Turn Signal Conundrum

[Chuck]

I'm glad it was an easy fix Jay and you got more familiar with the circuit. I went over it and the wire from the headlight switch is horn power that also goes to the brake light switch. If it were the horn and brake lights out there is a 15amp breaker in the headlight switch that can go bad from a short. There is another one in there, 18 amps for the headlights. After installing halogens in Louisvilles that traveled long distances, I found the lights would open the breaker after a while causing them to go out. After it cools they go back on but the older the switch the heavier the load, the more it opens, and the more it opens, the more it wants to open. The 18amp breaker opens at nine amps and you learn to replace the switch once and for all by using it to power relays you wire in to handle the load. X and Y. Circuit breakers have a line and load side and are marked at the base of the studs. Flashers were that way too at one time, having a resistor inside that did something to make it that way. They can work or work like a check valve and with solid state stuff there is a in door and an out door, you learn to test items as used just so you don't blow them up and let the smoke out.
  You knew the flasher worked because you put it in the emergency socket and it flashed. Testing it where you were putting the voltage on it in the turn signal socket got you the answer to your issue. Ford used all kinds of wiring codes for these switches which during replacement causes problems. Horns that blink and signals that don't. Brake light indicators on the dash and up front where the signals were.
 If you can do a maze you can follow a circuit if you know what you're working with. Signal and light problems are simple to work on because you can visually detect what's going on or not. It would be great if you could see the ac output of your duraspark or MSD pickup, but if you don't get intimidated and start with what you understand, before long you'll know how to measure it and why it needs to work. 

[MeanGene]

Yep, I had to do that on my Q-code 66 Bird, you'd be driving along and poof go the headlights- pull over for a minute and back on. Wired them through relays to reduce the load and they worked fine. Had to do that with the starter circuit on my 928 also, intermittent no crank, replaced starter, same thing. Did some research on the 928 forums and found out about the infamous and weak "yellow wire" that triggered the starter solenoid. Hung a regular Ford starter relay from the shock tower brace and the yellow wire would trigger it just fine, and ran the hot to the starter through it. A little flexible shielding on the wires and it looks like it came that way

[jayb]

Thanks for the tip on the headlight relays, I am putting halogen headlights in the car so I will wire in a couple relays to reduce the load on the switch.

[cammerfe]

Hey Bill---

Does that Crosley have a cast engine block or is it fabricated?

KS

[WConley]

Hey Bill---

Does that Crosley have a cast engine block or is it fabricated?

KS

Ken - Those sheet metal Crosley "COBRA" engines are super rare.  Most of those leaked their way into a cast iron block replacement long ago!

[machoneman]

I'm using a crossflow radiator, but not the one I told you about.  The battery is in the way of going too wide, so this radiator is only 26" wide.  Still has the same 2 core 1" tubes, and I will be putting two 11" Spal pusher fans in front and ditching the fiberglass flex fan that is currently on the car.

Have you considered relocating the battery to the trunk for more radiator width? 

[TomP]

Mentioned many posts ago about Gary Kollofski buying air filters... the same 55 Chev and 33 Willys guy in Hot Rod Magazine?

Should we ask what he'd use the filters for?

[jayb]

Same guy, he used to be in Minnesota but has moved to California, and is using them on a couple of V12 engines.

[jayb]

Have you considered relocating the battery to the trunk for more radiator width?

If I was going all out performance wise I would definitely do that, but I'm only going to put a 600 HP engine in this one, so the smaller radiator and a couple of good Spal fans should be sufficient - Jay

[cleandan]

Jay, here is a very simple explanation of the difference between an old style, bi-metallic flasher and a new electronic flasher.
The bi-metallic flashers were pretty much resistor switches that, when given current, heated up the bi-metallic spring to make, and break, contact within the circuit to cause the flashing lights.

The current comes in, heats the bi-metallic, the bi-metallic flexes in a spring like action to break the circuit, the bi-metallic cools and remakes the current circuit....lather, rinse, repeat until the current is removed when the turn signal switch returns to its neutral position.

The electronic flashers are more like a tiny relay system within the small flasher box.
They sense the electric signal, which is not as current related like the older style flasher.
Once an electrical signal is sensed the relay triggers the switch and the cirsuit inside (usually a simple timer) begins to make and break the electrical path to flash the lights.
This relative lack of current need is what allows the electrical flasher to work with small load cirsuits like LED lighting swaps.

Most electric flashers are polarity sensitive due to the internal circuit being "open" while at rest, meaning it needs power to close the circuit and turn on the lights to make them flash.

The old style flashers are in the "on" position at rest, meaning the circuit path is already made so the lights come on, only being broken intermittently when current causes the bi-metallic to heat and break the circuit. In this case the flasher is turning the light off to make them flash.

Glad you got this figured out.