The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Guide, but not a hunting guide.

I couldn’t sleep this morning so I thought I would look up a little history of the Guide
electrical components on the internet. I’m looking specifically for any information on the
Guide directional system components.

Been searching for a good while now and taint coming up with anything but hits for
hiking guides, service guides, parts guides, Idiot’s guides, hunting guides but nothing for
the actual Guide branded electrical items.
Been posting the following in it’s various forms to Google: “vintage gm Guide electrical
components.”
Any ideas????

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny;
Here's some Guide stuff I found this AM. I couldn't sleep either.

SimS

Guide History & Product links
Guide Codes
Guide Charts
Pictures

Thanks Sim, not exactly what I'm looking for though.
This is the part that I'd like to find a bit more on so I cn do a restoration on it.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/140756135

DG

Denny,
Does this help?
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/turn_signal.htm

and from the HAMB:
the guide 6004 diagram can be found in the 49-52 chevy acc manual -as they were an ad on from the dealer

Here's a photo of one:
guide 6004

>> Denny -
You may get some info by doing a Google patent search for your 6004, eg "Patent 2886743" to find info about the last pat date for my Signal Stat 900.

fonz8261 may have some info about your 6004

By the way - the 1954 Accessories Installation Manual shows the "proper" wire routing for the dealer installed steering hub turn signals. The same routing can be used for earlier models with after market bolt-on turn signals.

>> SimS
Thanks for the link to the Guide codes and charts. I've book marked it.
Not to highjack Denny's thread. Interesting info on '54 tail light in the Guide code info:

According to the chart, the Guide code for my '54 tail light lens should be "GUIDE RT1-54"(Rear Truck Chevrolet 1954) Instead it is "GUIDE RT-8" Then I found a pic and code of the Harley-Davidson 1955-59 Hummer tail light "GUIDE RT-8" Same shape as the '54-'55 1st Chev truck tail light.
(Denny's original '54 tail light)

I haven’t got it up on the bench yet Wayne, and no, I haven’t read what Charlie posted to
the tech section. I’ll print it out and put it with the switch for when I get to it. Looks to be
to much for me to swallow right now. And yes, that is the switch in one of the pictures
that you‘ve link us to.

Gave up on the patent search Lonnie, 30 min. was enough chasing around. But, the link to
the thread were fonz8261 mentioned the ‘51 accessory installation manual struck home,
so I dug mine out and it does show all I need to know.

This was the switch for the passenger car I don’t know if it was the one the was used on
the trucks but it looks like it will work on the truck steering wheel so I’m gonna use it.
It is a seven wire unit just like the Signal Stat unit only this is a genuine GM accessory so
it should be correct if nothing else, it will be period correct.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,

I have posted 11 pictures of the assembly you have (NOS) to my pictures it may help with your restoration.

They start here:
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2383490740102454676JZvNqu

Brad,

Very nice, thank you. Is that the GM accessory, self-canceling turn-signal switch/assembly that you and Denny are showing photos of?

Yes Tim that is the one.

Sorry I dint get back to ya sooner but life got in the way today.
Great pix Brad, thanks a bunch for posting those. First time I saw the conduct for the
cable. Seems like when I dig back in the memory I do recall seeing the conduct on the
side of the steering column.
I'm pretty sure this was actually an accessory for the passenger cars only. It does look like
it will work on the AD trucks and I think it would be as period correct as the Signal Stat
unit.
Yes Tim, it is the self-canceling unit. The rubber wheel is in contact with the back of the
steering wheel and that's what drives the canceling mechanism.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/140859232/large

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I have a few illustrations of self-canceling GM accessory units for trucks.

http://www.1954advance-design.com/Web%20images/1953%20Access%20Signals019.jpg

http://www.1954advance-design.com/Web%20images/1951%20Access%20Signals018.jpg

Nothing is simple, is it!!

In the 1951 Chevrolet Accessories Installation Manual there isn’t a single really clear
view of the 986360 switch. The only clear illustration shows how the flasher is mounted
and it only show a small portion of the switch housing. It appears that the flasher is
mounted inside this switch and the section of the switch doesn’t look at all like the one
pictured in your 1951 Truck Data Book. Also in several of the sketches the switch
appears to be mounted at 12 o’clock on the steering column and it looks like you should
reach thru the steering wheel to turn the switch on and off, I have to assume that it is not self canceling.

The 1952 Chevrolet Accessories Installation Manual clearly shows the self canceling
Guide unit. They list two part numbers for the accessory, 986551 and 986636 and it isn’t
clear what the difference is. My guess is that one is for the light duty trucks and the other
is for the heavy trucks. The casting is very similar to the Guide 6004 used on the
passenger car. The difference being in the way they are mounted to the mast jacket. One
clamped with a strap and the other with the clamp cast into the housing. Also the wires
for the truck are exposed and not enclosed in a loom cover like they are in the passenger
car. It is a self canceling unit also.

The 1953 manual shows the exact same installation that the ‘52 manual shows.

1954 of course was the first year it was actually offered as a built in unit.

So in the end, as I mentioned earlier, I think the unit for the car will work on the truck and
look period correct.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny

I'll see if I can find the switch diagram in the patent illustrations. Post the patent numbers.

Got a lot of stuff together for the folder Lonnie, but I would
like to have anything from the patents. I never seem to have
any luck finding the patents.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/140879302/original
Thanks,
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny -

You have probably already found this info ...

George W. Bruderick was the inventor listed for the two patents.

Pat #2122508 Application 7/26/1933; Patented 7/5/1938
#2122508 drawings. Description follows drawings.

Pat #2207114 Application 11/7/1938; Patented 7/9/1940
#2207114 drawings. Description follows drawings.

A .pdf of each patent can be downloaded from the links.

Seems strange that there were not any later patent numbers and dates on your turn signal switch.

FYI - Jesse R. Hollins referenced the patents when he patented his Signal-Stat signal switches.

I have a Guide 6004 on my truck, mounted with a hose clamp, not a cast bracket. I will count the wires for you, but it's not a 7 wire unit, I know that much, I think it's a five wire, left, right, hot, flasher, indicator lamp. Perhaps that's what is called a four wire?

It is self cancelling, and works awesome, I feel like I'm driving a Rolls when it clicks off as I go around the corner! Pretty fancy for the old bus.

I looked thru your album Chris, all 460 pages,,, and only saw two pictures that showed
part of the turn switch. It looked like a Signal-Stat unit, have you replaced it with a Guide
6004??? Looks like you really put the 50, wonton to work. Cool T coupe, is that yours?

Lonnie, thanks a bunch for finding that for me. No, I didn't find it on my own, as I said I
just get so dang frustrated when ever I try to find patents. Seems like they always lead me
down the wrong path. I downloaded & printed out those patents to my Directional Signal
folder for future reference. Yes it is strange that there aren't any newer patents on the unit.
The Guide 6004 really doesn't look much like the patent drawings. I would have thought
that they'd have re-applied after making any changes but I don‘t think they ever owned the
patent rights. I suppose the shape isn't what the patent was applied for. The mechanics of
the device. are what they are really concerned about. Signal-Stat and Guide probably paid
royalties to Bell and Bruderick during the run of those models. Be interesting to see what
patents were on the built-in units from ‘54 up. I’ll bet GM’s engineers came up with their
own patented designs once they got past the bolt on devices.

Since we’re on the subject, I ran across some interesting stuff about Guide.
The History of the Guide Lamp division of General Motors:
http://charlesbullock.net/Guide/Index.html

Here is a Apr. 20, 1954 Guide product catalog:
http://charlesbullock.net/Guide/GuideCatalog04201954.pdf
Wish I could find some earlier catalogs.

Oh those little details.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,

Five more NOS pictures for you this time in a different color:

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2475335520102454676LqrGJn

Got them Brad, thanks a lot. I'm compiling quite a file on these. And to think, it was just
an old throw away a few weeks ago. I just love saving this old stuff and putting it back to
work again.
Just incase anyone is interested, the 986402 was a 1950 passenger car accessory only and
the 986679 was a 1952 passenger car accessory only.

Have been wondering for years now, WHERE IN THE WORLD DO U FIND ALL OF THIS NOS STUFF????????

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

The miracles of eBay I have some very specific queries I have developed that help me find the rare NOS stuff.

Well it certainly works, I've never seen a better collection of accessories. I appreciate your
sharing the pictures of them with us all. There are a lot of guys over at VCCA that have
stuff like that but you need to be an insider most of the time to see any of it. That's the
wonder of this sort of an open forum vs a private club.

Thanks again,
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Oops. I didn't have the watched topic thing selected.

Denny, the guide 6004 I have now, is on my Panel Truck, its not pictured in those pictures, as it was laying in a dusty corner of my shed when I had the One Ton. The crappy chrome switch I had on the One ton, was crappy! It was the seven wire one the vendors sell.

The '26 T Coupe was mine. I sold it this fall, so I could get the '26 TT which is a One Ton Model T! Hussah! Earlier, I thought the TT was a '27, but have since found a 1926 serial number on the frame. I'm going through with drawl right now with no T to drive. I found that I liked to go slow (T's aren't fast), so I figured I should go even slower. The TT has a double under drive. When I'm done the TT, I'll have a different gear for everyday of the month!

I can't believe you looked through all my nerdy pictures!

I better go back out and put the valves back in my head.