47-55.1 Yet another what does this button do thread ('54 Heater ?)

[Gregski]

sorry folks I did a bit of searching but I doubt I will find an explanation for this debacle, so first could you tell me what might the two buttons on either side of my cigarette lighter do, or better yet what they ought to be doing?

I think the one on the left says "US" and has two wires one runs to the ignition switch the other looks like it went to the starter

the one on the right says "PUSH" but when I push it I don't hear a click, seems like one of them buttons that would only do something while pushed and held, I may be totally wrong. One wire went to the engine bay and was not connected to anything, the other wire ran to an aftermarket four way toggle switch which then ran to the ignition

1954 Chevy 1/2 ton 350/400

I will show pics of the rest of this "situation" after we gain some traction

please and thank you

[mongocanfly]

Kinda sounds like a homemade ignition switch

[mr48chev]

I'm not quite figuring out what we are looking at. If it is the button next to the lighter have you followed the wires to where they go if they do go anywhere?

It may indeed be a starter button for a starter with a solenoid on it rather than anything for the heater. Someone may have tied into or switched the wire from the lighter to power it and that is why it is there.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Kinda sounds like a homemade ignition switch

all the way on the passenger side? Nitrous! LOL

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I'm not quite figuring out what we are looking at. If it is the button next to the lighter have you followed the wires to where they go if they do go anywhere?

It may indeed be a starter button for a starter with a solenoid on it rather than anything for the heater. Someone may have tied into or switched the wire from the lighter to power it and that is why it is there.

thanks, so it doesn't appear to be some sort of stock options setup from the factory? the buttons appear OEM

[mongocanfly]

Well they arnt oem...but they may have been there a long time...you can still buy those buttons at a parts store...mine has the throttle (I'm guessing by the T) beside where your silver knob is...the book shows the hole having a plug in it..

Just a guess.... but I'd say one may have been for starter solenoid..the other may have been used to excite a alternator...in 60+yrs who knows what's been added ..unless you can see where exactly it goes..

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Well they arnt oem...but they may have been there a long time...you can still buy those buttons at a parts store...mine has the throttle (I'm guessing by the T) where your silver knob is...the book shows the hole having a plug in it..

Just a guess.... but I'd say one may have been for starter solenoid..the other may have been used to excite a alternator...in 60+yrs who knows what's been added ..unless you can see where exactly it goes..

Thanks, silver knob is the cigarette lighter

[Gregski]

and this is the four way switch (center, brown thing) and some mystery contraption which I thought was a potentiometer but I don't think so, the black knob is a lever to open that air duct in the cowl

[greg_h]

The cable to the right is the fresh air door of the heater. It was I believe 53 and later. Earlier fresh air heaters did not have that trap door to allow fresh air into the cab. The other hole as mentioned would have been where the throttle cable would have gone in a manual transmission truck. The hydra-matic had an automatic choke and both the throttle cable and choke cable holes would have had the plugs shown in the assembly manual picture posted. The button you show looks like it could be some sort of resistor maybe for a 12V conversion?

[Volfandt]

Originally Posted by greg_h

The cable to the right is the fresh air door of the heater. It was I believe 53 and later. Earlier fresh air heaters did not have that trap door to allow fresh air into the cab. The other hole as mentioned would have been where the throttle cable would have gone in a manual transmission truck. The hydra-matic had an automatic choke and both the throttle cable and choke cable holes would have had the plugs shown in the assembly manual picture posted. The button you show looks like it could be some sort of resistor maybe for a 12V conversion?

Agree on the resistor.
Looks like an old ceramic 1 -2 ohm resistor. The heater fan motor is probably 6v and the resister knocks 12v down to around 6v or so.
I'm running the same 3 speed fan switch in my 49 converted to 12v.
I tried a similar resistor but decided on a step down regulator that works the 6v fan perfectly.
Good luck.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Volfandt

Agree on the resistor.
Looks like an old ceramic 1 -2 ohm resistor. The heater fan motor is probably 6v and the resister knocks 12v down to around 6v or so.
I'm running the same 3 speed fan switch in my 49 converted to 12v.
I tried a similar resistor but decided on a step down regulator that works the 6v fan perfectly.
Good luck.

That makes sense forgot all about the 6 volt era, thank you all so much. Can someone point me at a wiring diagram for the 47-55.1 please and thank you

[mongocanfly]

Here..

[mick53]

Originally Posted by greg_h

The cable to the right is the fresh air door of the heater. It was I believe 53 and later. Earlier fresh air heaters did not have that trap door to allow fresh air into the cab. The other hole as mentioned would have been where the throttle cable would have gone in a manual transmission truck. The hydra-matic had an automatic choke and both the throttle cable and choke cable holes would have had the plugs shown in the assembly manual picture posted. The button you show looks like it could be some sort of resistor maybe for a 12V conversion?

I put the same heater in my 53 and used a similar control to reduce the voltage about 35 years ago. It still works.

[Gregski]

guys forgive me but I have to dumb myself down a bit coming off of using HP Tuners on my laptop to tune my LS Swapped '74 ha ha

I did a bit more wire chasing and let me start off by asking, did trucks in 1954 have a key ignition switch? If so mine appears to only be a a three wire, and it only has two positions so I can twist the key only to the left let's call that position A and then to the right so position B. Does that sound about right? Is that a stock ignition switch?

this is what the back of my ignition switch looks like

[mongocanfly]

on mine the key just turns everything hot...to crank it has the electric push button switch (that looks like a dimmer switch) in the floorboard just to the right of the gas pedal
that's why I think you have those oddball switches over by your cigar lighter..you said it looked like the wires possibly went to the solenoid...one of them could have been a start/crank switch

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

on mine the key just turns everything hot...

Gold Nugget, right there! yep yep, mine seems to be the same way, go on

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

to crank it has the electric push button switch (that looks like a dimmer switch) in the floorboard just to the right of the gas pedal

OMG, Thank You, tHaNk YoU, thank YOU, so much Greg for that level of detail, I so appreciate it, I heard of the foot starter switch but since mine was deleted and since I did not know it's original location, I kept starring at the high beam foot switch in mine... following it's light green and blue wires to the headlights... and going OK, I am not a Moron this can't be a foot switch for a starter, this is gotta be a headlight switch, so what is going on here... well now you tell me the starter switch lived to the right of the gas pedal, that totally makes sense, as it explains the patch in the floor panel, you just saved me from DAY DRINKING, bro, thank you.

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

that's why I think you have those oddball switches over by your cigar lighter..you said it looked like the wires possibly went to the solenoid...one of them could have been a start/crank switch

I totally agree, I just can't imagine the driver going, hey passenger why don't you lean forward in your there seat and make yourself useful by pushing on that there button so we can fire her up! ha ha

Anyway, armed with all this fabulous new information I said enough fun and games and pulled the trigger on this handsome Universal 3-Way Ignition Switch - With GM Style Keys on AMAZON for $17.50

[mongocanfly]

I'd also suggest you might want to invest in a new wiring harness...I have a American autowire for my IH..its a quality looking harness...ill,be using one on my AD when I get to it...