Hound dog hauler

[Los_Control]

@kencombs @billrigsby You are 100% correct in pushing he dent instead of pounding it .... I have not tried yet, but have looked things over & I think I may be able to use the running board mount as a base to push from.

I think if I can push from the mount where it is riveted to the frame ... should not cause damage.

 

I did jump back to working on the brakes. I removed the clutch & brake pedals, installed a bushing in the clutch pedal to remove the slop there ... all painted greased and ready to go into service ... gave the shift linkage love also while there.

 

I did get the gas bottle filled for the welder, I welded in the patch panel in the back of the cab. Not perfect but will be fine.

Is in such a place nobody can ever see it, and a smidge of filler will make it fine anyways. 

 

The master cylinder is kicking my arse 

I cleaned it up 2 years ago, replaced the rubber cub & bench bled it .... Never finished the lines to connect it.

But it was performing as it should when bench bled.

 

I have a proper rebuild kit for it now, so I soaked the master cylinder in Berrymans carb cleaner for 2 or 3 days.

A very light hone & assembled .... I did not bench bleed it this time ... Sure it will be fine.

I did complete all my lines & attempted to bleed .... no pressure from master.

So it is back apart  .... the relief port is plugged. .... Guessing when I soaked it & scrubbed it, I knocked some crap into it?

 

The supply port is simple & goes straight from the bowl to the cylinder.

The relief port seems to be a passage cast into the bowl. Just going to have to spend this afternoon trying to clear it.

Or replace it ....

 

[Los_Control]

Well the MC won the battle. Got it all back together and bled the system.

Same time RF wheel cylinder seems clogged ... no fluid coming through.

Pedal felt pretty good considering the RF wheel issue...... Never a good idea to install wheel cylinders, then wait 2 years to bleed them.

Anyways I stood on the brakes, MC blew out. no leaks, no pressure, just a sucking sound.

I have a Toyota MC on the way.

 

Been paying more attention to wiring lately.

I originally planned on just building my own wire harness from scratch. I have been collecting rolls of wire & needed supplies.

 

I decided to go ahead and buy a "cheap"  12 circuit wiring harness. I needed a fuse box & flasher setup.

I have read that these cheaper harness are always short on wire length.

Sometimes they are not properly labeled .... someone just sticking wires in wherever ....

They have little or no instructions.

Otherwise they are of usable quality  <---- subject to personal opinion.

 

Exactly what I got, no instructions not even a name so I can look it up.

The vinyl sticker on the cover is confusing & only partially correct, I'm going to have to spend time and re label everything.

I still have not figured out how to remove the wires or add new ones. .... The box will work out ok in the end.

It will not save me any time, it will cost me time trying to decipher & modify & label everything. 

 

[Veemoney]

I used a wire harness that came with a project some time ago. After reading and looking online I found it matched a universal type and some instructions. I look and pass them on if I locate them. The other thing was each wire was marked in very small print for where it went, I just had to use a magnifying glass to make it out. Once I did I labeled them for easy reading.

[Veemoney]

Los,

See if this matches up to the harness you have. Hope it helps.

ez2wire-manual.pdf

[Los_Control]

10 minutes ago, Veemoney said:

Los,

See if this matches up to the harness you have. Hope it helps.

ez2wire-manual.pdf 678.72 kB · 0 downloads

Thanks, I saved the pdf and a quick glance it could be very helpful.

Looking at what I have .... I believe the flasher & Haz are wired correct.

A/C, headlight, ACC1, ACC2, Heater .... these are solid circuits with hefty wire that can be used.

The silly label .... IGN BATT .... wiper ign .... ign on  .... wiper/ign .... makes no sense to me.

My wires have zero markings on them .... as I create the circuits I will label them in some way.

 

I have a stomp starter, vacuum wipers, chebby 1 wire alternator ....

headlights

Turn signals

dash lights

heater

radio

usb charger

This fuse box is overkill.

I'm thinking there are some generic tools like a key, where you insert the key and releases the connectors holding the wires into the fuse box? ....... I have to research this yet. .... Thinking I can remove some & clean it up.

 

 

My turn signal switch has been rewired, No idea about the color code .... I have to open it up and see.

 

I think we just call it work .... I have to draw a map, hit one circuit at a time & get er did.

[Veemoney]

Los,

Looks like the same one I have. I believe I see some of the wires marked in your photo which I circled. You are correct that it is over-kill since it is made to accommodate many items our old vehicles don't have. So yes you will eliminate some and the easiest way to map for me was with a pencil scratching through the ones I wouldn't use during planning. 

 

Added a pic of the wire marking which corresponds with the schematic colors and markings

 

 

Edited February 13, 2023 by Veemoney

[Young Ed]

This is great info. I bought a similar harness and have been trying to wrap my head around installing it the last few weeks. Mine is going in a 47 WC that will be 12v and has electronic ignition. 

Pics of my harness and the very limited instructions (if you can call it that)

Edit: forgot to mention I couldn't spot any labeling on the wires. Wire seems to have a great length and thickness 

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by Young Ed

[Los_Control]

3 hours ago, Young Ed said:

I bought a similar harness and have been trying to wrap my head around installing it the last few weeks. Mine is going in a 47 WC that will be 12v and has electronic ignition. 

I think we have the same kit, assembled by different companies?

Mine is a 12 circuit, with 2 blank holes to add on, making it a 14 circuit like yours.

I think your labeling makes sense ..... my label the author did not understand English?

I think they will be fine for our application.

 

I have never wired a car before .... As a old remodel carpenter, I'm pretty comfortable with home wiring.

I am going to struggle with turn signal, 4 way flasher .... As long as I just keep focused on 1 circuit at a time ... I feel confident.

 

K.I.S.S.    I can focus on this, and complete this circuit.    Thinking I may need to get a old school 3 prong flasher to work.

This circuit depending how I provide power, would determine if the flashers & turn signals work with the key on or off.

I'm fine with the turn signals working with the key off. ... Old school.

Key on I could burn the points while using the flashers while waiting for a tow.

Same time it frees up another relay spot in the fuse box. .... Removing the Hazard relay from the system.

 

 

 

Currently my issue is figure out the color code on this switch .... has been rewired. They did not use original wire color.

I'm satisfied with the quality of work/material .... I have left/right front/rear figured out .... guessing black goes to flasher & red goes to brake switch.

[Young Ed]

 

 

 

That should help with yours.

 

[Young Ed]

2 hours ago, Los_Control said:

I think we have the same kit, assembled by different companies?

Mine is a 12 circuit, with 2 blank holes to add on, making it a 14 circuit like yours.

I think your labeling makes sense ..... my label the author did not understand English?

I think they will be fine for our application.

 

I have never wired a car before .... As a old remodel carpenter, I'm pretty comfortable with home wiring.

I am going to struggle with turn signal, 4 way flasher .... As long as I just keep focused on 1 circuit at a time ... I feel confident.

 

K.I.S.S.    I can focus on this, and complete this circuit.    Thinking I may need to get a old school 3 prong flasher to work.

This circuit depending how I provide power, would determine if the flashers & turn signals work with the key on or off.

I'm fine with the turn signals working with the key off. ... Old school.

I wired both my car and truck but they are more stock and I didn't add a fuse panel so I could just follow the diagram in the book. 

I have signal stat 900s in both of them too and they are wired so the 4 ways will work without the key. Only downside there is don't forget to turn your blinker off or you'll have a dead battery.

[Los_Control]

Wow Thanks for that photo  @Young Ed ... one thing I have found. There are 4 wire, 5 wire, 6 wire, 7 wire .... think I have even seen  a 11 wire signal stat switch.

 

So there are several different diagrams for them on line.

This item I have right here seems to fit perfectly.

 
Green - left front
Red - right front
Gray - left rear
Black - right rear
Gray / Black - stop light switch
Yellow - flasher (load)
Blue - flasher (pilot)

 

Just saying the blue wire is for a indicator light on the switch itself .... My switch does not have that.

Pretty confident I can use your photo to either wire my switch or create a wall hanger   

[Dave72dt]

You should be able to run a button light on the dash for the pilot light or a pair of them spiced in for left/right indicators. 

[Los_Control]

26 minutes ago, Dave72dt said:

You should be able to run a button light on the dash for the pilot light or a pair of them spiced in for left/right indicators. 

I do have a pair of signal lights that came from a 1960's COE International truck. These were mounted on the dash.

Turn signal indicators.

 

 

Just not convinced I want to add them to a 1949 pilothouse

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by Los_Control

[Los_Control]

On 2/14/2023 at 10:05 AM, Young Ed said:

I bought a similar harness and have been trying to wrap my head around installing it the last few weeks.

Not sure what your thoughts are. .... I'm still focusing on brakes right now, got my master cylinder in today.

 

So I have been thinking about the wiring that is coming up soon.

Now I know that I do not want to use the flasher/hazard on the new wiring harness.

I really do not see a good way to un-pin the wires to the fuse box, so I can modify it to what I want.

I can't wrap my head around the installation.

 

I think I have decided I will order a 3 pin flasher wiring harness, I will add a inline fuse to it.    covers turn signals/brakes.

I will add a inline fuse to the headlights also when I wire them in.   covers headlights/tail lights

 

I picked up this small 5 circuit fuse box today. Will be my heater, radio, dash lights .... future electric wipers?

I just can not bring myself to install the aftermarket wiring harness in this plain simple truck.

I will cannibalize the wiring from the harness. There is a lot of wire & different colors. <---- worth the price of the wire harness.

 

That's my thoughts on the wiring harness after thinking about it. I need to invest in some quality ends to make up the new harness.

 

[Young Ed]

Nothing but thoughts here in cold MN. Probably another 6 wks before I can work easily. Thats why I've been trying to work on littler items. I did mess with mine a few minutes today and it doesn't seem easy to remove the unused clips 

[Los_Control]

11 hours ago, Young Ed said:

I did mess with mine a few minutes today and it doesn't seem easy to remove the unused clips 

With the research or reading I have done, it is possible to do this. ...... Just not easy.

Some suggest to not waste your time, just cut the extra wires off.   <--- I have mixed feelings.

 

I honestly think the wiring harness is fine for a car. I would not hesitate to use it.

A car has enough Dashboard you can bury all the extra wire behind it .... or use it.

 

My truck has very little extra room under the dash. I would not want to stuff it with extra wire.

Trying to chase down a future wiring issue would be a nightmare.

The truck needs just a couple wires to work properly when it is close to stock.

 

 

Why I'm thinking a couple of these in line fuses at a easy spot to get to.

Then the small fuse block I showed, it needs power supplied to each fuse.

I get to choose if the circuit is hot always, or switched with the ignition.

 

Lets be honest, my wiring harness was $39 from Amazon with free shipping.

Just to have 15' of several different colors of wire is worth more then $30.

 

Just saying, a 1950 Dodge Cornet I would use it .... My truck I will not.

We all need to make our own decisions.

 

14 hours ago, Young Ed said:

Nothing but thoughts here in cold MN. Probably another 6 wks before I can work easily.

 

 

[bkahler]

I have a couple of those fuse holders in my truck.

 

Edited February 22, 2023 by bkahler

[Young Ed]

I'm planning to put my fuse panel on the a puller in the kick panel area. So there shouldn't be any extra wires under the dash then. My 47 the windshield opens so they are prone to leaking. So I'm going for the dryest spot possible.

[Los_Control]

My experience with electrical is pretty limited.

As a remodel carpenter I often did home electrical & pretty comfortable with it .... Automotive electrical or commercial 3 phase is way out of my territory.

 

Same time I think of a 1949 Dodge truck as a tractor that has a roof on it .... requires 6 wires to make it operate.

I did buy a wiring harness, I had good intentions on using it .... I just cant bring myself to install it.

Simply my preference. ..... My opinion is usually wrong for others, but it works for me.

I really do want to try and keep the most original driving experience I can.  ..... I want the electrical just as plain & simple.

Even though I am going to a 12 volt 1 wire internally regulated charging system  ..... I want it simple.

 

My only goal is too make it fun for me. .... Those complicated wiring harness are just too much for me & my tractor.

 

 

Weather just beating me up. 74F out & 30mph winds.

I need to finish all the welding  .... I can only use my welder at this area.

 

My wife is getting a little pissed off. She wants her engine rebuilt ..... I will stop working on this truck soon .... I can not predict the future. I have to get the wife car done.

 

[Los_Control]

Well I finally have brakes 

The Toyota MC swap was pretty easy .... wobble the holes out a little & shorten the rod  ... tough to measure, I just took a little snip at at time and snuck up on it. Naturally I had to redo the the new brake lines.

One issue is the brake light switch, the new MC does not have a place to put one.

I installed a brass 5/16" T then I put a plug in it. Going to have to get online and search for a brake light switch with correct thread pitch, or a fitting to adapt my fine thread switch to work with the brake fittings .... I dunno what I will come up with.

Could always go with a electric switch if needed.

Anyways the pedal feels nice & firm, has too much travel, now the shoes need adjusted & also adjust the rod.

No idea why I was having problems with the RF wheel cylinder, Working fine now

 

Yesterday was nice weather, I was going to pull it out in to the driveway test the brakes, pressure wash my messy work area. .... installed the battery and started it up ..... clutch is not working.

When I installed the clutch pedal bushing awhile back, I must have installed the adjuster backwards.

It can go either way & is offset to give more throw .... I guessed wrong ... is a 5 min fix.

 

Next will be the radiator. Should be a simple install. Need to make angle iron brackets.

I plan to change the transmission/rear end oils. I think I want to set it up on jack stands & add transmission fluid to them & run it in gear for awhile. Use the ATF as a cleaner .... dunno if it will help, but wont hurt and I have plenty of it.

I also need to drop the driveline before running it. The Cleveland U-joints appear fine, I want to go through them & clean all the old grease out and add fresh.

Also the zirk fittings on them look strange, like a skinny needle. I do not think my grease gun will work on them.

Not sure if I can change them, will look at it.

[bkahler]

15 hours ago, Los_Control said:

I installed a brass 5/16" T then I put a plug in it. Going to have to get online and search for a brake light switch with correct thread pitch, or a fitting to adapt my fine thread switch to work with the brake fittings .... I dunno what I will come up with.

Could always go with a electric switch if needed.

 

 

What type of threads are in the T you installed?  They make brake line switches with 1/8n NPT threads, and I think they also brake switches with inverted flare threads.  

 

Here's a picture of my installation.

 

[Los_Control]

58 minutes ago, bkahler said:

What type of threads are in the T you installed? 

The T is 5/16" NPT. .... The reason being is the OEM block was a combination of 5/16" & 1/4".

Local parts store could not match that, they had 5/16" T & 1/4" bushings to adapt the holes I needed to 1/4".

Thats how I plumbed in my old master cylinder.

 

The new master cylinder, everything is 1/4" I bought 1 new 1/4" T for the front.

The single line going to the rear, I broke it & installed the 5/16" T using 1/4" bushings .... they were new and I had them.

So I currently have the option of 5/16" & 1/4" NPT.

 

I have been laid up the past 2 days binge watching old movies letting my body heal from working on the truck ...

So I have not bothered searching yet, sure I can come up with something.

If they sell 1/8" npt switches, I might find one that is 1/4" or a bushing to reduce the size to 1/8".

 

[kencombs]

JMHO, but I plan to use a mechanical switch for my brake lights. Simple lever operated switch operated by the pedal/linkage.   Over the years I've seen a lot of the hydraulic switches leak, especially the new ones from 'somewhere else'.

 

Fluid leak is bad enough, but leaking air back into the system on brake release is worse!

[Los_Control]

On 3/10/2023 at 10:32 AM, kencombs said:

Fluid leak is bad enough, but leaking air back into the system on brake release is worse!

I agree 110% with that. I always think of a leak as pushing fluid out when stepping on the pedal .... sucking air in as you release the pedal.

 

I'm thinking when I weld in the new floor pan, I can fabricate a bracket for a mechanical switch under the floor.

Right now I have a option to go pressure or mechanical. Choices are good. I am hoping to use the original switch.

Just might not happen .... I would much rather have a mechanical switch fail then a pressure switch fail.

Good point Ken, thanks for reminding me of the quality of after market parts available.

 

While I did swap around the clutch adjuster today on the shaft ..... A closer look at it and it is pretty neutral any way you put it on. ..... I honestly look at it, the adjuster bolts are in the middle & do not think it ever has been adjusted.

 

While my real issue was the linkage rods, I took them apart and cleaned/greased them .... they needed a adjustment to get into 1rst - reverse.

Now the rod is at the end of it's adjustment ... there is no more. The pedal still has plenty of adjustment. So I can get some more from adjusting it there. .... probably where I should have adjusted it in the first place.

Clutch is approaching the end of it's life cycle.

 

 

Just saying, let the clutch pedal 1" off the floor & is fully engaged.

Not slipping, she likes to spin them tires. Just difficult to manage with no floor  or gas pedal.

Only thing I'm missing is a 5 gallon bucket for a seat.

 

Only job for today is to clean up my mess.. Seems like that did not happen

Just one of those days .... I had to rest up before going to walmart for shopping. I did get walmart done yesterday.

Typically I need at least 1 day to recover from walking around the store. Sometimes 2 days.

I did manage to weed eat & mow the front lawn today. March 11 .... earliest time I ever mowed the lawn ... wonder how the rest of year will go. .... I have the garden to work on .... just not sure when will be back on the truck.

There is a swap meet close by, Fri, Sat, Sun .... While I physically could not make it today .... We will go tomorrow morning early.

I figure whatever is left they will want to sell cheap just so they won't have to bring it home.  

 

 

 

[bkahler]

On 3/9/2023 at 11:47 AM, Los_Control said:

I have been laid up the past 2 days binge watching old movies letting my body heal from working on the truck ...

 

 

Wow, I know that feeling real well!