51 Champion Switching Bulbs to Add Turn Signals

[cbonner757]

Greetings to all. I have an aftermarket 6v turn signal switch and flasher. The car did not come with signals. If I use the front markers and rear brake/running lights as signals, what replacement bulbs will I need to use?

Regards,
Clarence in Virginia Beach

[BobGlasscock]

IF your 51 is the same as a 50, on the front you don't need to change bulbs unless you want brighter ones. The parking lights are a seperate position on the light switch and aren't on when the lights are on. There would not be much reason for having the parking lights on and wanting to signal a turn at the same time. As for the rear, my 50 has a second socket which is not used. A bulb could be put in there for signaling.

'50 Champion, 1 family owner

[Roscomacaw]

You really need different sockets now. I think. As Bob has stated, parking lites aren't much good for anything, including parking. SO, you could go to a brighter single filament bulb and isolate the individual parking lites to work as turn signals.
At the rear, does this aftermarket TS unit integrate the brake lites THRU the TS switch? If it does, then you shouldn't need to change the bulbs at the rear. IF it doesn't integrate your brake lite circuit, you're going to have to add a socket at each taillight and have a seperate bulb for the turn signal function.


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1963 Cruiser
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[cbonner757]

Thanks for all the info. The directions are very minimal, so I can't yet tell whether the brake lights go thru the TS swtich. The Ebay ad said the switch was 4-way, but the instructions that came with it say the push-pull switch on it is to turn parking lights on and off, which makes little sense. It's a 7-wire switch that is supposed to have 4-way flashers built in, 6 volt. I'll open up the lens and see if there is already a hole for another socket. I have to run wire anyway, and it's no extra trouble to add a socket. That would allow me to have brakes lights and signals going at the same time (I think).

What is the best place to tap power? Since it's supposed to have 4-way flashers, I want to tap where they'd work whether it's running or not.

Here is a link to the switch: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...#ht_1093wt_782

Regards,
Clarence

[leyrret]

If it's a seven wire switch the brake feed probably goes through the switch, but I've never heard of a turn switch with a parking light switch
built into it. The push/pull switch is usually 4 way. If you could post directions would help. It is possible to use a single bulb for turn and park but it requires the use of two 5 terminal switching relays on each light. Any convenient place with unswitched power(like light switch feed) will work to connect. I would use an in line fuse.
What brand is that switch?

[Roscomacaw]

If the instructions don't TELL YOU to seek out the brake lite wire, then it's not going to end up integrated with the brake lites.

As for power, I'd try to hook it to the ammeter's output side. And DO incorporate an in-line fuse in that power wire. It'll be the only protection against a short![}]


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1963 Cruiser
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[cbonner757]

Thanks, Biggs, that helps. It does come with a fuse, and surely plan to use it. The instructions are sketchy but the circuit doesn't seem that complicated.

Regards,
Clarence

[cbonner757]

Sorry for the delay, but here is the one page of instructions that came with it. No maker visible on the switch, box or instructions,
but the box just says "Directional Switch," no city, no manufacturer.

Let's see if this photo uploads.

Regards,
Clarence/Users/dean/Desktop/LexmarkAIOScan1.jpg

[cbonner757]

PHoto didn't work-- I'll have to get it onto a web page before I can load it here.

[gordr]

I'm guessing that switch is a Chinese knock-off of what used to be commonly sold here for trucks and older cars. The instructions that come with Chinese-made stuff sometimes are a little cryptic.

I'm sure that switch will have provision to incorporate the brake circuit.

You will have to check the rear wire harness in your car to see if individual wires for the stop/turn filaments in the lamps are brought forward to the dash area. Older cars often had a single wire for "tail" and another single wire for "stop", with a junction at the rear to split it off to each side. If your car is wired that way, you will have to disconnect ONE of the "stop" lamps from that junction, and run a new wire forward to the appropriate terminal on the signal switch.

But I'm thinking your car is probably pre-wired for turn signals, with the wires for the two stop lamps tied together near the stop lamp switch.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[cbonner757]

Thanks, Gord. I signed up for one of the free sites to do web pic posting, but it didn't work (just stalled for ten minutes). I'll examine it closer-- there are two wires leaving the two-filament bulb socket in the rear, but I will need to follow it to see how it is configured. I removed the access plate on the steering column and saw no wiring harness inside, just the steering mechanism. Yes, it's a made in Taiwan piece, but it seems heavy and may be of decent quality--it's just the instructions that are lacking.

Regards,
Clarence

[Jimmie]

quote:Originally posted by cbonner757

Greetings to all. I have an aftermarket 6v turn signal switch and flasher. The car did not come with signals. If I use the front markers and rear brake/running lights as signals, what replacement bulbs will I need to use?

Regards,
Clarence in Virginia Beach

On my 50, when I added the turn signals, I put in bulbs with two elements and then twisted the pigtail wires together and hooked them up to the turn signal switch. This makes the lights especially bright. I also cleaned, treated for rust, and painted the inside of the parking light bases, bright white.

Then, for the rear lights, I added another bracket/socket in each original housing just below the ones that sit near the top of the lights and again used bulbs with two elements and twisted the pigtail wires together so both bulb elements come on when the turn signal is turned on.

I treated and painted the rear housings inside too. Again, the lights are very bright, getting the attention of other drivers. My car is still a 6V and I am very pleased with my setup. This way the rear parking lights and the brake lights stayed the same. The typical flasher unit works fine

Jimmie

Jimmie
Orange County, Indiana
1950 CHAMPION -ORANGE COUNTY, INDIANA

[cbonner757]

Great news. Thanks, Jimmie.

Regards,
Clarence

[cbonner757]

Jimmie, can you send a pic of how you added the bracket/socket? Was it the same vertically mounted bulb style as the original running light? Sounds like both those wires are hot, with grounding through the housing to the body? I like your solution best-- adding a separate socket. It should make installation simpler and give more effective results.

Regards,
Clarence

[Jimmie]

quote:Originally posted by cbonner757

Great news. Thanks, Jimmie.

Regards,
Clarence

I hope this helps. I still cannot convince my computer and Photo bucket to allow me to send larger pictures.

If I remember right, I did this in about 1988, I got the socket/bases out of some other Studebaker lights and attached them with their screws which screwed right into the light housing which already had threaded holes in the other half of the tail light. One is facing up and the other down.



Jimmie
Orange County, Indiana
1950 CHAMPION -ORANGE COUNTY, INDIANA