New Wiring For 1948 Dodge Truck

[Craig107]

Hello all! I am the proud new owner of 1948 Dodge B-1. It's a pretty solid vehicle with just a few issues; the major one is the electrical. The car runs and drives great but all the lights do not work. The wiring is original and should probably be replaced. I want to keep it a 6volt as well. What are your suggestions on wiring harnesses? Also how tough of a job is this to do on my own? If I have a pro do it how much would I cost? Sorry for all the questions but I'm excited o get started on this awesome truck!

[pflaming]

I've wired two vehicles, 52 truck/ 53 car. Harnesses are not difficult only time consuming. There isn't much wiring on that truck. Go for it and spend the wiring money on front disc brakes.

 

I wish you well. 

 

Paul 

[ggdad1951]

Welcome!   I used RIWire.com to redo my truck, spendy, but a complete harness that was super easy to install.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Its just money...

[Desotodav]

Welcome aboard Craig. Be sure to post some photos of your truck. Try this link for great wiring info provided by Alan... http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=f0d80a80838754f59fa7fa48b7fd0bc8&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fmopar.pairserver.com%2Fp15d24ph_forum%2Ftopic%2F32789-6-to12-volt-conversion-question%2F%3Fhl%3D%252Bwire%2B%252Bdiagram&v=1&libId=1e24a220-7a52-4e18-bf89-c38cd2341d38&out=http%3A%2F%2Fdodgepilothouseclub.org%2Fknow%2Fwiring_harness%2Fwiring.htm&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fmopar.pairserver.com%2Fp15d24ph_forum%2Findex.php%3Fapp%3Dcore%26module%3Dsearch%26do%3Dsearch%26fromMainBar%3D1&title=6%20To12%20Volt%20Conversion%20Question%20-%20Pilot-House.com%20Truck%20Forum%20-%20P15-D24.com%20and%20Pilot-house.com&txt=http%3A%2F%2Fdodgepilothou...ness%2Fwiring.htm&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13702140513019 

[Young Ed]

Unless you are going for a perfect original restoration I would suggest making your own. You can do it yourself for about 10% of what buying an entire new harness would cost. Pull it out intact and redo it one wire at a time.

[Craig107]

So I've decided to do the wiring on my own.  I admit I know very very little when it comes to vehicles but thats the reason why I wanted an old truck...to expand my abilities.  I'm not sure how I would even go about making my own wires so any help on that would be awesome (like where to buy and what to buy etc).  I've also been looking around at full harness kits and I am not sure which one I would need if I go that route.  Here a few links of harnesses I'm looking at.  What would work best?  Thanks for all the help! 

 

http://www.kwikwire.com/wt_Ford%20Harness.html

 

http://www.painlessperformance.com/webcatalog/largeview.php?SearchField=10103&SearchAll=Classic%20Trucks

 

[Young Ed]

I think you will find that both of those aren't geared towards either 6v operation or retention of your stock column etc. They are set for street rods with modern columns.

[Craig107]

Thanks Young Ed! I'm def trying figure this stuff out!

[Young Ed]

Thanks Young Ed! I'm def trying figure this stuff out!

 

A few pics from my wiring project. You can't pull the entire dash out in your truck like I did but you could leave everything attached to the gauge pod and pull it that way.

 

 

[pflaming]

Ed's picture should be a great help. The 52 dash is not in one cluster like that yet I could have made up a mock dash out of pressed wood panel and saved myself a ton of ton and frustration. This drawing from Greybeard could be helpful also. Ed and I know your future and are gently smiling. Catch us on chat in the evenings for help and entertainment.

 

This is a six volt layout. I wired accordingly, if I did not have the correct gauge wire, I always went to the next larger gauge. Wiring for six volts will then allow you to go to a 12 volt system later. 

 

Edited June 3, 2013 by pflaming

[Young Ed]

You have that right Paul. I'm actually looking forward to rewiring my next project. That one will be 12v but I still intend to wire it myself.

 

Ed's picture should be a great help. The 52 dash is not in one cluster like that yet I could have made up a mock dash out of pressed wood panel and saved myself a ton of ton and frustration. This drawing from Greybeard could be helpful also. Ed and I know your future and are gently smiling. Catch us on chat in the evenings for help and entertainment.

[lugnut123]

remeber to use heavyer wire if you'r going to stay 6 volt. You need more amps with 6 volt.  noel in nm

[B1B Keven]

Welcome! I have a '49 B1B and I'm doing the wiring myself. Just cut the original tape loose and replace one wire at a time.

 

Here's a great source for wire:

http://enginebarn.myshopify.com/

 

Here's a great diagram if you need it:

http://dodgepilothouseclub.org/know/wiring_harness/wiring.htm

 

Keven

[1952B3b23]

Welcome and thats a nice looking truck you got there. First off as a general recommendation i would buy a shop manual for your truck because this will help you a lot, heres where to get a reproduction:

 

http://www.robertsmotorparts.com/truck_parts.asp

 

As far as the wiring goes the shop manual will have an electrical schematic for you to follow and judging by my '52 B3b the wiring is not all that complicated. I would follow the schematic and make the harness my self. Like others have said before make sure to use heavier gauge wire as a 6 volt system carries a lot of amps.

 

-Chris

[Scruffy49]

I had purchased a 21 circuit kit for my 49 from EZwiring. The kit is going in my Sweptline (69 half ton), the 49 is getting rewired one strand at a time in 12, 10, 8 and 6 gauge. You can buy everything but the 6 gauge at your local parts stores, but, forget Autozone and similar rip-offs for 8 gauge, they won't have it, hit NAPA or Carquest. I got the stranded 6 gauge as a left over from another project. My truck will be 12v, but I'm sticking with 6v wiring since I do have a perfectly good 6v generator. May go back to 6v since the 2 old transistor radios I have for the truck are factory dual voltage, open them up and trip a switch to go from 12v to 6v operation. Hmm, do I want AM mono, or AM/FM/SW mono...?

 

Nice looking truck you've got there. A rewire, a bit of wax (that paint looks too decent to redo)...

[Young Ed]

Just an FYI to the original question asker. The gauges mentioned will certainly work but would be an upgrade over OEM. The stock sizes are more like 8-16. On my re wire I eliminated all the 16g too and upgraded it to 14. If you get a factory diagram the gauge is listed.

I had purchased a 21 circuit kit for my 49 from EZwiring. The kit is going in my Sweptline (69 half ton), the 49 is getting rewired one strand at a time in 12, 10, 8 and 6 gauge. You can buy everything but the 6 gauge at your local parts stores, but, forget Autozone and similar rip-offs for 8 gauge, they won't have it, hit NAPA or Carquest. I got the stranded 6 gauge as a left over from another project. My truck will be 12v, but I'm sticking with 6v wiring since I do have a perfectly good 6v generator. May go back to 6v since the 2 old transistor radios I have for the truck are factory dual voltage, open them up and trip a switch to go from 12v to 6v operation. Hmm, do I want AM mono, or AM/FM/SW mono...?

 

Nice looking truck you've got there. A rewire, a bit of wax (that paint looks too decent to redo)...

[Craig107]

Got the truck at the house now. Sadly the 6v battery was dead on approval so I'm getting that charged up now. Regarding the wiring, it appears that the rear taillights have new wiring and there are some newer wires up front in the engine. None of the original dash devices work except for the speedometer. I've gotta give her a good oil change as well. Is there anything special I need to know for an oil change or is it the basic stuff as normal?

[pflaming]

Just hope it is not yellow / water in the oil.

[Craig107]

Yeah I checked the oil it was pretty black. So I guess the truck has a traditional oil filter like a modern vehicle? I feel like I should know that answer but sadly do not.

[TodFitch]

Yeah I checked the oil it was pretty black. So I guess the truck has a traditional oil filter like a modern vehicle? I feel like I should know that answer but sadly do not.

It it was equipped with an oil filter then it would be one of several bypass type filters. Some of which are no longer available and some of which have elements you can still get at your local auto supply. So the oil filter answer is "it depends".

[Merle Coggins]

Your truck may, or may not, have an oil filter. If it does it will be a bypass style canister filter. There are a couple different filter manufacturers used. My truck didn't have one initially, but I found and installed one from the "Deluxe Filter Company". It used a JC element, which is a sock type. The JC filter element crosses to Napa 1011, Wix 51011, Baldwin JC405, or Hastings LF501. If you need this type of filter I highly recommend the Baldwin or Hastings filters over the Wix/Napa ones. The Wix/Napa filters don't fit well and you'll cuss up a storm trying to get it into the canister. The Baldwin filter fits perfectly. (Hastings is the same as the Baldwin)

 

Here's a pic of my Deluxe filter

 

It uses this filter element

 

This engine has a different filter. It kind of looks like the Fram filter.

[Craig107]

So I guess when I look at the engine tomorrow I will be able to see a filter from that general position on the engine as shown in the pictures above?

[Scruffy49]

Maybe. Some owners converted from the not always easy to find insert type to a spin on. So you could also have an HD1, HD2, HD3, Fram PH8A, Motorcraft FL-1, etc. Usually attached to the same location, or the frame rail, or the firewall.

 

Merle's second pic could be a Fram -OR- a Purolator. Same basic canister, but the Purolator insert was better than the Fram one.

 

Oh, and if the sock type filter is tight, you need a 1010, not a 1011. 1010 is the same insert without the added bulk of the cotton sock. They work exactly the same, by modern standards, either is a joke. It is not an element fault, the filter system on a bypass block is exceptionally inefficient.

[TodFitch]

. . . They work exactly the same, by modern standards, either is a joke. It is not an element fault, the filter system on a bypass block is exceptionally inefficient.

I guess this is something people can agree to disagree on.

 

I don't think the paper element type bypass filters are worth much but the depth media type (like the sock elements) can filter our finer particles than the full flow filters. The ideal situation is to have both a depth media bypass filter and a paper element full flow filter.