any body having a problem with the wireing in your 1st generation. In mine the head lights and tail lights and in cab lights flicker and dim. The clock on the radio doesn't show and the radio station numbers don't show but every now and then they will come on.

 

The headlight switch is a weak spot on these trucks. I replaced it with two toggle switches while still using the circuit breaker and dash light reostat in the old switch.

What usually happens is the rivets get a little loose and start arcing and heating the terminals. Also the spade type connectors loosen up with age and the high current causes the whole thing to heat up and arc spark and smoke.

Edwin

 

1st. Gen. Electrical problems.
I have only had a few problems with the electrical system on my truck. I have fixed them only to make them more durable and some I have made to make it the way it should have been done.
Problem:
#1, I had a bad connection in the ignition switch in the steering colum, I found that the electrical requirements (key ON) on the entire truck go through the ignition switch and these wires to begin with are not heavy enough in gauge in addition to the constant flexing when you tilt the wheel. The switch and wiring got HOT and melted the plastic trim on the bottom of the switch. [To fix this], I replaced the ignition switch with a new one and then I traced back the switched wire that goes to the fuse panel and cut it off. I took the switched power lead and used it to trigger a 50 amp Bosch relay fusing the lead and then running a #6 gauge wire from the battery fusing at the battery and fed the relay. Then the output from the relay now feeds the fuse panel. NOW the only current going through the ignition switch is milliampres insread of lot's of AMPS. The heater/ AC blower motor is one of the heavy consumers of power.

#2, Burned out headlight switch after I installed "Silver Star" headlights but they were not really bright even when I had regular halogens. [FIX] once again I made up a module consisting of 4, 30amp Bosch relays one for each headlight. I wired them feeding the input from the battery #8 gauge wire and fuse. The wire that would normally go to the back of the headlight now triggers the relay and I made up new headlight socket pigtails with #12 gauge wire so now the headlamps get FULL current and voltage from the battery instead of going through the harness, through the light switch and then to the battery. Now these are really bright.
Because of #3 below, I ran the battery wire through a 90 amp diode with a heavy heatsink to lower the voltage by 1.2 volts to protect the lamps from overvoltage.

#3, the alternator could never keep up with the demands I put on it ,I have 3 isolated chassis batteries plus 1, 8-D deep cycle house battery in the bed to power my 3000 watt sinewave inverter. so I took off the little 120 amp ND and then I installed a Leece Neville 555HD OTR alternator, while it is only rated at 130 amps. it will do this continously and will put out 85 amps at IDLE.
Check out my gallery for this mod.

#4, I cut the wire that go to the ICC marker lights, tail lights, fender mounted lights and rerouted these through a 30 amp Bosch relay using the N.C. contacts, then I used a +12 feed to the relay and then a spring return N.O. switch to ground the relay coil. I mounted the switch on the left side by the pillar so now I have a "ICC FLASH" switch and I can flash all of my lights by toggling one switch.

#5, Beacause I sometimes have to leave my markers on all night at times, I replaced all of my bed and fender lights with Truck-Lite LED units. This cut down on the battery drain quite a bit. I am still trying to find a good replacement for the cab lights. I am looking for a good SMD unit.

#6, I have installed a isolated 3 battery system using a SurePower combiner, I can jump start the truck anytime by simply pushing a button. Saved me a few times at 4:00 A.M. when I ran the battery down.

#7, The A.C. compressor clutch draws power through the cycling switch mounted on the firewall, This failed last summer while going on a road trip. So I installed a relay off of the blower motor switch with a steering diode to cycle the compressor now. The only bad part of this mod, is you have to control the temp manually or you will FREEZE your hiney out of the cab. It gets COLD.

#8, I installed a set of 100 watt backup lights under the back of my truck. I then wired it through a relay to the backup light wire and supplied it off my rear battery. Also have a switch in the cab so I can turn them on whenever I want. This in nice when you are connecting a trailer or pulling your spare tire.

I have lots of other lighting devices in the truck such as unity post mounted spotlight with a TRUE 1,000,000 CP Collins head. (These are the ones that are on fire trucks and squads. I have red cockpit lights in the cab from a heilo. makes it easy to read maps at night.

Sorry, I think I forgot what the question was.. something about wiring?

Jim.

 

Headlight switch is a must. Also, go under the hood and clean every connection you can find whether it looks bad or not (especially the wires to the pump and grid heaters). The mixed metals don't get along and will coat or corrode. Clean the battery ground where it connects to the truck too.