DLK

In my prior 53 DeSoto I put in all new wheel cylinders and master cylinder so switched to DOT 5 after flushing the lines. From reading old posts on this forum it sounds like I cannot switch to DOT 5 in my Dodge without replacing all the rubber parts which I am reluctant to do since my brakes seem to work well with no visible leaks. I appreciate the suggestions I use DOT 4 rather than DOT 3. I had an old opened can of DOT 3 but will dispose of that now.

Thanks for the guidance , I'll trace those wires to the stoplight switch. For now I have decided to buy a universal turn signal kit and stop troubleshooting the wiring in my column which clearly is not right. Of course one side benefit of the deluxe universal kit is it will give me four-way flashers. I have thought of replacing the stoplight switch - you can see how old it looks. I suppose if I do I can just bleed that rear brake line after and hope I can get the brake lines off and reconnected without damage.

My master cylinder reservoir is a little low and I do not know which fluid the prior owner used. I am quite certain it is not silicone (DOT 5). Can anyone tell me the difference between 3 and 4 and which you would recommend I add? I plan to bleed the system so will probably need more than enough to refill it.

Guys bear with me as I try to get my signal wiring back in working order. Some of the old posts have been very helpful in giving me an understanding how this setup works. (Greg G's A5700R Wiring Instructions for one). I have 6 wires coming down the column 2 green, 2 brown a red and a white. The only one not currently connected to anything is the white one. The red one goes to the flasher and the other colored ones go to the front and rear signal buckets. When I crawl under my car and look at the stoplight switch (by the left rear wheel) I find the BOTH wires to the switch have pigtails - one with a length of wire ending at a female coupling - the other with just a tiny stub of wire coming out of it. I assume there should be a wire from this coupling to the white wire coming down the steering column - does that sound correct? My guess is the prior owner started with the pigtail on the wrong wire - does that sound plausible? So it looks like there once was a wire from the coupling to the turn signal switch - where it went I do not know since I never was under the car to fool with this since the signals worked. You can see from the illustration that some of the old wiring in my car is quite frayed.

Thanks it says works through 1948's but I assume it works with any 6v including later midels.

I plan to do all of the above. It was lack of current at the terminal block that caused me to crawl under the car and look at the dimmer. Thanks for the sugestions.

Well I found out why I had no headlights. The new NAPA dimmer switch I put in a month ago came apart under the car. I realize I may have twisted the wires a little shoehorning it into the socket but don't think I put enough tension to cause it to fall apart. I looked on Rock Auto and Andy's pages and I think they sell the same imported replacements like the one that came apart. I found an old die cast one on ebay for the same money - hopefully it is put together better. However this does not explain why my front parking lights quit working as well.

Thanks I got the old switch out will try cleaning up the contacts and seeing if I get continuity. It hurts having beautiful weather and knowing it will probably be weeks before I get all my electrical issues fixed so I can get back on the road with working lights and turn signals.

Has anyone else had one of these go bad? I don't seem to be getting any current out of the switch in the terminal that goes to the front of the car when the switch is turned on. The parking lights work just fine. I guess the next question would be how universal this switch is on Chrysler cars from 49-52 and whether I could use a switch from a Plymouth or Chrysler in my Dodge if I can find one.

Ed the scary part is how far would it take that car with stock drum brakes to go from 80-0...

Thanks guys. Unfortunately the condition of that truck reflects the condition of the vehicles there. They have a 55 Chrysler Imperial in the Eisenhower garage that looks like it's been out of service since Ike left the White House.

We were on a Gettysburg trip and when visiting the Eisenhower Farm I saw this old Dodge truck sitting on blocks in a shed on the farm. I am not very knowledgeable about changes in the early 50's trucks. I would guess this was about a 54 model but am not sure they came with a V-8 that year (see emblem on hood). Can someone enlighten me what year this truck is?

Isn't that the truth. It's a good thing many of us get enjoyment out of these cars because unless it's a woodie or a muscle car with a numbers matching Hemi it is not a good financial investment.

I was ready to throw it in the trash and those two whacks with a soft hammer did the trick. I suppose after 60 years the points were stuck. I like the way you can adjust the charge rate with a small screwdriver without taking off the cover.

I pulled the front seat out again - I can see this is going to be a major project. As if things weren't wierd enough when I step on the brakes in addition to the brake lights the parking lights in front come on. Last night my headlights quit working too so I am going to have to get under the dash and test all these circuits. I wish I could find a local shop with some expertise on 60 year old wiring circuits, it wouldn't take much to exceed mine.

That makes sense because I don't believe I changed any of the wiring connections before the problem started. I am finding using the arm out the window method is getting old and is useless on I-35. Plus it seems anyone under 40 does not understand arm signals...:)

Thanks not only to those who posted replies but also to the MANY prior posts on similar topics. I spent about 2 hours this afternoon reading old threads and they helped a lot too. (My wife was not happy that I was not out helping her with her gardening ) It looks like I have it resolved for now. I followed the old thread suggestion to ground the field terminal of the generator and check the ammeter - sure enough it bumped up to 40 amps. Generator probably OK. Next I put in the regulator I bought on e-bay, a Mobil adjustable. Once I hooked it up there was no charge on the ammeter. I followed another suggestion and hit the regulator a couple times with a rubber hammer and BINGO it was working - only too good. I adjusted the regulator to reduce the output to what seems like normal. If I still have trouble I will follow the suggestion on checking for short circuits. I don't know where us tenderfoots would be were it not for this forum and all the helpul people here!

Yes we do have a generator shop in town, years ago I had them rebuild the one in my 47 P-15. I agree that I have nothing to lose by having them look it over and rebuild if necessary. I am also going to trade in the voltage regulator I got from O'Reilly for another. I agree with you that the loud hum was probably coming from the regulator I just thought it was inside the car since it was on the firewall. I don't understand the battery. It was stone cold dead and I brought it to O'Reilly. They had to charge it for 30 minutes to test it. When they did it registered 6.4 volts and more CCA than it was rated for. So why it went dead in an hour today is beyond me.

It's a brand new voltage regulator that came out of the box from O'Reilly on Thursday. I have another one I bought on e-bay that arrived yesterday but I wonder if I could go through 2 regulators in two weeks? I am reluctant to try yet another one. Just to add to the mystery i went out to the garage half and hour ago and my 4 year old battery is DEAD. I mean totally dead, when I hook up the charger it pegs the needle and will not take a charge. So I am wondering what is the cause and what is the effect? I am going out now to buy a new battery but wonder if it was bad or damaged by all that was going on with my charging system.

It was a perfect day for my wife and I to participate in an all-day WPC cruise event. My Dodge cruised nicely for about 30 miles then the ammeter went into slight discharge on the highway and more (-15) with the lights and radio on. :( We turned around and headed home - for about 30 miles the ammeter showed just a slight discharge and now and then would briefly show about -15 (not running any accessories). For the last couple miles it was suddenly pegged at -40 and I started to hear a loud buzzing sound under the dash. When I got home I crawled under the dash to try to locate the sound without success so far. There was no burning smell I am baffled as to what might be going on. I assume the buzzing sound must be from one of the gauges - they all are working. When I step on the gas the buzzing gets louder. Do I probably have a short somewhere?

it's great that you have a beautiful day for your wedding after days of dreary weather here. Best wishes to Carmon and you.

When I turn on my right rear turn signal both rear signals blink. I assume from reading old posts that is because there is feedback through the stoplight wiring. Can someone tell me where to look for the stoplight switch on my 50 Dodge? It appears from the schematic and prior posts here that one of the seven wires coming down my column is supposed to go to the switch. Since the person who installed my factory turnsignal unit after the fact used generic green 20 gauge wire for everything it will be fun trying to figure out which goes where without taking the column mounted stalk apart.

I put a new regulator from O'Reilly, polarized it and my system is charging again. I don't understand - that regulator I took out of the car couldn't have been more than 2 years old as shiny as the metal was. For peace of mind I am going to keep the second one I ordered off e-bay in the trunk from now on.

One important consideration with radials is not to exceed the width of the fender clearance in the rear. The prior owner of my Dodge put 225/70/15 tires on my car and there is a slight rub going around tight corners and you need a hoist to get them off to change them. He clearly did not read the conversion chart - he should have gone with 215/75 not 225/70 tires but they are like new so I figure I will stick with them.

I have had both, and agree with the comment about how much more authentic the bias look, including the tread design. However, most of these cars did not have wide whitewalls from the factory so my Dodge would need blackwall bias ply to be truly authentic looking.