After
several weeks of life's responsibilities getting in the way of fun, I was able to spend
much of this past weekend working on frustrating wiring problems. To my relief, the results
were generally successful. At least all the important lights and controls are now
operating properly.
The major
problem I’ve had so much difficulty resolving was integrating the late-seventies
steering column controls into the added fused circuits, aftermarket parts, and the
’56 dash controls and switches.
The '79 turn
signal controls worked out quite well, even the emergency flashers, but the
ignition switch continued to be a pain. First, the new column mounted ignition switch
wiring for ’77-’79 trucks did not match the factory schematic in either wire
size or color. When I finally managed to identify the function of each switch wire,
I had to rewire some circuits to make certain the wire and fuse size matched
the electrical loads of added and upgraded equipment.
FWIW, long ago I
upgraded the original 60-amp alternator to an 80-amp square-back and increased the
wire size in the charging circuits. I’m still debating the idea to add a 50-amp
circuit breaker near the alternator as suggested in an article I read, but I’m
also told that’s overkill. Even after having worked in the electronic field for
thirty-plus years, I still don’t trust my knowledge and instinct for the science.
At least I can now replace all the cable ties I cut off during trouble shooting! When that job is accomplished it's time for a good car and shop cleanup and then I can go back to work on some mechanical tasks I put off earlier.
