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Voltage Reducer question

M

miller

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Another, since I don't know.

64 panel, what is the condenser(?), that fits with the 12 volt leg, on the voltage reducer? Is it needed? Any way to check it?

Installed my panel, went to hook up battery, only touched the positive cable, and...spark. Not good. Get to pull the panel again, and find where the problem is. But, also wondering about that condenser.
Checked the new voltage reducer, was good, then anyway. Also looked at the ammeter. Now, needle sitting on positive side, so guess it's cooked. Have another. Going to see if the one got grounded, somehow, but won't know until I pull the panel...dammit.
 
miller said:
Never mind. Found out what it is.
Click to expand...
What was it?
Same problem on my 62, gas and tem gauges do not work.
Limiter is fine, but what is the condenser for?
 
That condenser is for radio whine, should keep the buzz out of your speakers. And your gas and temp not working. Take the cluster out and take 2 aa batteries and put them in series. put a wire on each end and put those two wires on the terminals for each gauge. Its about 3 volts and should run your gauge up about half way. If it does this and both gauges work. I would look at getting a new temp sender and a fuel sender.
 
Yeah, on the condenser. Going to pull it, but also check if it's grounding...shorting. Probably not. Hoping my new limiter is still good.

Just before I attached wiring to my ammeter, did a final tightening on the nuts. Wondering if I might have contacted ground. If not, have alot of looking to figure where the short is. Hate wiring, but gotta have it.

Thanks!
 
BeepBeepRR said:
That condenser is for radio whine, should keep the buzz out of your speakers. And your gas and temp not working. Take the cluster out and take 2 aa batteries and put them in series. put a wire on each end and put those two wires on the terminals for each gauge. Its about 3 volts and should run your gauge up about half way. If it does this and both gauges work. I would look at getting a new temp sender and a fuel sender.
Click to expand...
Thank you
Is there any way to test the temp sender on the engine?
 
You may just want to do the ammeter bypass. Its safer in the long run. There are plenty of nightmare stories about cars and fires due to the ammeter. Found HERE

Temp sender is 10 bucks just replace it. I think you can read Ohms through it but not sure of the readings you should get back.
 
BeepBeepRR said:
You may just want to do the ammeter bypass. Its safer in the long run. There are plenty of nightmare stories about cars and fires due to the ammeter. Found HERE

Temp sender is 10 bucks just replace it. I think you can read Ohms through it but not sure of the readings you should get back.
Click to expand...
Fresh engine new everything under the hood. Amp works fine the temp and gas are the ones not working.

IMG_7567.JPG
 
miller said:
Just before I attached wiring to my ammeter, did a final tightening on the nuts. Wondering if I might have contacted ground.
Click to expand...
Ammeter + post was grounded big time, - post almost as much. There's my short.
Last minute tightening must have done it, since I checked both, when I installed the gauge, no ground contact. Insulator still looks good, in one piece.

BeepBeepRR said:
You may just want to do the ammeter bypass.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that, BeepBeepRR...yeah, thought about it. Have parallel wiring in place. Flat fact didn't help those posts getting grounded. Still not sure how! But, they did, still looking things over.

FU64RY said:
Is there any way to test the temp sender on the engine?
Click to expand...
If there is a way, probably in the service manual. Don't remember. But, there's a few different things that can make a gauge not work. Burnt circuit board, or gauge itself being bad. Fifty year old stuff.
 
The temp gauge is a voltmeter with full scale probably around 5V. You should be able to test this with a D battery to see if you get movement.
The condenser is a 0.22 uf capacitor. It smoothes the pulsed voltage from the mechanical bi metal limiter. It could be tested for no shorts with an ohm meter, but I'd just replace it.
 
Is it possible you over tightened the nuts and broke through the plastic causing the terminal to make contact with the cluster housing? Im talking about that little flat piece of plastic that goes on before the nuts. My cluster had 2 loose pins on the circle plug. Those loose pins caused a few things to not work or work intermittently.
I took the board out and re soldered those pins. But that may not be your case.
 
All the pins, in both circuit boards are in good shape, on mine. Of course, those pins have to be handled with care.
Only thing, on my ammeter, I can come up with, since the insulating fiber board fits into a recess in the panel, when I re-tightened 'em, must have rotated the gauge slightly. Put the studs against the bare side of the recess...grounding the studs.
Just put in my spare ammeter, which is as good of shape, but added star washers the right size, between the washers, and nuts. Going to be more careful hooking up the wiring, this time...and check to be sure neither are grounded!! Practice, practice...
 
There should be double nuts on each stud.
Once the gauge is secured and you are tightening the wires always use a back-up wrench on the nuts that hold the gauge in place.
This prevents them from moving.
And always, always check insulation with a multi meter to make sure it is not touching the housing.
 
Good to go, now. Amazing what happens, when you hold yer mouth right!

'Most' things work. No brake lights, turn signals, or console lights. Probably simple things. Brake lights probably the made in china switch. Have a US made switch, years old, but still works...will check things today. All kinds of fun! :p
 
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