ground. Too much paint. Just hate to grind new paint for a grounding point.. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 14, 2020 Author Share Posted October 14, 2020 Also fixed a charging issue... Had to do the jumper thing on the regulator.. (polarizing or whatever its called) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share Posted October 15, 2020 Ok... Wiring experts needed.... Took apart my t/s switch... Cleaned contacts...reassembled.. Signals work fine on left, no markers on.. turn markers on, still ok... But.... I am getting feed back through right signal and it operates as a marker light (t/s filament is dim, no flash) Looking at the switch, Am I missing an insulator between front two (short) contacts ? Looks like that is where my bleed over is happening.... Any thoughts ? I am unwravelling harness slowly,checking for shorts, but maybe this is my problem ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share Posted October 15, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share Posted October 15, 2020 Once again I believe its all from a bad ground... New paint and oxidized connections.... Grounded sockets direct to battery, seems to work as intended... Polished brake light switch poles and connectors. Brake lights work better, and brighter.... one BIG discovery also... while trying to adjust a new (used) carb wcd719sa, I just could not get engine to run proper.. seems like not all cylinders firing always.... Very inconsistant.... Pulled plugs, some wet, some black sooty, some brown and dry.... Cleaned all plugs, reinstalled, same issue... Old plug wires, solid core, some rusty ends, some oxidized...... Trip to wire wheel, polished all tips and installed wires...... Runs better than it ever has !!! Smooth idle .. instant start of cold engine last 2 days.... Whooda thunk... ?... 2 weeks to Gettysburg ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 2 hours ago, john hess said: Once again I believe its all from a bad ground... New paint and oxidized connections.... Grounded sockets direct to battery, seems to work as intended... Polished brake light switch poles and connectors. Brake lights work better, and brighter.... one BIG discovery also... while trying to adjust a new (used) carb wcd719sa, I just could not get engine to run proper.. seems like not all cylinders firing always.... Very inconsistant.... Pulled plugs, some wet, some black sooty, some brown and dry.... Cleaned all plugs, reinstalled, same issue... Old plug wires, solid core, some rusty ends, some oxidized...... Trip to wire wheel, polished all tips and installed wires...... Runs better than it ever has !!! Smooth idle .. instant start of cold engine last 2 days.... Whooda thunk... ?... 2 weeks to Gettysburg ! chasing down those electrical demons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 Yes, one at a time.... Learning as you go... Tightened up steering box, greased all joints.. went for test drive on 1/2 mile private rd. Handles like new !!.... Left my helper try it out (wife)... Ran out of gas.. now I know where guage is at when that happens !!!.. She did not find this amusing.... Got 10 gallons in, guage shows 3/4... Once again,now I know where "normal" is... On to next issue,... Hold my beer. I got this . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 17, 2020 Author Share Posted October 17, 2020 Still cant sort out t/s issue.. got new napa 535 6v 32cp-max4 flasher... nowhere on box does it say neg or pos ground.. would a pos ground flasher work at all or do I have other issues ?..... One thing tonight happened that puzzles me... Turned on marker lights and pulled right socket out from tail light bezel.... Light stayed on....not grounded... Left side pulled out and goes out.. not grounded, this makes sense... Changed sockets, left to right, no change.. right side still lights, ungrounded..... ??????...... Since turn signals were added at some point after factory built, there is no wiring diagram in shop manual to check.. Is this 535 flasher the wrong one ? What are you guys using ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 17, 2020 Author Share Posted October 17, 2020 It drives... Starts,stops,turns.... I'll deal with the t/s later.!!!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 the 53-54 chevy turn signal switch are available and are adaptable in our pontiac steering column Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 17, 2020 Author Share Posted October 17, 2020 SE Pa..... Beatiful sunset couldnt resist... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 17, 2020 Author Share Posted October 17, 2020 Have bumpetettes.... Just didnt install yet.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldtech Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Hint on the turn signals: if you have dim bulbs it's the BULB ground. Either the dim one or it's buddy on the other side. it's grounding back through the filaments to another bulb. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 19, 2020 Author Share Posted October 19, 2020 Thanks... I"ll check into that.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summershandy Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 Looking good John! I'm using a Napa 535 6 volt flasher with no issues. A while back Bloo had me do the following and I've had strong signals ever since. Don't know if this would help....I'm weak on electrical. "If that is what you have, you may need to pop the third terminal out of the flasher socket and ground it instead (ground the wire terminal, not the flasher pin). You may find that the dash indicators are backwards after you do that. You might have to switch the sockets in their holes in the dash." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 23, 2020 Author Share Posted October 23, 2020 Hi Mark.. Im getting closer to the fix. What has surfaced now is this... I recently bought a cheap multi-meter to check continuity..... Well, last night as I was finishing up for the evening, I pulled the ground off the battery as normal lately.... Then, one last check on the wire junction block by the battery, I found that I have VOLTAGE to the junction block !!!! Remember the ground is disconnected.... So, I am sure I have a wire rubbed through on the harness... Will be unwrapping harness tomorrow.... Last thing I wanted to do, but...... Will post results tomorrow..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 (edited) On 10/16/2020 at 6:10 PM, john hess said: Still cant sort out t/s issue.. got new napa 535 6v 32cp-max4 3 hours ago, Summershandy said: I'm using a Napa 535 6 volt flasher with no issues. A while back Bloo had me do the following and I've had strong signals ever since. Don't know if this would help....I'm weak on electrical. "If that is what you have, you may need to pop the third terminal out of the flasher socket and ground it instead (ground the wire terminal, not the flasher pin). You may find that the dash indicators are backwards after you do that. You might have to switch the sockets in their holes in the dash." This may be a separate issue (or not, I am having trouble getting my head around it). Originally the indicators on the dash were wired in a screwy way. I believe it was PROBABLY set up so the dash indicators would somehow indicate when a bulb on the outside of the car is bad. It did not work with Summershandy's flasher. If you have the same one, and it sounds like you do, you may have to do the same thing. The symptom (IIRC) is the dash indicators both flash with a signal on. The dash indicators are wired from the front signal circuits (one each, right and left) to a common "ground" through the third pin on the flasher. On any "normal" signal circuit, that wire would go to body/chassis ground, not to the third pin on the flasher. If you are using the same flasher Summershandy is you will need to ground that wire (but not the flasher terminal itself) to get the dash indicators working normally. You will also probably have to switch their positions in the dash. It would probably make sense to go ahead and do this. Usually if you pull a front or rear socket out with something on, both filaments will glow dimly as there is no ground, and the filament that was on has to find a ground somehow through the other filament. I wouldn't be too concerned about that now. I see you rebuilt your switch. Nice! I can't guess if those are supposed to touch without seeing what wires go there. It may be normal. Here is how it works NORMALLY, hopefully to take a little of the mystery out. ---6v from the car's electrical system goes to the flasher power terminal. It comes out another terminal and heads to the turn signal switch. At this point I should point out that the third flasher terminal's normal reason to exist is to flash a dash indicator on cars that have only one, not a separate right and left. It will be unused once you disconnect and ground the wire that goes to the dash indicator bulb grounds. ---6v also goes from the cars electrical system to to the brake light switch. Switched voltage from the brake light switch then also goes to the turn signal switch. When the signals are off, the signal switch connects both rear turn signals (the bright halves of the dual-filament rear bulbs) to the brake light switch. For now, the brake lights work just as you would expect. ---When you turn on a signal, the left signal in this example two things happen: 1) The turn signal switch connects the left front signal bulb and the left dash indicator bulb to the flasher, causing them to flash. 2) The turn signal switch disconnects the left rear signal bulb from the brake lights, and connects it to the flasher, causing it also to flash. This is how the bulb is shared for both functions. Hope this helps. Edited October 24, 2020 by Bloo (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 24, 2020 Author Share Posted October 24, 2020 Thanks Bloo for your explanation... Yes, it all makes sense... However, I believe I have an issue with a short. As mentioned earlier, I clipped the old right front t/s wire. It was discolored as on a shorted,overheated situation at some point... Now with new t/s-marker harness installed both sides, I can make signals work, occasionally... Now, blew fuse on brake light side of harness.. (twice) Unwrapped harness from junction block back to brake switch split connection and that joint looks over heated also.. frustrating..... Somewhere I will find a wire rubbed through or hooked backwards... I will eventually find it..... Signals never worked properly as I remember... Thanks for all input. I am working through this one issue at a time...... John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 24, 2020 Author Share Posted October 24, 2020 Ok..... Here is where Im at tonight.... I have unwrapped the harness looking for open shorts or breaks in the coating.... Nothing... What I did find is that most, if not all of the soldered splice joints look over-heated.... The cloth wrap looks burnt sort of.. only at these joints. Not sure if its from the tape that wraps each joint or dirt, or both. Otherwise wires look like new with all colored marking visible... Talking to PO is rather difficult as he is below ground 10 years.. But, I was told they (father in law and his dad) used 12v to jump start vehicles alot around the farm.. (6v tractors mostly)... Soo... I think the headlight switch is bad.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 24, 2020 Author Share Posted October 24, 2020 Here is the switch.... Red shows (+) in from battery. This is normal.... Green shows (+) out to dash lights and tail lights... Not normal ?.... Light switch is off !! Burnt switch ? Yes or no ?….... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 29, 2020 Author Share Posted October 29, 2020 Ok... First half of problem solved..!!! *Note to self.*.. Mark wires as you disconnect them. !! Memory is not what it used to be... Here's what happened... At some point during the past 6 years I checked the harness with a battery and test light for continuity on each wire.. all fine. For reasons unknown I had the two fuse holders apart at the same time. Probably dropped a fuse on the dirty barn floor, then bent over to pick it up... Guess what.... Put fuse back in each holder and switched the contact ends in the holder !!! Thats why rear marker lights were on constant and brake lights only worked when switch was pulled one notch. At least now I know harness is good... Just have to rewrap it now. Next I will try Bloo's suggestion on the dual dash indicator light situation... John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share Posted October 31, 2020 All is well.... Yeehaaa !!!.... Everything works as it should... Thanks to all, Charles, Bloo, Summershandy, Oldtech, GaryF.... Signals work, car is charging, brake lights work, fuel guage reads proper...... Car runs better also.... Found coil wires (+-) were reversed... Probably why weak spark and intermittent firing of plugs. Time will tell.... Thanks again, John 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john hess Posted November 7, 2020 Author Share Posted November 7, 2020 Did not make it to Gettysburg show. But.. got somewhat closer to being road ready... Pulled plugs again.. #8 not firing consistantly.... Did compression check... 100+ on all cylinders after 4 strokes.. changed distributor cap with a spare..... Seems to be much better... Old cap but better than the first one.... I think I have the main electrical gremlins removed finally.. Going to pull the harness again and rewrap it proper.... Door handles are back on.. all external chrome and trim back on. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilAndrews Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 Glad to hear you got to the bottom of the electrical troubles. Note the tail lights will stay on with no ground if you pull one out- it'll ground via the filament of the other to the other side to ground. I decided to alter the original turn signal wiring because a lot of modern 12v flasher relays do not either have, or operate the third pin correctly, so grounded the bulb holders to chassis and took their feed from the front bulb wires. The flasher relay socket then rewired to accept a standard L configuration 2-pin flasher. Those are significantly easier to source for LED ones that will still flash correctly with the minimal current draw from LED bulbs. I fitted LED bulbs to the rear lights on mine for a while, which worked but I was dissatisfied with the light distribution, as the bulbs I had (admittedly bought for a different application) shone their light sideways, intended for lamps with a parabolic reflector. Final note, for poor connections I use DeOxit D100L, very good stuff for fuses and connectors and butt joints and light bulb sockets. Works similarly to dielectric grease but also has chemicals that break down the oxide layer and also acts as a lubricant so connectors don't get stuck. The oil pressure gauge can be calibrated to the sender unit but it's a right fiddle to do. Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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