Category Archives: Electrical

STOP PLEASE DON’T CHOP THAT CADILLAC OR ARE YOUR DESIGN SKILLS REALLY BETTER THAN HARLEY EARLS

by Art Gardner

I have had ten 1949-56 Cadillac’s over the last 25 years. Some I kept bone stock, one I highly modified, and to several I made minor “tweaks” to improve performance/reliability/safety/convenience. From my experience, I encourage you to consider keeping your ’49 or any other old Cadillac completely stock or very stock — for financial, aesthetic, and enjoyment reasons. Don’t do something you will regret later, as there are many hidden dangers and pitfalls in modifying old Cadillac’s.
To me, the biggest drawback is that most people are not as skilled at car design as the original designers (no surprise there) and the car is likely to end up looking and performing much worse than the original. Secondly, it is often a financial disaster to make big changes to a ’49 or other old Cadillac. Many people start down a path of “customizing” a classic car by chopping the top, frenching the headlights, shaving the door handles and other exterior chrome, adding louvers, replacing the engine with a generic Chevy 350, etc. Most of the time this ends up ruining the car permanently. Do you really think you can make a classic Cadillac more beautiful than did the original designers? Perhaps, but most such modifications rob the car of its intrinsic appeal and make it uglier, not prettier. Sometimes the car does end up looking good. But often not.
I strongly recommend retaining the original drive train, as the 331 Cadillac engine is very, very good – in fact it was at the top of the heap for decades and is just as mechanically reliable as any small block Chevy. Same thing for the our HydraMatic transmission. It is just about bullet-proof. If yours doesn’t work like it should or if it leaks, get it professionally rebuilt and enjoy years of trouble-free automatic shifting.
Without going into all of the gory details, here are my bottom-line recommendations, learned the hard way, for what works well on a 1949 Cadillac:
1. If it came with 6 volts, keep it 6 volts if possible. Pay attention to grounds and the proper cables. Six volts works!
2. If you must improve the electrics, use a 6 volt alternator (keeping the voltage regulator in place for looks).
3. On a ’49, just a “sample” of the current goes through the ammeter, so keep the ammeter as is.
4. Use a better battery (I like the 6v Optima a lot).
5. Add air conditioning if you have to in order to use the car (in which case you would have to convert the car to 12 volts). Otherwise, don’t.
6. Use stainless steel brake lines (to resist internal corrosion) and dual circuit master cylinders for redundant safety. If sticking with a single circuit master, have it sleeved with brass or stainless steel to stop internal corrosion. If you can afford it, have the wheel cylinders sleeved with brass or stainless steel also. Use a remote brake reservoir (you can use parts from a ’54 and later Cadillac) to allow you to check the fluid regularly.
7. Convert your non-functioning clock to a quartz movement.
8. Use an electronic ignition module (e.g., Pertronix) or a dual point distributor plate for better ignition.
9. Keep the exhaust stock, but increase the pipe size slightly to a 2¼ inches diameter for better breathing.
10. Keep the fuel system stock. If vapor lock or engine overheating is a problem, use an electric fuel pump for “go” and keep the mechanical pump just for “show” (remove the rod and route the fuel through the non-working mechanical pump).
11. Avoid adding power steering; but if you must, use a later Cadillac system. Avoid rack and pinion.
12. Use radial tires. If your car doesn’t have power steering, look for radials with a very narrow contact patch (e.g., the Diamondback 700R15) and run the recommended higher inflation air pressure.
13. Keep your stock radio, but have it rebuilt. Rebuilders can add an MP3 input to the radio to play FM and digital music files.
14. Add seat belts, which can be easily done. On 4-door sedans and Series 75 limos, you should add shoulder belts.
15. Install a thicker stabilizer bar up front (like the’49 limos and hearses have) – you will be glad you did and no one will know.
16. Stick with the vacuum wipers if you can. If not, enjoy your electric wipers!

If you follow this advice, you will love using your car and will find that you drive it more and more. Above all, my cardinal rule is that if you feel compelled to change something, please change it in a way that can be undone easily (keep the original parts if you can and make the change a bolt-on operation). In other words, make the change a reversible one! Also, if possible, try to make the change look like it came that way from the factory. For example, if you are replacing the generator with an alternator, don’t use a chrome-plated alternator that will look terribly out of place in a 1949 Cadillac engine bay. Instead, get one that is black or paint it black to fit in with the rest of the engine bay.
In the end, it is your car, not mine, so do what makes you happy. But if you do want to tweak your car some, you will be miles ahead if you learn from my mistakes and triumphs. If you have specific questions about any of this, feel free to contact me

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FOG PARKING LIGHT HOUSING TO FENDER GASKET

When our ‘48s and ‘49s were new there was a gasket between the perimeter of the front of the fog light or parking light assembly and the back of the opening in the fender where it mounts. This was the subject of a lively discussion on the CLC online Forum a couple of months ago. It seems the gaskets frequently become so worn with time that they not only disappear but have been largely lost to our collective memory. A well known Cadillac parts vendor even stated that he was unaware of the gasket. Bill Bickle wrote, “No one beyond a select few chapter members appear to know about this anomaly. Jeff Maltby appears to have a set but he is the only one.”
The Cadillac Master Parts List, the ultimate arbiter, shows that the gasket indeed exists. It’s the “Fog Lamp Opening Rubber Gasket, group number 10.0085, part number 145 4917 for ‘49s and 145 2989 for ‘48s. Prez Joe Cutler writes that “I’ve scraped off melted remnants of said gaskets from original fog light housings during my restorations. The gaskets prevent junk thrown up by the front wheels from ‘seeping’ through the gap between the housings and inside of the fender. I also believe they act as a ‘cushion’ to help eliminate squeaks and other objectionable noises that could otherwise occur.” Since the gaskets are not being reproduced, Joe adds that “What I use, that is inexpensive and effective, is a simple roll of foam weather-strip with one self-adhesive side, such as used around door openings in a home. I buy the largest size possible–I think it’s ¾ x ¾ of an inch (19 mm.). I’ve found it works quite well and no one will see it anyway once the fog light units are re-installed.”

1948 FOG LAMP 1949 FOG LAMP

Editor Art Gardner writes that to make this gasket “I used a flat, rectangular roll of foam rubber that I bought at Home Depot. I think it was about ½ an inch (12 mm.) thick by about ¾ of an inch wide. I may have doubled it on the ends of the housing, but I forget exactly. It worked pretty well. The seal is skinnier in the middle and fatter on the ends. I tried to find the real stuff, but no one makes or sells it. I bought wrong items twice. I also talked to Steele Rubber about it and never could understand why they wouldn’t make it. I guess they are hoping to develop some pent up demand and then make one big batch, so I finally gave up. Steele once told me that to make the seal, they needed an original to use as a pattern, but all of the originals I have seen have been disintegrated garbage and were not usable as a pattern. But Jeff Maltby’s gaskets look good enough to be used as a pattern, so maybe he could lend them one to allow them to make these parts for the first time.” Art reports that Steele supposedly is working on making this item using Jeff’s good set of gaskets as a pattern. Let’s hope so!

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THOSE 6 VOLT BLUES

Scenario: You’ve just pulled into the local Cruise Night with your freshly-polished and detailed pride and joy. She’s “lookin’ good,” and a crowd of admirers quickly assemble to get a closer look and hear all about your gem on wheels. You proudly field onlookers’ questions and, of course, someone wants to “hear her run”. Having already exclaimed that “she purrs like a kitten,” you slide behind the wheel and turn the key, expecting the engine to instantly spring to life. Instead, you’re greeted with a sickening, groaning noise as the engine laboriously turns over and the battery goes flatter than the lens on the Hubbel Space Telescope. The crowd quickly dissipates and walks away shaking their heads, leaving you sitting there quite embarrassed, wondering what happened!
The following may seem elementary, and many of you may already know all about it, but I never cease to be amazed at the number of phone calls I receive from owners of older cars with 6 volt systems who are experiencing similar starting problems and are stymied as to the solution to their woes. American cars and trucks didn’t switch over to 12 Volt systems until the mid-1950’s. Far too many owners of vehicles with the original 6 volt systems who experience starting problems in desperation convert, or attempt to convert, their vehicle to 12 Volts using special batteries or 6/12 Volt “converter” units, some resembling Rube Goldberg inventions, with mixed results, rather than getting to the heart of the problem! My contention is, and always has been, “If they started back then, they should start now!” However, that’s true only if everything related to the starting system is in top condition.
I experienced this problem firsthand when I recently bought a 1949 Cadillac limousine. The previous owner complained that the car would never start once the engine warmed up, so he had some enterprising “mechanic” install a 6/12 Volt “converter” that would supposedly “fix the problem”. I guess it may have worked for awhile – until the owner pulled the car into his garage one day and noticed smoke billowing from the engine compartment. Yep, he had a wiring fire! After emptying a fire extinguisher on the melted mess, he became disgusted with the car and decided to sell it.
Once I got the car home I went to work. I discovered the converter mounted on the inner fender well with a myriad of narrow gauge wires going everywhere, most of which had fused together during the fire. I first eliminated this converter and deposited it where it belonged – in the scrap metal pile. I then cut back and disposed of all non-original wiring and proceeded to solder in new, proper gauge wires. I removed the starter and brought it to a local re-builder, who informed me the armature was junk. I had a few extra parts and a new solenoid, so he was able to put together a starter, which now functioned as it should.
Then I found that someone had installed a light gauge positive battery cable. I had a new one custom-made at R.I. Wiring Service in the heaviest gauge they offered – ONE GAUGE. Finally, I removed the negative ground strap and cleaned it, including all points at which it was connected – starter bolt, frame, and the battery terminal itself. I then cleaned the end of the starter where it bolts to the bell-housing, and the bell-housing itself, and installed the rebuilt starter. I bought a heavy-duty 6 volt battery with a minimum of 650 cold cranking amps and installed it. VOILA! The engine now “whips over” and starts like new, no matter how hot the engine!
In summary, here are some things to check/remedy if you experience hard starting on your 6 Volt vehicle:
1. Condition of the engine itself. The engine must have at least decent compression. Check the condition of electrical components like ignition points, condenser, rotor, distributor cap, spark plug wires, spark plugs, engine timing, condition of the carburetor, and proper carburetor adjustments.
2. Check the condition of the starter motor. Worn brushes, armature or solenoid, and worn end bushings can all cause problems.
3. CLEAN all electrical connections, including battery terminals, battery posts, and all points where battery cables attach to the starter and frame. Don’t forget to clean any rust and/or paint from the starter and the bellhousing where the starter bolts!
4. Buy the heaviest-duty battery available. A minimum of 650 cold cranking amps is recommended.
5. Install the heaviest gauge positive battery cable possible, such as #1 gauge as previously outlined. Be sure to install a cable of the PROPER LENGTH! Too long a cable could result in current/voltage “drop”, which will adversely affect the starting system.
If all of the above is observed, your pride and joy should spring to life upon demand each and every time!

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HORN WIRING

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49 SUCCESS AT CAR SHOWS AND WITH AN 8 VOLT BATTERY

A year or so ago Forty Niner Pete Hoffman and his 6107 moved from snowy upstate New York to sunny Southern California. (See the Sept. ’09 Times for a photo of Pete’s car) In the Golden State he not only drives the ’49 year round, but has had a series of successes which he recounted in a letter to the Times. Pete started off by saying “My ’49 has been doing great out here. It has six Best of Shows and one of them was outstanding. At a show in Orange County there were 425 cars. The ’49 took Best of Show and I was interviewed for Channel 6 News.” Next, echoing the article in the June ’11 Times on 8 volt batteries as a solution to 6 volt starting problems, Pete wrote: “I just changed the ’49 to an 8 volt battery and I am so happy with the results. It really spins the 331. I bought an 8 volt battery tender to keep it fully charged.”

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VACUUM ANTENNA REVISITED

Over the years that I’ve owned my ’49, I’ve agonized over the vacuum antenna not always operating as it should, and finally not operating at all. So, for the nth time I disassembled the unit this year and noticed that one of the original plastic disks had cracked in half where a glued repair had failed.

Maybe it was time to replace those disks; but how and with what? A friend, who can repair antique radios, build furniture, and use power and hand tools to recreate just about anything, came to the rescue. I gave him the original plastic parts and he recreated them in Lucite, drilling the correct holes as well. The original leather or rubber gaskets were not part of this project, but I was able to reinstall them after oiling them well.

Almost voila! The antenna rose when the volume control was pulled, but would not retract when the knob was pushed. Time and our warm Georgia spring came to the rescue and now the antenna goes up and down as it was intended to.

If you want to troubleshoot and rebuild your own antenna, you can order a set of the two disks from my friend for $30 postpaid in the US. E-mail Mark Palmquist at jmpalm@mindspring.com

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IT WORKS FOR ME 8 VOLTS SOLVES THE 6 VOLT STARTING PROBLEMS

After reading the article in the March ’11 Times on 6 volt battery problems, I thought I’d share with everyone how I solved the problem. I put in an 8 volt battery. Everything stays the same. The voltage regulator is re-set to 8.6 volts, which is enough to do the job. All the bulbs are ok and when I tell her to start it sounds just like a 12 volt system. I had the same problem on a 1948 Lincoln V12 which 8 volts fixed. I’m sure there will be much controversy, but it works for me

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IF YOUR DOME LIGHT DOESN’T WORK

don’t lose your cool, but do open your ’49 shop manual to page 201, which shows the “Circuit Diagram” of the electrical system. The dome light is powered by a “hot” (always has current in it) wire, labeled 14RXT, going to it from Terminal 5 of the headlight switch. The wire passes through a large multi-pronged male/female connection under the dash that connects to most wires going to the back of the car. In a ’49, this large plug is held to the inner firewall (under the dash) by a clip at the upper left of the inner firewall (directly in back of the hand brake mechanism). From the connecting plug, the dome light wire runs up the driver’s door post and under the headliner to the light, which is not grounded, and then to the dome light switch. When you turn on the dome light switch it grounds itself, completing the circuit and the dome light goes on.

The dome light circuit can be checked by removing the 2 screws holding on the dome light switch and its chrome bezel. Then, pull the switch with its male connection off the wire behind it which has a female connection plug. Then, attach a test light’s alligator connection to any metal ground point and poke the needle end of the test light into the female connection on the wire. The test light should illuminate; if not, that means current isn’t getting to that point and the dome light won’t work. This could be due to a problem with the large connecting plug under the dash, or the wire is broken somewhere along its length or it has become disconnected from the headlight switch.

Note that the front door opening switches do NOT operated the dome light switch on any 2 or 4-door ’49 Cadillac. An exception is that the front door switches will operate the “corner lamps” at the corner of the rear of the roof and the body on a Coupe De Ville. On the other hand, the rear doors on a 4-door sedan will operate the dome light switch

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IF YOU HAVE 6 VOLT STARTING PROBLEMS

When I first got my ’49, after running for a while on hot days, if I turned off the engine for 15-30 minutes it would frequently refuse to re-start. The starter would turn ever so slowly and the only way I could get the car going again would be to jump start it or let it to cool off. This is a common problem with 6 volt cars and, of course, always happens when admiring onlookers are standing around. I took the advice of the proprietor of an auto electric and improved my 6 volt system. This involved:

1. Installing a 6 volt battery with at least 600 cold cranking amps, which are readily available. 6 volt lead-acid batteries are sold by several manufacturers for less than $100, though authentic looking Delco batteries are more expensive. Mine is an “Optima”, which are now available at www.amazon.com for about $125. Optimas use a different technology than lead-acid batteries and have more than 800 cold cranking amps. An Optima’s downside is that it is much smaller in size than an ordinary 6 volt battery, so I had to fabricate a rectangular piece of plywood to go over its top and hold it down in the car’s battery box;

2. Having my starter re-built by an auto electric shop with heavy duty field coils and, to assure a good ground, removing all paint from the areas where the starter, its bolts and the flywheel housing meet;

3. Installing a custom-made extra-thick positive battery cable made up from 600 volt welding cable. Similar thick cables can be bought ready-made from McVey’s, The Brillman Company and Cole’s Ignition and Electric, Rochester NY;

4. Installing a brand new negative battery cable, after scraping clean the negative battery post, as well as the place on the frame and the starter bolt it is attached to. These can be bought from McVey’s and, I think, from Cole’s;

5. Making sure that the small ground straps from the back of the cylinder heads to bolts on the nearby firewall are in good shape. If not, new ones can be bought from McVey’s in Kansas and, I think, from Cole’s. As with the starter, scrape any paint off the cylinder head and firewall where these small straps mount.

After doing the above, when I press its button the starter jumps to attention and says “yes sir”, while onlookers, if any, applaud

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CHECK YOUR HORN RELAY IF THE HORN DOESN’T BLOW

The horn relay is the small black box with 3 wires connected to it on the upper driver’s side of the ’49 firewall. They are inexpensive and easily obtained, as the same horn relay was used on 1934-52 Cadillacs and probably other GM cars as well. You can merely replace it and see if this corrects the problem. If you prefer testing it first, have an assistant press your horn button. Assuming the horn does not blow, connect a jumper wire from the center terminal of the relay to the left hand terminal; that is, the terminal closest to the center of the car. If the horn then blows, the problem may be with the relay.

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