The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay The 41 has only 1 tail lamp but turn signals have been added

Someone added turn indicators to the truck and installed 2 extra lamps to make it work. I am going to remove the added lamps install a rt. tail lamp like the lt. one and install a 3 to 2 trailer wiring adaptor. (normaly used on a vehicle with separate turn and brake lamps.) Do any of you see a problem with this?

wiring diag

Toyvo,

Great wiring diagram, and a interesting way to 'sketch' things for fellow Bolters!

What is the trailer adapter for. Doesn't the turn signal switch have accommodations for the wire coming off the brake light switch! I probably don't understand all I know about this.

Stuart

Toyvo,

The aftermarket turn signal kit that JC's and others sell has a little metal bracket for adding a second bulb to the inside of the turn signal assembly. I bought and installed that kit. There are now three filaments in each tail light.

It does not work too bad. I have since upgraded to an aftermarket turn signal switch..the one with 8 or 10 wires that runs the brake light power through the signal switch. I am in the process of finishing the wiring so I am not sure how old system VS new will work...

I also added a right side light when I did the upgrade and added turn signals two years ago. The new wiring harness only has a brake and running light wire to the rear of the truck. That is the part I am not sure how to wire up...

Maybe someone will chime in and tell me how it all will go together in the end, but for now, I am leaving the two bulb system in place as a Just in Case...

Yes the trailer adaptor is for wiring up trailer lamps on vehicles that have seperate brake and turn bulbs. It combines those for trailers that only have 1 bulb for brake and turn. It will allow for the brake lamps and turn signals on the same bulb. In other words when you stop and have the turn signal on one will flash the other will lite.

What turn signal switch are you using?

Most turn signal switches have provision for brake lights sharing a filament with the turn signal. If you have that ability it makes more sense to me to use it.

I have part of an old outdoor heavy duty extension cord running to the back of the binder... one wire for the left light, one for the right light and the other is for the tail lights... ground goes separatly to the frame.

OLD SUB, The switch on this one only opperates the turn indicators,(it appears to be installed back when the truck was young), It came with extra lamps so intergrating the stop lamp was not an option. I wish to keep the old switch but also want a rt. hand brake lamp,(I am told that the second tail lamp was also a dealer installed option.) I have purchased the rt. side lamp, bracket and the adaptor. Doing it this way seems to be the best way with fewer modifications.

Rusty Rod The 1941 only had 1 tail lamp. Inside that lamp are 2 single element bulbs. One for stop and one for tail lamp. I haven't found an adaptor to change the bulb sockets over to dual element bulbs. I would like that better but they just done exhist for that bulb sockett. I have used you idea on many a trailer for wiring lights up, it makes a very clean install. Wish it were that simple. So if I add the second tail lamp and hook up the wires (without the adaptor) the brake lamps and turn signals will cause a feed back. Only the brake lamps will work when stopping while the turn signals are on.

46 I saw that sockett but had already purchased the wiring adaptor. I really think the wiring adaptor will be simpler to install. All the adaptor does is add some diodes to the turn signal system and allow for the brake lamp and turn lamp to use the same bulb element.

Since all diodes do is restrict current to flowing in a single direction, I'm having trouble seeing a way to use that that would allow connecting the brakes to both sides, but allow one side to flash when turn signals are in use and the brakes are applied.

It would allow the signals to work correctly when the brakes are not on, but otherwise the brake would turn on both lamps.

Either there is more to it than a couple diodes or its a less than ideal solution.

If your truck has been converted to 12V, there is no problem. I temporarily used such a setup myself. If you still run 6V it's probably not going to work. There is some voltage drop across the converter and it will likely not leave enough for the bulbs.

OLD SUB, This adaptor is sealed but ill venture to say that it has 3 to 5 diodes inside.
The device is used for exactly this application and works well for it. The differance is that it is used on oh lets say a toyota truck with turn signals and stop lamps that are on seperate bulbs. You hook it to the truck wiring before your trailer wiring and it allows the trailer to have both stop and turn signals on the same bulb.
Its really pretty cool.
Polarcat, I do have a 12 v system.

I suspect the device has more than diodes in it. The diode is a one-way device. It doesn't switch anything and its behavior doesn't change.

I'm curious how it does work, but I understand that you want to use it, not explain how it works.

I really wish I knew how it worked, but many years ago 1973 I worked at a datsun dealer and one of the mechanics there used diodes to make the same type of devise. I bet he wished he had got a patton for it.
I understand what you are saying about diodes, that are simply one way valves for electricity.
As I remember he used 3 or was it 5. anyway he just used diodes. That is why I assumed it had diodes. Could be it also has dilithium crystals, you know the stuff that powered the starship enterprise. lol

Toyvo,

Have you finished your wiring deal yet? Did you install the adapter, and how does it work.

I did some mini-research on these things. It's a tad ambiguous, because they all seem to have a common name, but some do a completely different task.

The interesting one I saw was designed to work in your application (I think). It had circuitry that powered a single filament lamp with reduced voltage for taillights, then kicked it up when the brakes were applied, giving a much brighter light...faux dual filament!

Stuart

Thats cool stu. No I havent done it yet I have all the parts but still need to remove the bed and do the paint work there. I'll put in the wiring when I complete the body stuff. I just didn't have anything else to post. lol
But you know I really expected to here from more people on this, I thought it had probably been done by a few more people. I mean it has to work there is no reason it wont and its inexpensive to do.

atomark, what do you do for a living? You seem well versed in automotive repair, and you seem to like new stuff thrown at you. You take it on as a challange and go to the trouble to look it up when you are not sure.