The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Show us your ''TRICKS'' Blinker Mod.

I'll start off with a set of rear 'in tube' blinker mods you can make for about 20bucks. This is for truck systems using 12vdc power. It's probably best if after you click on the first pic then find the ARROWS and go thru all the associated photos that show everything I have about my 'Blinker Mod’.

You could lOOK thru my whole photo bucket ... [link by my name] ... (or start from any one of these photos) ... if you never have; to see lots of ‘added’ tricks I did to our old Carolines truck.

Some day I'll have to write these things up as tech improvements. I have MANY of these type mods on many different areas of our truck.

http://s67.photobucket.com/user/1951otter/media/2A-1.jpg.html?sort=6&o=154

http://s67.photobucket.com/user/1951otter/media/587685-R1-016-6A.jpg.html?sort=6&o=318

http://s67.photobucket.com/user/1951otter/media/587685-R1-024-10A.jpg.html?sort=6&o=314

http://s67.photobucket.com/user/1951otter/media/587685-R1-016-6A.jpg.html?sort=6&o=318

http://s67.photobucket.com/user/1951otter/media/587685-R1-010-3A.jpg.html?sort=6&o=320

I got the materials together and started on my project of placing a blinker inside the bed roll tube, you know that open space we all have that should be used for a practical purpose.

My basic list was:
2 feet of 1/8’’ or 13/16’’ Heat shrink tubing.
1 or 2 Side marker lights, the lens will be needed.
6’’ electrical or Sprinkler PVC tubing 1’’
1 Hot glue gun.
Tube of RTV silicone.
A set/pr of 4 LED light used in dash board instrument panels.
2 ea. Socket for these.
these were about $16.00 at any FLAPS.
1 soldering iron.
Solder.
Flux paste rosin.
4-10 feet [depending on your set-up of rear lights] of stranded paired wire. I used what I had round the shop. Appliance wire works, 18-22ga, remember it’s just an LED that needs the power.

The side marker lens was carefully cut in half. A sander was used to make the lens round to the size of the PVC tubing. Solder the wire onto the to lugs of the socket. Remember that LEDs have a cathode and an anode which means a positive and negative side. They must be wired properly in order for them to light up. Heat shrink the wire to help protect it while it comes out of the roll tube and down the bed pocket to the under carriage and wire harness. I cut the pvc about 1 -1/2’’ long. Place the LED light into the socket before the next step. Hot glue the light inside the PVC so it is centered at the end. Do NOT glue the LED light, only the socket in place. Glue sticks are cheap. I left an air gap, so this means don’t completely fill the wire side of the PVC w/ glue this allows some air exchange. LED’s per say don’t get hot.

Next hot glue the round lens onto the end of the PVC tube. Let everything cool before handling it. You will notice that the 1’’ o.d. PVC is too small for the roll-tube. This is where you apply 3 lines of the RTV silicone to the clean sides of the PVC. Build it up to what your tube needs so it will say put inside the tube.

Fish the wires thru the roll tube and out the space where the tube isn’t closed. Push the finished blinker inside the tube so it is just inside the end flush. Should you ever need to get it back out you can use a hooked stiff wire and slip it thru and simply pull the PVC back out. Next fish the wire down the bed stake pocket to the area under your truck and find the blinker wires on your truck. You can wire as needed being careful about the LED polarity of the two wires.

Test and now you have what almost every old truck guy will ask you

‘’How’d you do that’’ ? that's pretty cool

Enjoy your ride and go drive that thing would ya.

As cool as those lights are I still stuff the tailgate hooks in there when I let the tailgate down...Keeps them out of the way and lets me use one hand on the tailgate so it won;t drop all the way down. But they do look good. Nice route through the stake pocket by the way.