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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / circuit breaker location

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Posted By Discussion Topic: circuit breaker location     Old Henry 09-30-2010 @ 9:48 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 738 Joined: Apr 2010 I have had a '47 Ford Sedan for 51 years and it has never had any fuses nor circuit breakers on it. I have just obtained a wiring diagram that shows a lighting circuit breaker and coil resister on it. I've also found the same for sale. (Image attached) Where is that circuit breaker/resister panel supposed to be mounted? Still Old Henry 42wagon 10-01-2010 @ 3:07 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 584 Joined: Oct 2009 It's probably there or you would have fried your coil. Look inside the firewall at the very top on the left hand side. Way up behind the dashboard. It should look just like your picture. The coil is wired through the resistor on the left and the lights are wired through the box on the right. Why Ford hid it there will remain a mystery. Ted Old Henry 10-01-2010 @ 10:25 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 738 Joined: Apr 2010 My coil resister is right on the coil. There is no breaker panel on the inside of the firewall. Seems strange if that's where they usually are but it's not there. At least I know where it goes if I decide to add one. Still Old Henry supereal 10-01-2010 @ 11:04 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 The "circuit breaker" is actually a sort of buzzer that allowed the lights to work in the event of a short in that circuit. It was devised because old Fords didn't have a fuse anywhere else in the wiring. We remove it, and install a circuit board in its place, using a set of push button circuit breakers to power the various branches of the wiring. The only circuit that shouldn't be fused is the charging branch to prevent the generator or alternation from "running wild" without a load. Old wiring consists of a rubber insulator covered with fabric. Age has causes the rubber to crumble, and a "casual" short can result in a fire. All old cars should have a master battery switch for that reason. ccnelson 10-01-2010 @ 1:37 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 6 Joined: Jan 2010 I have a 1947 ford coupe that I have had for 47 years. It does not have the combined circuit breaker and and resistor as shown in the picture. My resistor is on the Ignition switch and the circuit breakers appear to tucked up above the instrument panel behind a piece of cardboard. I have never had it apart so I could be wrong.There are either two three studs going through the cardboard with wires attached to them. From what I understand most of the time the resistor would be attached to the coil but mine is not. My car is a late 1947 with the clam sh*ll horns mounted in front of the radiator. The wiring is different on late 47 and 48 cars. Hope this helps ccnelson 10-01-2010 @ 1:40 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 6 Joined: Jan 2010 I have a 1947 ford coupe that I have had for 47 years. It does not have the combined circuit breaker and and resistor as shown in the picture. My resistor is on the Ignition switch and the circuit breakers appear to tucked up above the instrument panel behind a piece of cardboard. I have never had it apart so I could be wrong.There are either two three studs going through the cardboard with wires attached to them. From what I understand most of the time the resistor would be attached to the coil but mine is not. My car is a late 1947 with the clam sh*ll horns mounted in front of the radiator. The wiring is different on late 47 and 48 cars. Hope this helps TomO 10-01-2010 @ 4:41 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7253 Joined: Oct 2009 The late 47 and 48 cars, with the sea sh*ll horns, had the resistor on the coil and the circuit breaker was mounted on the firewall next to the voltage regulator. Tom supereal 10-02-2010 @ 9:31 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 According to the serial number and glass "bugs", my '47 was built late that year, around September. It had the "breaker" on the inside of the firewall. along with the ignition resistor. In typical Ford fashion, I assume they installed the old configuration until they were used up on that assembly line. Given the 63 years the '47s have been around, it isn't unusual to find some odd homemade wiring. Old Henry 10-16-2010 @ 2:06 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 738 Joined: Apr 2010 Eureka! I found them! The headlight circuit breakers for my '47 Ford are attached to a bracket on the back of the guages! I'd seen those on the back of guages before but never put 2 and 2 together to realize that, indeed, that is where Ford put the headlight circuit breakers after the coil resister was moved to the coil. Still Old Henry

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