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While it is still fresh in my mind, I wanted to drop a few notes for anyone in the future that is going to wire a 1949 and I suppose a 1950.
The effort by Keller to make the '49 "smaller on the outside and more room on the inside" has a practical side effect of making it very difficult to work on the dash compared to my current 1947 (S), or past 1957(C), 1960(D), 1963(C), 1964(C), 1966(P), or 1971(P) MOPARs.
Anyone doing a wiring job should build up the diecast dash and the steel sub-dash as a unit and put in the instrument cluster and the speedo AND also wire the harness with all the lights and bulbs before putting the dash back into the body. I know this is tough to due without scratching something, but trying to deal with wiring in this particular dash in-place is a bitch!
Just removing and replacing a gauge or the simple task of replacing a light bulb is major endeavor. I have a new wiring harness. I am using the bulb receptacles supplied with the harness which is of very good quality. The problem is that the newer bulb receptacles need to go directly or straight in to "pop" in-place. Given the close quarters it borders on impossible to do so. I have cut up arms and had blood running down them to get my hands to navigate in the dash.
I have let Paul Little, the harness guy know this as suggest that he source original light sockets or use the originals on future 1949-1950 harnesses he sells.
A few items.
The studs that the instrument cluster, speedo, and the like mount into in the dash (diecast) are number 10-24TPI. All the wire connections are 10-32TPI. It is easy to mix them up and when up side down you do not want o deal with that.
The gas gauge uses a cardboard protector over one of the two mounting screws. With the paper gasket between the cluster housing and the gauge, only the lower screw is grounding the case. I ran an extra wire from this case screw to a good ground.
There was a change mid-production on the S-13 in the wiring in the dash. The books are not clear on it. If anyone is going to get into the wiring in the dash, call me so I can go over this with you or you will pull your hair out. The subject is the wire note in the factory schematic on the feed to the breaker and between the headlight and dash light switches.
Basically the lesson learned is that space is very tight in these dashes. If I was to do it again I would:
Wire up the amp, cooling, oil, fuel, speedo, ignition switch, headlight, dash light, wiper, map light next to and above the headlight switch with all the light bulbs and both breakers on the supporting bracket using temp bolts on the bottom in place of the steering column unit. I would them get as many people as necessary to lift the whole thing into place. If I did it this way, the wiring along the gauges and switches would be "tighter" than wiring it up after the fact and access in the future to the gauges and bulbs would be somewhat better.
FYI.
James
James,
With your permission, I would like to include this diatribe in a future issue of DeSoto Adventures. With 53 1949 and 96 1950 cars listed in the 2012 DA Roster Issue, there's a great possibility that this information could help a lot of members. If anyone "out there" has any photos of this process, it would greatly enhance a "Tech Tip", "How-To" article. You can email same to: "DeSotoAdventures@gmail.com
or mail to:
Geoff Overley
526 W. Main Street
Mason, Ohio 45040-1626
(513)680-0520 Cell
It reminds me of the time I volunteered to help a friend replace the timing belt in his son's 2003 Chrysler Sebring sedan 4 cylinder. Early in the disassembly process, he got called out of town, leaving me alone to complete the task. After two days, a lot of really bad words and a box of Band-Aids later, I called the local dealer to find out how much they charged for this operation. I was told it was a $1,500 job because the engine HAD to be removed to complete the task. Needless to say, I had worked around that fact!
I'm still not sure how I managed to get my fat fingers into some of the impossibly tight spaces, but 'got-r-done'.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Great information. Along those lines I found a vendor on eBay that sells color coded wiring diagrams that are 11x17 and laminated. Sure beats the single page black and white ones in the manuals. I just got one for my 47 and it looks great but haven't had the time to check it for accuracy. Here's his store: http://stores.ebay.com/ClassicCarWiring ... 7675.l2563 I think some of the wiring harness suppliers also sell them.
Tim Mabry
The Lost Cause Garage
47 Suburban
57 Sportsman 4dr HT
Classic Car Wiring actually has the diagrams for lots of cars and years.
Jason
I have one of those in color. Guess what, some stuff is missing, some is not the correct color that was on the car. Factory wiring schematic was not correct on some colors on car.
Also, sometimes the factory assessories added later had different color wires.
Use all at your own risk! Keep you old harness until a year after you are done!
James
Well,
I have had the gauges in and out several more times with odd problems with the gauges.
After days of more hell, I have figured it out.
Turns out that the GASKET that goes between the gauges and cluster housing MUST be at lease 50 thousands thick (I pulled and measured an orginal). The new one I made and had been trying to use this past week was about 25-30 Thousands thick. That little bit made the difference.
Also, if you work on the gauges, one must be careful as to the shape of the needle from the base (the wide part at the bottom) to the gauge works. One tweaks the needle as part of setting it to zero and the like. Just be very careful as the shape of the base of the needle and the gasket. Both must be just right or you can get a gauge to hang or rub very lightly and cause odd readings.
Of course, given how hard it is to set a gauge into the cluster without hitting the needle...you have to pull the cluster to change a gauge or risk the above issues.
They cut it to close in their design and screwed the pooch for restoration.
Best, James
This info I need !! I'm about to tear into the car sometime this weekend or next and pull the entire wiring out and replace it with a 18 circuit from Painless wiring. And redo the entire gauges with new 12v ones.
