Topic: Help to identify Heater -42 Ford


Parkopup1218    -- 10-29-2019 @ 12:56 PM
  Hi all. Need your help to identify heater in my 42 Ford. I can't see a brand name on the box itself and want to hook it up (was installed in the car when I purchased but not hooked up). The motor spins free in the back which is a good sign to me.
The switch has 4 settings: off, 1,2,3 (assume speeds). The back of the switch has 4 terminals. THE QUESTION IS HOW TO HOOK UP THE 4 WIRES TO THE SWITCH. Should there be a fuse between the heater and the power source?
Thanks in advance!!

This message was edited by Parkopup1218 on 10-29-19 @ 1:18 PM


trjford8    -- 10-30-2019 @ 7:04 AM
  I can't help with the wiring, but there should absolutely be an in-line fuse from the power source to the heater. Search the archives on here as I believe there is some other discussions on wiring a heater. Also if you use the Fordbarn do a search of the archives there too.

This message was edited by trjford8 on 10-30-19 @ 7:08 AM


whizzerbug    -- 10-30-2019 @ 8:47 AM
  on the back of switch there should be colored dots next to each terminal the power supply goes to top where the coils are,the switch has 2 speeds for heat and 2 for defroster the switch reverse the fan for defrost...not sure if your wiring coming off you motor is correct as there should be brown,yellow,red green and black


TomO    -- 10-30-2019 @ 8:54 AM
  You don't have a correct wiring harness on the heater, so you will have to identify the wires to the Ford colors.

The switch has color dots next to the terminals. There should be these colors: BLACK comes from the power source; YELLOW comes from the field winding; RED comes from a brush; BROWN comes from the other brush. The green wire from the motor goes to a grounding source at the instrument panel

You can use an ohm meter to help identify the wires on your heater. The green wire looks like the grounding wire. Connect one lead of your meter to it and then connect the other lead to each of the other wires in turn. When you have the meter lead connected to the yellow wire, you will have continuity and it will not vary when you turn the motor. Label the wire as the yellow wire.

The other 2 wires are the Red and Brown wires. Connect them to the red and brown terminals on the switch, it doesn't matter at this time which is connected to the red or or brown terminal, they need to be connected to make the motor run.

Connect the switch to a power source, like the ignition switch and the green wire to ground. Turn on the power and turn the switch to DIRECT Hi. The fan motor should run and blow air through the heater core. If it doesn't run, there is probably something wrong with the switch or the motor. Come back to this topic for more help. If the motor runs and you do't feel air coming through the heater core, turn off the power source and switch the red and brown wires. This will switch the direction of the motor. Direct blows air through the heater into the car, Indirect suck air through the core and blows it out the back of the heater or the defroster nozzles. You have pull out the Defroster knob to direct the air to the defrosters.

Let us know how you make out.



Tom


42wagon    -- 10-31-2019 @ 3:21 AM
  You haven't said whether this is a car that you just like to drive or if you intend to enter it in fine point judging. You should be aware that the heater you have is for a later year car. The one for 42 is brown with some short off white stripes on it.

See the 41 to 48 Ford book for a complete discussion of what heater goes with which year.

If I recall correctly there is only one wire that goes to the ignition switch the other wires are between the motor and the switch so that it has high and low speed with the motor either running in forward or reverse. Why forward and reverse? So air is blown directly into the car or up through the defroster tubes.


40 Coupe    -- 10-31-2019 @ 3:56 AM
  This should help with the switch and maybe the motor, you will have to check with an ohmmeter to see if the connections and wire colors are correct. I believe you have the wrong knob on the switch since it appears your heater has defrost, to have the defrost work the motor changes direction from the heat mode. Typically the switch you have has two speeds of defrost in one direction, off in the center and two speeds of heat in the other direction, for a total of 5 positions. The small resistor on the back of the switch is used to reduce voltage to the fan for the slower speed.

This message was edited by 40 Coupe on 10-31-19 @ 4:09 AM


TomO    -- 10-31-2019 @ 8:44 AM
  The heater appears to be the correct 1941 -1942 Ford hot water heater and the switch also appears to be correct for 1942. The heater fan mounting bracket has Ford stamped on it, when it is the correct one. You cannot see that when the heater is installed.

The heater is not painted correctly and the switch should have Off in the center position, Direct with F and S on the right and Indirect with F and S on the left. The back of the 41-46 switch has screw terminals. The switch mounting bracket is also painted incorrectly.

The switch power source should come from a source that is controlled by the ignition switch, not from the ammeter connection.

If you decide to repaint the heater cover, it can be removed from the heater while the heater is still in the car.

The correct type wiring harness can be bought from Rhode Island Wiring. You will have to remove the heater from the car to install it. You will also have to disassemble the motor to unsolder the old harness and solder the new harness to the field coils and brushes.

Please post some photos of the car, we all like to see car photos.

Tom


juergen    -- 11-01-2019 @ 5:40 AM
  You can test if the motor works as follows. As Tom suggested, find the green and yellow leads with an ohmmeter verifying continuity. I forget if these are the field leads or the armature leads, but it does not matter. The other two leads should also show continuity. Now connect (short) one of the pair of leads to the another of the other pair of leads (for example connect the yellow and brown together). You now have the armature and field leads in series. Now apply 6 volts across the other leads (red and green in the above example). The motor should spin. If not the motor needs to be repaired. Sometimes spinning the fan will clean the brushes so they make electrical contact with the armature.

This message was edited by juergen on 11-1-19 @ 5:43 AM


Parkopup1218    -- 11-01-2019 @ 10:50 AM
  Thanks all for your responses!


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