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Wed Apr 25, 2012 6:05 pm

62 single cab with dual port 1600, 009 Dist, 34 pict3.

I did not do the 12V conversion. I am having the following issue and am unsure where to start.

Engine fires up and idles fine...after a minute or so it bogs down as if the alt is charging and if the headlights are turned on and you rev it up the lights will get brighter and as the RPM falls back down to bogging idle they dim down a bit...

Where should i start looking for the problem and what could it be?

Any help would be great!
Thanks!
Mike

Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:06 pm

Full tune up.

Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:07 am

I just did a complete tune up, carb rebuild, points, condenser, plugs, cap, rotor, wires, oil, air filter.

It just seems the alternator (or something else) is drawing power and setting the alt to charge...

Is there a way to test the alt or regulator?

Another issue was that the gauge lights will come on and the taillights with the switch in the off position...but this is intermittent.

Thu Apr 26, 2012 6:03 pm

Ok so I did more investigating and its almost like the system is being back fed.

With the alternator connected and engine running, the fuel gauge reads 1/2. with the alternator charge wire disconnected the fuel gauge reads R (which is where it should be, theres less than 5gal of fuel in it)

any ideas??

Thu Apr 26, 2012 6:40 pm

Im kinda lost here, as usuall :o , but how can you not do a 12v conversion, yet have an alternator? Bad ground at the fuel guage?

Thu Apr 26, 2012 6:42 pm

I personally did not do the 12V conversion...so i dont know what was done. it is 12V though.

Its also effecting the park/gauge lamps aswell as the fuel gauge...

Thu Apr 26, 2012 6:55 pm

Sounds like you need to fix grounds and go through the wiring cleaning, tightening and checking for voltage drops as you go.

Fri Apr 27, 2012 7:02 am

So would bad grounds cause this?

Fri Apr 27, 2012 7:16 am

Park and gauge lights yes.

Headlights getting dim/bright with engine revs more likely is wiring voltage drops. Need to check voltage at battery and how much of that is getting to various places in the wiring. Have found 2 or more volts drop, and have been able to reduce that to less than 1/10 of a volt.

Fri Apr 27, 2012 3:15 pm

How hot does the headlight switch shaft get when you turn on the headlights? If it gets hot at all, or warmer, then its time to get it rebuilt with soldered internal connections, or get a replacement. Thats one major voltage drop right there.

Fri Apr 27, 2012 4:53 pm

That is an open circuit as well.

Fri Apr 27, 2012 8:21 pm

Ok so heres the scoop. I went through the under dash wiring... what a mess. I rewired it back to stock configuration. There were lots of strange wiring with the light bulbs, and such and wires not going where they were supposed to.

Results:

-So far the park lights and gauge lights do not come on.
-With headlights on I am now able to dim the gauge lights, I was not able to before, they were always on.

One more issue i cant figure out.

My fuel gauge still reads 1/2 when i know it should be at R. When i disconnect it, it drops to E.

I read alot about bad grounds and gauges being stuck at full or E. But what would make it stay at 1/2?

Sat Apr 28, 2012 8:04 am

55veedub wrote: Ok so heres the scoop. I went through the under dash wiring... what a mess. I rewired it back to stock configuration. There were lots of strange wiring with the light bulbs, and such and wires not going where they were supposed to.

Results:

-So far the park lights and gauge lights do not come on.
-With headlights on I am now able to dim the gauge lights, I was not able to before, they were always on.

One more issue i cant figure out.

My fuel gauge still reads 1/2 when i know it should be at R. When i disconnect it, it drops to E.

I read alot about bad grounds and gauges being stuck at full or E. But what would make it stay at 1/2?

Don't understand one thing from above. You said the gauge lights do not come on but then you say, "I am now able to dim the gauge lights..." Can you clarify?

The gas gauge can act very strangely if the body of the gauge is not well grounded to the dash, via the clamp that holds it in. If the ground is poor, the gauge will read incorrectly as soon as the light switch (which controls the gauge light) is turned on. Try polishing up the rear of the dash where the clamp teeth bite and securely tighten the thumb nuts for the gauge.

Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:21 am

Yes before I went through the wiring, with the engine running the park lights would stay on full with the switch in off position (gauge lights were wire to the same circuit) and i was unable to dim them, they were just on full..

After rewiring, the park light havent come back on with the switch off and the gauge lights aswell. With the light switch on the park lights and the gauge lights are now on and the gauge lights are now dimmable.

Ill try to ground the gauge better and see what happens.

Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:23 am

There also should be a ground wire going from the fuel sender to the body, but that is kind of hard to get to with engine in.

Tue May 08, 2012 5:47 pm

Ok so heres the status.

I rewired the dash, switches, and gauges.
Added ground wire to the fuel gauge.
Re did gorund on fuel tank sender.

The back feeding problem was from a wire from drivers taillight that was connected to fused side of fuse panel (so it was being powered with fuses pulled.) Which in turn went through the improperly wired gauge lights keeping them on full.

SO my only issue now is that the fuel gauge still reads half full when empty. as the tank is filled, it goes up from there.

Tue May 08, 2012 6:29 pm

Darn! Sounds like you will have to pull the fuel tank sender and either fix it or replace.

Tue May 08, 2012 6:29 pm

Have you tested your fuel sender? Sounds like it may either be shorted or the float isn't sliding all the way down in the tube.

Tue May 08, 2012 6:39 pm

55veedub wrote: My fuel gauge still reads 1/2 when i know it should be at R. When i disconnect it, it drops to E.
Where are you disconnecting it?, at the gauge or at the tank?

Wed May 09, 2012 7:07 am

If i disconnect it at the gauge it reads Empty

If i pull the ground on the sender, it reads full. I think..... cant remember exactly.