Aussie Dodge

Hi Eneto-55. the hinge pin size in the parts manual is 1/4" diameter x 2 7/8" long.

The pins still had the red oxide undercoat on them, so it either got new pins very early in life, or they are original. I have included an image of the page, Eneto-55. The 2 books I'm using for reference.

I live in Australia and am in the process of rebuilding a 1948 Dodge Business coupe (American model) I ordered new hinge pins from Andy Bernbaum & they measure 1/4" dia x 2 5/8" long When I removed the very original looking pins from my hinges, the pins are 3/8" dia x 2 7/8" long. The weird thing about the whole exercise is, the genuine Dodge Passenger Car parts list I have, tells me they should be 1/4" dia x 2 7/8" long. To me the 1/4" pins look a bit small for the intended purpose. Does anyone on here have any information or experienced the same situation? Any help will be much appreciated. Cheers, Glen

All good, Tom! Best I go & start learning about my Dodge now as it needs a complete re-wire. All my previous cars (with the exception of our 68 Barracuda) have been 12volt negative earth Holden's. (Aussie GM)

Who said I am too old to learn! thank you!

I have added some notes & arrows to the wiring diagram from my workshop manual.

Don, if the polarity is reversed, the motor's, including the starter will not run correctly unless the polarity connections inside the starter have been swapped over. A 12 volt negative change would also include coil & globe changes & there will be issues with the fuel gauge. You are correct in thinking there has been some changes made & without seeing the truck we are purely speculating.

Oh & you do have it wired backwards as stated in my previous post.

Almost correct Tom. Yes the ammeter will read negative with the motor off & your lights on. Yes the ammeter will read positive when you start the motor and it charges your battery Yes it should drop back to zero once the battery is charged. No it should not read positive (when the motor is running and the battery is charged) if you switch any electrical equipment on. The generator is supplying this load & it is connected to the same point as your load wiring on the ammeter.

Sorry!!! You are all correct. I just checked my dodge. (I have only had it a week & the wiring diagram does not show polarity!) The wiring on Tom's truck is connected "back to front" even though It will work either way. It is all a matter of polarity on the Ammeter The way I was thinking:- The ammeter reads positive when there is current flow from the battery to the load & generator. (Battery load) The way Dodge wire it:- The ammeter reads positive when there is current flow to the battery from the generator. (charging the battery) Simply:- the Ammeter should read positive after starting & drop back to zero. This is good You should only get a negative reading with a load on & the motor off, or when there is a fault in the charging system. I stand by the rest of my statements regarding Generators carrying the load. Tom, all you need to do is leave the wires grouped together & swap them over. This will only fix your ammeter reading dilemma! Sorry again fellers! Regards, Glen

I believe your ammeter is wired correctly if your truck has the same circuitry as my 48 business coupe.. The ammeter will read negative when the generator is charging your battery. When the battery is fully charged the ammeter will read zero and the Generator will supply the load for everything. As the generator is connected on the load side of your ammeter (where the trucks load is connected) it will not register on the ammeter when it is supplying the load. Generators or Alternators will always supply the load in a healthy system as electricity will flow from it rather than draw from the battery. If you get a positive on your ammeter when the motor is running, it will mean that the battery is being drained & this then means your generator cannot handle the load or is faulty. The only time you should get a positive reading that is healthy, is when the engine is off & you have a load on. ie lights on. I hope this make sense! Regards, Glen

Just a quick one, you need a volt meter not an ohm meter to check your voltage. An ohm meter reads electrical resistance. I am guessing that you use the word ohm meter as a generic name for a multimeter which does a number of functions, including voltage.

Hi Dave & Casper there isn't much difference between both measurements so I am sure you both measured correctly. 12.5mm = .5 inch so I will go with that. Thanks again Fellers! Regards, Glen PS. I will post more images of my 3 window coupe soon.

Thanks, Dave! That is a huge help. The next trick will be making it! Regards, Glen

Hello Casper. Thank you for the quick reply. That would be fantastic! Regards, Glen

I live in Australia & have recently purchased a 1948 Dodge Business coupe. My problem is the lip at the bottom of the trunk seal area has rusted away and I don't know what it looked like originally. This is the section that protrudes outward across the bottom. Does any one have some photos or better still some measurements? Unfortunately I don't have access to a reference vehicle. Any help would be greatly appreciated. regards, Glen