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Discussion Topic:
51 F1 electrical
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PeterFord |
04-26-2012 @ 6:47 PM
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New Member
Posts: 125
Joined: Jan 2011
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My 51 F1 has been upgraded to 12 volts by prior owner. My lights flicker slightly, all of them, head lights tail, turn etc. I have replaced the alternator with a new one. I have gone over the entire electrical system for grounding problems, cleaning every ground contact. The flickering occurs when I rev it up , not at idle, indicating, perhaps a load problem. The only electrical draw is the electric fuel pump. Could that be causing the flicker, putting an extra load on it when I rev it up? Thank you for any help. Peter
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trjford8 |
04-27-2012 @ 6:34 AM
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Posts: 4218
Joined: Oct 2009
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Did you change the light switch? Are you running halogen lights/bulbs?
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supereal |
04-27-2012 @ 10:18 AM
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I doubt that the electric fuel pump is causing your problem, as the current draw is usually low, and it operates only as necessary, if properly sized. Having checked the ground side, do the same with the "hot" side, from the battery out thru the loads. Flickering as engine speed increases should show up as you place a voltmeter across the segments of the system and watch the needle. Alternators require considerable engine power, and if your drive belt is slipping, that can account for the problem. Alternators generally have a small pulley, so the tension, width, and angle of the belt is critical. Be sure your battery is in good condition. A weak cell can also cause your problem as the alternator tries to charge it.
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51f1 |
04-29-2012 @ 6:59 AM
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The flickering could be caused by the circuit breaker. Jump across the breaker and see what happens. If something burns up, remove the jumper. You have found the problem.
Richard
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PeterFord |
05-07-2012 @ 11:47 AM
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New Member
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I think the light switch is original. When I bought this truck a new (packaged) light switch came with it. Maybe the guy intended to change it. My headlights are not halogen but they are the new super bright ones, Sylvania Performance.
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supereal |
05-08-2012 @ 10:28 AM
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Senior
Posts: 6819
Joined: Oct 2009
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Next to the starter, headlights draw the most current in the vehicle. I checked and fixed the original wiring when I put halogen headlights in my '47, and they wre not much brighter than the original "sealed beams". When I fed them directly from the battery, the brightness was almost doubled. This told me that the conductors (wires) were not sufficient. I constructed and installed a relay board to handle the load, which didn't require modifying the original wires and switches. It wasn't expensive to build, and it banished the "yellow" headlights so common on old cars.
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PeterFord |
05-11-2012 @ 8:19 PM
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New Member
Posts: 125
Joined: Jan 2011
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It turns out it was the circuit breaker. It was incorrectly wired after the truck was converted to 12 volts. Many thanks Peter
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