Electrical....Ugh

[RustyCJ]

so I'm messin around with the truck today. Got the front end all put back together (Just needs aligned now) Started workin on the taillights and turn signals that ended up turning into a bigger mess than originally thought. Fixed a frame to body ground strap, reconnected the wiring to the brake switch. Got out of the truck and got shocked every time I touched the door as I was checking with a test light under the hood, test light connected to the neg battery post the solenoid and the voltage regulator were lighting up the test light when the outside's(cases) were touched? Also the bolts on the radiator and core support, grill surround. I'm assuming that the truck needs to be grounded better, any other opinions?

 

[Truckin4life]

Did you have the issue before you fixed the frame to body ground strap

 

[RustyCJ]

Did you have the issue before you fixed the frame to body ground strap

I took it off and it made no difference.
The whole front end seems to have a positive charge.

 

[73F100Shortbed]

Sounds like a good anti-theft system if you can put a switch to turn it off. Then crank up the voltage when the truck is parked.

 

[Truckin4life]

Starter cable pinched or shorting some where. Are the ground straps on the rest of the truck in place?

 

[DNFXDLI]

so I'm messin around with the truck today. Got the front end all put back together (Just needs aligned now) Started workin on the taillights and turn signals that ended up turning into a bigger mess than originally thought. Fixed a frame to body ground strap, reconnected the wiring to the brake switch. Got out of the truck and got shocked every time I touched the door as I was checking with a test light under the hood, test light connected to the neg battery post the solenoid and the voltage regulator were lighting up the test light when the outside's(cases) were touched? Also the bolts on the radiator and core support, grill surround. I'm assuming that the truck needs to be grounded better, any other opinions?

You're saying that with the test light connected to the neg post, it's lighting up while you touch those bolts etc?...I just want to make sure I'm understanding what you are saying.

 

[RustyCJ]

You're saying that with the test light connected to the neg post, it's lighting up while you touch those bolts etc?...I just want to make sure I'm understanding what you are saying.

Neg post, core support, rad, bolts etc.. lights up.
Seems the whole front of my truck is a positive charge.

 

[DNFXDLI]

If that's the case....then there are a couple of things that are happening....obviously there is a positive wire touching somewhere...but then there is also going to have to be a missing ground otherwise there would be a direct short going on...I'm kind of thinking out loud.
This is gonna sound silly...but have you taken both battery cables off and taken a voltmeter across the terminals?....and when you did, did the meter show deflection with the positive meter lead on the positive battery post?

 

[DNFXDLI]

What this sounds like is an open ground.....when you put the test light from the various places to the battery, you are completing the circuit. Is there a second ground that goes from the neg battery terminal to the inner fender?

 

[RustyCJ]

What this sounds like is an open ground.....when you put the test light from the various places to the battery, you are completing the circuit. Is there a second ground that goes from the neg battery terminal to the inner fender?

No there is not.
Was paging through my manuals looking for something on ground straps as in how many and what locations but found nothing.

 

[DNFXDLI]

Perhaps try taking another ground 10 or 8 gauge and run it from the battery neg terminal to the inner fender.
The ground straps I've noticed on my 79 are located from the firewall to the hood and from the front cab supports to the cab.

 

[RustyCJ]

Was thinking, shouldn't there be a ground from the motor to the frame in the area of the motor mounts? Was not able to see any from the top, I'll crawl under the truck to get a better look in a little while.

 

[Truckin4life]

should also be one from motor to body....
as well as motor to frame.

 

[DNFXDLI]

Was thinking, shouldn't there be a ground from the motor to the frame in the area of the motor mounts? Was not able to see any from the top, I'll crawl under the truck to get a better look in a little while.

should also be one from motor to body....
as well as motor to frame.

Normally there is the large cable that goes to the engine block for the starter motor return and that smaller one I was referring to that goed to the inner fender covers those ones you are talking about.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

http://shop.oreillyauto.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=MGI&MfrPartNumber=5898&CategoryCode=3389B



Butthead in AZ

 

[RustyCJ]

Ok I ran a ground from the battery to the front of the inner fender just below the battery. Along with disconnecting a switch that ran from the pos battery terminal to the switch in the dash(no fuse) then from the switch to the coil. Then took apart that section of the harness and cleaned the plugs or connectors and checked for any obvious defects. Put it all back together and she started right up. Headlights work now as do all the side marker lights. parking lights nothing and the turn signals go off when you turn on the headlights. Still have some issues but I'm getting closer. One more thing, my dome light now works for the first time since I bought the truck!

 

[DNFXDLI]

Still sounds like you might have an intermittent or loose ground...but glad to hear progress is happening!

 

[LEB Ben]

With your remaining problems, I would put money on the fact that it'll be in one of three places...the sockets, the plugs or the switch in the steering wheel. Clean/replace the first two suggestions as they are the easiest and cheapest to do.

 

[RustyCJ]

Forgot about that.Took the wheel off also and cleaned all the contacts for the signals. Seems the unit itself doesn't come apart very easily, so I just cleaned all contact spots. I have a shopping cart full of new sockets and such with JBG. I'm thinking, depending on how many more problems I have on just ordering a new harness from Centrec(sp), just don't have the funds for that right now.

 

[bucks77ford]

Sounds like you are making progress anyway. I also agree with changing out all the sockets and bulbs. From the start, if the body isn't grounded well, that could cause all kinds of issues, but you have fixed that (motor to body and body to chassis). Make sure the ground connections from the sockets to the body are good because if they are not, you'd be chasing issues forever. Grounding is key. If then you have issues after changing sockets and bulbs and have made good grounding connections, then I'd start looking at the blinker switch, brake switch, flashers, headlight switch etc.