The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Kill Switch - Where to put it

Has anyone got suggestions for good kill switch location?
It seems these trucks are pretty easy to hot wire especially if you are keeping things original. I came up with a few good ideas, but would love to hear what others think.

I have been thinking about using a fuel solenoid switch to cutoff fuel from the tank. I would like ignition switch that cuts power when you turn the engine off and requires you to switch it back on to start back up. That way when I come down with Alzheimer’s and forget about the kill switch it will engage automatically.

They are so easy to hot wire... When I do, so I can start and run the engine from under the hood for a tune up. I just jump form the battery cable on the starter to the switch side of the coil, using a wire with clips on each end. Then I can reach down and pull the starter linkage and start it.

If that is how your would be thief is going to hot wire it then a second ignition kill switch won't do any good.

Another easy way to hot wire one is take a short bare wire, and wrap it around all three post on the back of the ignition switch, then you get the accessories to work too.

If I wanted a kill switch I would use a battery switch, and kill all the power at once. I think they make some that take a key to operate. a good place for one of those could be the front of the seat riser, with the switch under the seat. Should probably make a small box to cover the back side and prevent an accidental short with a tool floating around under the seat, and also to make it more difficult to bypass.

In reality if someone wants your truck they will take it, AD trucks are so simple, and if they don't manage to take it on the first attempt they should learn what they need to bring for a successful second attempt.

Another idea is to take the rotor button with you.

I always left the key in my 52 one ton at home and around town, if someone wanted to go for a ride I suppose they could, can't get far at 45 mph, and an unmistakable truck. Most people can't even figure out the foot starter.

Another idea is a timed relay, and leave the key in the ignition so they don't try to hot wire it. Have a hidden switch probably behind the dash to bypass the system. If the switch is not on then the truck will start and run for about 10 seconds, then cut off for 30 seconds or so, and repeat. That may give any thief enough hope that it will run and keep them cranking the starter trying, wasting time and juice, and not actually looking for the problem, or hot wiring it?

Grigg

I'm moving this to Electrical Bay. Do a search there. There was a long thread last year with several good ideas in it.

i have a battery disconnect switch that i plan on mounting on the front of the seat riser on the passanger side.not only as a theft deterrent but as a saftey feature also.....dave

All the hot-wiring methods won't work, if the points are grounded out. Just attach a piece of wire to the distributor primary terminal, or the distributor side of the coil, and run it to a hidden toggle switch inside the cab. Attach the other toggle switch wire to ground. When the switch is "on" (grounded) it's like trying to start the engine with the points closed all the time. No can do! It might not stop a determined thief with a good understanding of ignition systems, but it will certainly slow him down long enough to get the old 12 gauge loaded!
Jerry

Since I rewired it with a new Painless setup I just gotta pull the "coil" fuse and it ain't goin' no where.

Just for fun......how about a quick disconnect of the shifter. No gears, no tears.

Since mine has an HEI dizzy it's pretty easy to set up a kill switch. I rigged up a relay that provides power to the dizzy and I put a switch in the ground side of the relay circuit. I then put the switch in an out of the way place. With no ground the relay doesn't trip and no juice goes to the dizzy, so no starting. Unless they start stripping wires and re-plumbing the truck I don't see how they can get it to start...unless they find the switch.

The best hidden switch that I've seen was sitting in the driver's seat the whole time. Working a Jiffy Lube years ago, I couldn't start a customer's truck. He came out to his truck, and told me to touch a specific screw on the dash while turning the ignition. It started. I was the switch! The screw was insulated from ground. By touching it with one hand and any metal with the other, I provided ground for a lower current circuit which tripped a relay in his ignition system. You could get the parts at radio shack.

David

Being a driver of a street rod and going on several trips each year that require overnight lodging, this subject is brought up often in bench racing sessions. None of the above solutions work when the thieves don't even start the car to steal it. Their trick is to break into it, roll it out of it's parking spot, around a corner where they have parked an enclosed trailer. Push it into the trailer and it's gone. My idea is to design and build a brake line lock. If it can't move, they can't steal it. My search for an off the shelf line lock like you would see on a drag car or tow truck have been unsuccessful as they are unsuitable for this application. So please, if someone has already figured this type of anti-thief device out, jump in here and let us know how you did it. Thanks

I have a large disc on my transmission output shaft for a parking brake, with a manual caliper and a lever.

A friend of mine has the same setup, except he has spring set air release brake chamber to operate it. With the flip of a switch it locks the driveshaft solid. If he were to drain his air tanks a thief would have to start the truck and wait for the tanks to fill and find the air switch for the brake. Or bring their own air tank and figure out how to release the brake chamber. Or cut/remove the driveshaft, or remove an axle shaft. Or lift the back end up with a wrecker and tow it away.

I may eventually use an air disc brake setup from a medium duty truck on mine..

Another theft deterrent is weight, try pushing an 8,000 lb truck around.

I still think that if someone really wants your truck you can't do much to stop them, you can have fun trying to outsmart them though.

Grigg

I wouldn't mess with the brake lines. If they want it bad enough they are going to get it any way they can. You could always get one of those boots the police put over one wheel before they tow it. As for my truck - I'd like to see how many guys it would take to "roll" it away.

Among other "secrets", I have one of those club things that attaches from the clutch to the steering wheel. Any amount of fiddling will cause the horn to sound.