The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 54 3100 pickup on 77 frame - wiring problem

I am baffled and know there's a simple answer. I have a '54 3100 5 window cab and bed mounted on a 77 frame and drivetrain. I am in the process of using the old '77 wiring harness and wires (I might have made a mistake doing that) and have encountered a problem that I can't solve. I have the majority of the wires already assigned and connected. However, when I connect directly to the battery I get nothing! If I connect to the red wire on the junction box (the one that connects directly to the main post on the alternator, everything works! So where's my problem? I have the battery cable attached directly to the starter and a purple wire on the S terminal of the solenoid. The other battery cable is attached to the frame. The purple wire goes directly into the junction box in the firewall. The ignition switch has 4 posts, Bat - St - Ign - ACC - to the Bat I have 2 Red wires, to the Ign - I have 1 orange and 1 pink wire, to the St I have a Purple/White wire and to the ACC I have a dark Brown wire. All those wires lead to the harness and the fusebox except for the purple wires which lead to a double female connector - it appears that this connector should be hooked to the lower end of the steering column that has an double male end that will accept this female end. Still with that connected nothing. Any ideas?

alexander51, i can't help you with you wiring problem but i have a 54 and i have a 74 that i could use as a donor. what types of changes did you have to make to get the 54 on the 77 frame? Please email me when you get time. [email protected]

Alexander51,

From what I read in your post, you are basically wiring a '77 that just happens to have a '54 cab on it. I think your best bet would be a schematic for the '77 truck. Wire colors will only be relevant if you have a schematic.

You will have to transition from the new system to the old at some point. This doesn't mean old wires, but dash gauges, headlight switch, sending units etc.

Be sure you use adequate wire gauge to match the device. Utilize the new fuse block to protect all your circuits. Get a wiring diagram and good luck.


Stuart

You're right - that's what I'm basically doing. I'm also pretty sure I have a single wire somewhere either not hooked up or hooked up wrong. It has to be that easy. At this point I'm thinking of buying a new fuse block and wiring harness and starting from scratch. I do think first I'll try finding a better wiring diagram than I currently have. I was hoping that someone had a quick idea of what I did wrong as I'm pretty convinced it's something simple since all seems to work except when I connect the battery to the cables but thanks for the good luck wish!

You need to also have a wire from the Pos. post on the battery to go to the juntion box. Did the 77 Pos. post have the big cable to the starter and a smaller wire? That little wire is a fusable link wire. It gives power to the Juction box, and everything else including the alt. post. So you had it figured out. Just was not wired where all the wire are tucked in hidden from view. Please use that fusable link though it is the electrical overload protection for the truck.

You need a hot wire to the Junction block. It comes from the terminal on the starter that the battery cable hooks to. The purple wire is for the starter. It is energized when the switch is in start position.