47-55.1 55 years ago I was given this USAF 54 3100

[VWNate1]

Funny you should mention that ~ my neck is fused, the metal plate has 8 screws in it and this makes it difficult to turn my head as much as I'd like to when entering traffic or backing up, pulling out to pass et cetra .

T'ain't funny McGee .

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by VWNate1

Funny you should mention that ~ my neck is fused, the metal plate has 8 screws in it and this makes it difficult to turn my head as much as I'd like to when entering traffic or backing up, pulling out to pass et cetra .

T'ain't funny McGee .

Well understood. I don't see why we shouldn't take advantage of every technological advance that keeps us going.

[VWNate1]

Agreed ! .

I love breakerless ignition systems .

Better oils and gaskets .

TIRES ! they're so much better and safer than the old corded ones we grew up on that exploded when pushed hard .

LED bulbs too ~ I'm waiting on another package of tiny 6 volt colored LED bulbs for my '59 VW now ~ most folks just convert (not upgrade) them to 12 volts and still complain .

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by VWNate1

Agreed ! .

I love breakerless ignition systems .

Better oils and gaskets .

TIRES ! they're so much better and safer than the old corded ones we grew up on that exploded when pushed hard .

LED bulbs too ~ I'm waiting on another package of tiny 6 volt colored LED bulbs for my '59 VW now ~ most folks just convert (not upgrade) them to 12 volts and still complain .

All true!!. Heads up on LEDs tho. I replaced all the early leds in the gauges as too dim. The new ones are 4x brighter and do the job. One issue not noted is that all the newer tech comes in handy when driving today. All the new cars with better steering brakes and speed put those running original ADs at a real disadvantage (if not a dangerous one). Just todays anti Collision tech makes many drive very dangerously as they have become so dependent on them. Just the much shorter stopping distances of new cars puts oldies at high risk. Wonder how long it take insurance companies to catch on.


BTW these are what i used to replace the crap from Amazon. They were a whopping .16 each at the time

https://www.temu.com/goods.html?_bg_..._page_sn=10045

[VWNate1]

Thanx for the link .

I hope all here will read this and give the LED's a try .

I too got some really crappy ones from Amazon, I always give feedback and woe betide the vendor who sells bulbs that fail in lees than 5 + years .

Some failed within two weeks, I discovered the first pair of 6 volt LED headlight bulbs had NO WAY TO RETURN THEM / CONTACT VENDOR so read the advert carefully .

I don't recall the brand name I now look for but nary a one of theirs has failed yet .

My VW's speedometer bulbs are really tiny so I've been waiting a few years before buying any, they're inbound now, I can hardly wait .

You're very right about the safety (lack of any) aspect of our beloved old trucks and cars .

Adavnce Design GM trucks made before 1951 had "HUCK" (rhymes with SUCK) brakes that were designed in 1937 for the two door coupe that wasn't expected to exceed 45 MPH often .

They're a joke on any commercial vehicle, I kept them o my '49 3100 but I also knew / know how to 'fan' them so they didn't overheat and fade away and when I was coming out of Death Valley fully loaded I stayed in second gear and before the brakes failed I pulled over and parked sideways to the hill so I didn't need to use the park brake, once they were cooled off , off we went again, my Sweet never even knew why I'd stopped .

Sadly folks today don't want to learn to respect the vehicle's design parameters .

[vintovka]

Drove the 54 for almost 30 years and fought the old tech into the ground. Really don't miss the torque tube with its oakie bearings. Prolly said before really don't miss draining the rear end and putting the oil back in the 4 speed tranny once a month. It had maybe 5-6 bearings driven back and still leaked like a sieve. Still amazed at those who still run 216s and 235s. Having the generator reverse polarity and run like an electric motor was fun at 2 AM, 3 miles from Jean Nevada! Bad brakes, crap steering, no power, pathethic vacuum wipers, leaks everywhere, cloth wire fires, rusty gas tanks, carcinogenic benzine fumes in cab, oil breather fell off resulting in rod knocks, no oil pressure, dim headlights, seat spring in butt just some of joys of original AD's. Still gotta love em!

[VWNate1]

All I can say is the 100% TRUE 1941 Chevrolet light surty truck slogan :

If It Steers Like A Truck It's NOTA CHEVROLET ! .

Putting the wrong size tires made for hard steering .

I ran TL Radials with 4" wide white walls and my '49 steered easily .

The forward drive shaft support & seal was called an "Oakie BUSHING" and many of the replacement ones didn't have any seal, why they continued to allow the tranny's oil to run down the torque tube and over fill the final drive .

I bet you didn't know they're called that because the aftermarket replacement ones were designed and manufactured by The Oklahoma Machine Company.....

[dsraven]

stuff you learn on this forum, who knew.
new car tech is great sometimes, other times it is annoying as heck. my wifes '18 acura has adaptive cruise control that slows you down to match the guy in front of you. if youre like me and expect the cruise to just be cruise like the old days then it takes a sec to figure out why EVERYBODY IS PASSING ME!
it also applies the brakes, beeps and flashes "brake" in big letters on the cluster if it senses you are getting too close.
all this but no heated steering wheel in a 2018 vehicle sold in Canada. huh?

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by dsraven

stuff you learn on this forum, who knew.
new car tech is great sometimes, other times it is annoying as heck. my wifes '18 acura has adaptive cruise control that slows you down to match the guy in front of you. if youre like me and expect the cruise to just be cruise like the old days then it takes a sec to figure out why EVERYBODY IS PASSING ME!
it also applies the brakes, beeps and flashes "brake" in big letters on the cluster if it senses you are getting too close.
all this but no heated steering wheel in a 2018 vehicle sold in Canada. huh?

How about the ones that say "CLEAN YOUR WINSHIELD" or "TIME TO TAKE A BREAK" and flashes a coffee cup image. And then there's the very new ones which reports/records your exact location, everywhere you've been and all your driving data (speed, braking, turning, flashers and maybe when your on the phone and what you've said to check for political correctness???). Oops forgot the "CHECK YOUR BACK SEAT" and when you are out of the car it texts you location, engine information, whether or not your doors are locked and more.

[VWNate1]

I love it when topics meander as I crave knowledge and so often you'll learn by comments made in passing .

Some of the new technology mentioned here I wasn't aware of, I'm hoping to be able to keep driving my oldies until I can't drive anymore, my newest on is 21 years old, very basic indeed, just how I like them .

I remember when push button telephone dials were introduced, you can't imagine how amazing that was at the time .

Computers are great when they're being helpful .

Then things get too involved and not so much .

[vintovka]

Made it to a small local show this Saturday. Its the last for this year. Its was fun and even the wife had a good time too. See pic. On the way back we participated in a memorial cruise for a club member who recently passed. All went well till wife noticed the alternator light was on and voltmeters all showing near nothing in the way of voltage. We were cruising at very low speed and the big 40 amp spal was doing its job but sucking amps faster than they could be made. Sadly we decided to jump out of the 40 car procession and speed home. Current Alt is only 63 amp so looks like a 100 amp will be on order soon. Its been giving me odd readings and putting out an unusual whining noise. Was going to replace it with a brand new one still in the box since 1999 but why bother cause its just another 63. Been alright so far but no much cruising so best get it done here at the beginning of the hibernation (monsoon) season. Wife's former 90% confidence in the truck dropped way down again. Oh well.

[VWNate1]

I love that 'Dagmar' Caddy ~ make mine a coupe please .

Back when I ran early 1960's Novas I remember they came with 35 ampere alternators and I never had battery troubles .

[vintovka]

The caddy belongs to a club member who has had it since new or there abouts. Its quite the boat. Spal did warn about amp draw on the fan and they were right. So far a 100 amp replacement seems the ticket as any larger may require increased wire size. Will need to learn how to switch from a 2 wire to a one wire. Summit stuff seems superior to stuff off amazon and both local oreilly and autozone have to order anything above stock amperage anyway. Forget Napa.

[VWNate1]

Not anymore and that's a sad thing .

When I was a Fleet Mechanic I learned that everything NAPA sold (apart from their crappy ignition modules for mid 70's IHC's) was the good stuff, equal to OEM .

Using the too small (or cheaper less strands) wire is a common mistake .

I always prefer the run a live wired relay to help with heat soak .

In my '49 3100 the basic 35 ampere alternator never failed to keep up with the electric fan, lights and Blaupunkt cassette deck .

I ran a tiny BCI group 26 (IIRC) 12 volt battery as it fit inside the factory underfloor battery box .

These days I'm a big believer in AGM batteries and LED's, just yesterday I relamped my '59 VW in LEDs, wow do they draw less current and just as bright as the #1129 6 volt brake light bulbs were .

[vintovka]

Since the power steering fiasco with NAPA (and the fact shops here adamantly refuse to use their parts anymore) I will stay away from them. Also looking at amazon seems all the Chinese alternators are hit or miss. Mostly miss. Ordering from shops like summit or jegs will mean return cost/time issues if a problem. Shipping has become outrageous as the supermarket. Will run over to AutoZone (club sponsor) with my NOS PEP BOYS 1999 alternator and see if its still ok. May swap it out just to see if the current one (1991) isn't the problem first. Will go for a reputable, locally returnable 100-120 amp one if all else fails. Will also run a 6 gauge to battery with a fuse. All this depending on this ol body cooperating. Will say the summit high torque mini starter is flat wonderful.

[VWNate1]

Are you willing to take that old alternator apart ? .

99% of the time all they need is new brushes and to hand polish (NOT SAND NOR ABRADE) the rotor's slip rings .

Way back in the day we used to do unit overhauls in the service station .

Now you've got me worried, I just bought a "rebuilt" 6 volt starter and opened the box ~ it's NEW .

These days I spend a fair bit of time researching original part numbers and then go look for them on the internet.....

[dsraven]

I just went through 3 rebuilt alternators and one "new" one and ended up returning for credit. went to a rebuilder, paid the core charge and got their rebuild and a new set of wiring plugs. worked right out of the box. well, no box just a nice new looking rebuilt alternator handed to me over the counter by the dude who rebuilt it and TESTED it afterward. he also gave me a wiring diagram because the parts store rebuild ones for the fox body mustang required the plug be cut off and a new pigtail be wired in-right from the alternator-no plug at all, period. you can imagine my joy rewiring each time the rebuilt or new parts store alternator didn't work.
if you have an alternator/starter rebuild guy anywhere close, and he is reputable, grab a rebuilt one from him. have it tested by him before you leave and ask for the test results. that way you will know what it puts out for amps at a certain voltage. then check your output wiring to make sure it is up to taking that many amps. go from there.

[VWNate1]

In general I overhaul my own units ~ the 6 volt VW one I'd serviced twice and it was at the end of it's road .

For anyone in the Los Angeles area CP Alternators on Figueroa just South of downtown does good work .

[vintovka]

Took all the advice and visited local alt/gen repair guy. He tested output at battery and right at battery. Said the wiring done by the much mentioned Oregon pot head mechanics was really bad and needed redone. Also said alternator is like 20 amps to small. Recommended all new 100 amp with 8 or 9 gauge direct to battery. Has only 12 and it looks well cooked. Will proceed after next SS check.

[VWNate1]

I used to be very open minded about pot smokers then the THC % skyrocketed and the problems began .

Undersize wiring is a constant problem, remember Japanese cars in the 1970's ? they all used 18 gauge wires throughout to $ave initial co$t$ and the result was dim lights .

Electrical works are not really overly difficult, just time consuming .

These days pretty much every oldie I touch needs significant wiring repairs or upgrades .

I'm primarily a German vehicle Mechanic so I understand the need for not only a decent gauge but more strands in each wire because the electricity passes over the outside of each strand so getting a larger diameter wire won't help in it's coarsely stranded .

I look for older German vehicles and strip out the main harness' and use the center portions that have no degraded insulation to make up new or repair old wiring .

In general I use the D.I.N. color codes and solder and heat shrink all connections , the resulting systems tend to work at least as well as they did when new and still on 6 volts .

[dsraven]

your rebuild guy may have the cable you need and the tools it takes to put a good end on the cable. personally I use welding cable because it is generally pretty flexible so therefore has more strands of wire in it for the same gauge as a competitors cable.

[VWNate1]

A *very* good point ! .

I typically replace the factory 4 gauge battery cables with 1 or 0 gauge, the improvement in cranking speed has to be experienced to be believed .

I often make up my own custom cables and add a secondary lead to the battery's ground clamp, this cable will go to where the factory one doesn't ~ the driveline should always be directly connected to the battery, many vehicles use the frame or unibody .

Adding the secondary ground lead will increase the headlights brightness and reduce the charging time .

I buy bulk cable and copper ends then measure, cut and assemble, once I'm sure I have it just how I want it I take it to a welding shop and have them solder the ends & clamps on .

I wish I were closer as I'd like to have a look at your '54 .

[dsraven]

I usually make my own cables with the most flexible welding cable I can find and copper cbale lugs. I have a crimper for the job, it is one of those hammer style units, and then the connection gets soldered and shrink tubed with double wall tubing of the correct color for the job. red or black. bouble wall shrink tube is thicker walled and has like a hot glue substance inside that melts to seal the connection. don't know why they even sell regular stuff when this stuff is waaay better.
for grounds it is always good to go from battery neg to the engine block, from there to the frame and another to the body. on older stuff that isn't unibody another ground from the frame to a common ground near the front is always good because headlights etc are usually grounded to the rad support which is only getting a ground through metal to metal contact of painted (usually) body parts. a ground wire from the frame to the rad support is recommended in that case, or bring all the grounds from each accy back to a common ground point connected to the frame. if you have done wiring on a newer vehicle you will be aware of how many ground points in obscure areas new vehicles have.

[dsraven]

sorry, fat thumbed that one. cbale should read cable.
bouble should read double.
shouldda taken a typing class in hiogh school instead of all those shop classes. lol. nowadays a lot of places don't even have a shop. sad really. for a few years there was a lot of emphasis placed on academia rather than good old fashioned knowledge of how to fix stuff. niw they realise that a lot of the trades are retiring and there isn't too much intake for those courses in the colleges. bad enough that there are now govt incentive programs to entice the younger people to be a trades person. a lot of kids these days don't know what a screwdriver is or if they do they don't know the difference between a flat blade and a robertson or phillips. vicegrip? thats when you shake hands with an old guiy isn't it?

lol

[vintovka]

Since last posting i broke my rule and got talked into a 93 amp alt from NAPA see link below. Yes i read them the riot act and they are well aware i have a hot line to some top NAPA guys so they assure me its wonderful and they will honor the lifetime guarantee. Apparently they have been listening as losing market share does get your attention. It weighs much more than the original and is listed as a 33si. Has a plastic fan and a ground lug. Now planning to run a number 4 direct to battery or starter and a number 9 to main fuse. Your comments advice recommendations and possible castrations are welcome.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/RAY2134356