leomara Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 This is displayed as a part of the 1928 Chrysler wiring circuit. It is mounted under the dash. The unit displays continuity but I'm at a loss as to where it mounts (note the two holes) and if it will do the job it was designed for without causing a fire hazard. Can anyone provide some information please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibarlaw Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 I believe one circuit breaker is for lighting and the other ignition. There would be a connection for the switch for both circuits. My car has only a circuit breaker for the lights on the DELCO combination switch for my 1925 Buicks. Overcurrent causes the selenoid plunger to move up to open the contacts on top . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 In a earlier thread this year (I don't remember whose Dodge Brothers it was for), a wiring diagram was posted. It added a lot of clarity. The way things were laid out, replacing with fuses did not look practical without wiring changes. Modern thermal circuit breakers would probably be OK. As for the double vibrating breaker in the picture, it looks pretty bad, but I'll bet it could be cleaned up enough to work. If it were my car, I'd make that thing work. I'm pretty sure it's possible. Just pay attention to current paths through it. Follow the current through the device. There could be some riveted connections that might require solder to become electrically solid again. Of course the points would need to be clean. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vintageben Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Hi Leo here is a couple of pics from my 72 it is mounted with machine screws on the inside of the fire wall. The fire wall insulation is behind it if that makes sense. The screws come through just left of the oil filter. On the matter of it causing a fire I have no idea. I guess I would follow the advice bloo gave. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pre1939chrysler Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 I had the same. Problem. I got rid of it and I put new modern one on. I have 5 or 6 God ones but will keep the new . They control the surge from the lights and click when you turn them on or change fron high to low beam. I don’t wires from the ignition to them. I'll know when I work on my ignition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leomara Posted December 26, 2022 Author Share Posted December 26, 2022 OK, thanks to Vintageben we know where it mounts on the firewall. As you can tell by the photo the unit is a tad old and a bit rusted. Can someone please explain how restore functionality (if possible) to the unit so it does not become a fire hazard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted December 26, 2022 Share Posted December 26, 2022 I would give it a good cleaning and new wiring to it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted December 27, 2022 Share Posted December 27, 2022 Toss it into a container of Evaporust for a week and see what happens... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leomara Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 EmTee says toss it into Evaporust for a cleaning. JFranklin says clean but with what? Its very rusty and I could not unscrew any of the wiring contact points. Can someone explain how to test this after cleaning in basic terms. I'm electrically challenged..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 Well, I am not saying that it can be 'rebuilt' by a bath in Evaporust! Rather, after the bath, you may be able to better determine whether it is indeed salvageable... If it comes out in decent shape, you may be able to clean the contacts, check the integrity of the electrical paths with an Ohm meter and give it a try. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leomara Posted January 4, 2023 Author Share Posted January 4, 2023 Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 3 hours ago, EmTee said: Well, I am not saying that it can be 'rebuilt' by a bath in Evaporust! Rather, after the bath, you may be able to better determine whether it is indeed salvageable... If it comes out in decent shape, you may be able to clean the contacts, check the integrity of the electrical paths with an Ohm meter and give it a try. If it is truely not salvageable substitute a fuse hidden somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leomara Posted June 17, 2023 Author Share Posted June 17, 2023 I'm picking this post back up because when I rewire my 1928 Model 72 with a new harness from one of the 2 prominent manufactures I need to eliminate this antique and either replace it with some equivalent (?) or not replace it at all. Please advise in basic layman's terms because I am electrically challenged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fordy Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 I am at a loss to see why it has been called a "circuit breaker" as it looks like a couple of relays to me. Surely if that's what they are then any modern automotive relay can be adapted to fit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leomara Posted June 18, 2023 Author Share Posted June 18, 2023 I believe it's only purpose was to vibrate (make a buzzing noise) if something they were wired with was shorted out creating an excessive load. Not really a fuse or breaker but just a warning device. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 That maybe, but I would also think the intermittent off cycles would keep the circuit cooler for a while. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 They are circuit breakers. Too much current pulls open the contacts, which stops the current, the contacts re-close, too much current opens the contacts, etc. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. It's really a lot like the thermal breakers used in more modern cars, except it is magnetic instead of thermal. It's faster. It works like a horn. The thermal ones work more like a flasher. Too much current heats the bi-metal. "Plink"! The points open, stopping the current. The bimetal cools and the points close. Too much current heats the bimetal. "Plink!" etc. Neither of these types ever shut things down completely. They just add enough "off" time to keep things a bit cooler and hopefully prevent anything catching on fire. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 I suppose the original could be cleaned-up and installed to look functional, while hiding a fusible link under or behind it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 It might be able to function in conjunction with a fuze. Then you might get some pre-warning with an audible signal. Best of both worlds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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