Finally working on the Slick

[Hookedtrout]

Been quite awhile since I've posted, the 62 Uni kind of went in to hibernation. I bought the truck as a father son project for my son to drive once he got his drivers license. Well kids now days aren't the same as when I was a kid! I got my license at 14 and had a 65 Mustang shortly thereafter and wanted to drive the wheels off it. My youngest who is now 16 could have got his license at 14 as well but wasn't that interested. He finally got it done so I got the truck out and started working on it.

So now the fun begins, I thought he'd be all kinds of excited but he seems at times to be more interested in social media and other junk than cars or trucks. I have been taking care of the safety things like new lenses and bulbs for the lights and getting the brake lights to work, (thanks entirely to searching info here), and general running things like a new gas tank and fuel pump and filters and such. Got all that in place and working very well now so I've been driving it around to see how reliable it is. This is the first time I've registered and insured it since I bought it 3 or 4 years ago. So far so good, definitely needs a new muffler!

I've used the power of social media to get the kid a little more interested by getting him to check out some of your truck photos and it seems to be working, he's getting ideas on where this ride should go, we shall see.

I do have one question, in the process of changing out the instrument panel cover for a little nicer one that I picked up, and mind you all my mechanical skills have been self taught so I'm not a great mechanic but I'm more than willing to take on about anything short of an engine or tranny rebuild. On to the question, while changing out the instrument panel cluster I had to take out the Stewart Warner Amp guage failing to recognize it would have power to it I sparked things up with the wrench. After taking care of the power situation and reinstalling the Amp guage and panel and firing up the truck for a ride I notice the Amp guage just sits at zero. Now bare in mind I never have paid any attention to it prior to the project so I have no idea if I blew a fuse, ruined the guage, if that's what it's always done or if zero is good? Any advice would be much appreciated I'd rather not go for a drive and drain the battery dead and be stranded! While I'm at it I'll thank you for the info I've gleened off the site thus far!

Sorry for the long post.

Fun days ahead!

[grump]

Hi Cory, glad to see you back on the site.

[Hookedtrout]

Good to be back in the truck. Been playing with a 31 coupe I bought but it just isn't a truck!

[daleshotrodshop]

These pages from the 1961 Ford service manual should help

[daleshotrodshop]

This would be better since I am sure you have a generator

[Hookedtrout]

Thanks for the info! I'll study up and see if it answers my question on what the Amp gauge should be doing when I fire it up. I put a brand new heavy duty battery in it so I have a good solid battery. Everything seems to be working, starts right up and runs great it's just that the gauge sits at zero and doesn't move when I drive it or turn on the headlights or anything so I'm not sure if my sparking the hot wire did anything to gauge or anything else for that matter.

Thanks again for the help.

[unibody madness]

Cory,
great to see you back on here. If you think you have an issue, disconnect your battery, and connect both wires from the guage to each other and tape them well so they won't short out. You can then have the use of the truck until you replace the guage. Harbor freight has a guage kit for around 17.00 that might work for you

[Hookedtrout]

Thanks, good to be back hanging out with you guys!

So it sounds like if the guage is bad the current can't flow and the wires need hooked together to complete the loop? If they are not will it slowly drain the new battery down or what is the ill effect of a bad gauge?

Take Care!

Cory,
great to see you back on here. If you think you have an issue, disconnect your battery, and connect both wires from the guage to each other and tape them well so they won't short out. You can then have the use of the truck until you replace the guage. Harbor freight has a guage kit for around 17.00 that might work for you

[unibody madness]

I was thinking mainly that if you eliminate the gauge you eliminate the possibility of a problem until you can check or replace it. one of our resident electrical gurus will be along with advice on checking the gauge.

[chris401]

We have a good son, but I understand that completely. I was given a 1961 GMC 305 V6 truck. It had a single dent top of bed next to the standard. He cried about it to mama so I sold the truck. Didn't have room to keep any dead projects. He has grown up sense then and now drives a dented up Dakota. I think he regrets not keeping the GMC.

[Hookedtrout]

We have a good son, but I understand that completely. I was given a 1961 GMC 305 V6 truck. It had a single dent top of bed next to the standard. He cried about it to mama so I sold the truck. Didn't have room to keep any dead projects. He has grown up sense then and now drives a dented up Dakota. I think he regrets not keeping the GMC.

I'll bet he does!