Help with wiring for first start.

[Lenard]

I need some help wiring. I'm going to try and start my truck next weekend if everything goes right. The wiring is a mess and I don't want to burning anything up that still might work. Is there a wiring diagram somewhere that I can you use to get down to just the charging and starting system?

So much of the wiring has been cut, added to and wrapped with electric tape.

Thanks lenard

[w30bob]

Hi Lenard,

Yes, the diagram you want is contained in my post topic entitled "Early Truck Wiring Diagram Needed" over in the Technical section, about 17 topics down at last count. What you want to do is very simple, as you'll see.

regards,
bob

[Lenard]

First thanks Bob for the wiring diagram.

The good news the High beam light works! The truck only has the headlights and dash lights but the only one that works is the high beam on the dash. I was really hoping the yellow head lights worked but that is the least of my concerns at this point.

The bad news my starter does nothing. Engine isn't seized I can turn it over by hand using the fan.

Does anybody know of a replacement starter that I can get at parts store? I tried Napa, O'Reilly and Car Quest but they were clueless when I told them what I was looking for. Anyone have a part number and who makes a 12 volt starter (I'm pulling batteries out of my daily drivers at this point to get the 24 volts just trying to get it running)? Or what make, model and year I can give them that they can find on their computer or in their books. At least Napa dragged out the books but they couldn't find anything.

I'm struggling to keep this truck 24 volt. Everything 24 volt is harder to get. Not impossible just a pain. I kept my M38 24 volt when I rebuilt years ago but I knew people with spares and Patson (the parts store) I got missing parts from closed and all those parts were purchased and hauled back east somewhere. That M38 only got about 75 miles on it in 3 years before I sold it to PCS. This truck has a different purpose I intend to use it for hunting, fishing, hauling wood and dirt. With the wiring butchered and starter bad the only 24 volt parts left that might be good are the gauges, generator, voltage regulator and the know good high beam light. The wiring has to be replaced either way. What to do???

[isaac_alaska]

hey Lenard, there's a few things you can do. the first and easiest is to verify you have 24V at the starter terminal, you should be able to probe around, or clip a multimeter and aligator clips on it, and the negative lead to the engine block and you will be able to read it from the cab. then engage the foot starter, if it's a bad engine ground or lead from teh battery the meter will read zero when the starter is engaged. If it still reads full battery voltage, then the problem is in the starter switch itself, which is very easy to take apart and clean up. two big screws come out and the whole big copper and silver bus bar and switch will come out and you'll see where they aren't making contact.
i am going by memory from my civilian wagon when i fixed the contacts on it...but they should be very similar. if i'm way off someone will chime in and let me know! but i think the starter switch is probably the first place to look, after verifying a good engine ground and lead from the battery

[w30bob]

Lenard,

I don't have specific part numbers, but...............Dodge changed over it's civilian cars to 12V in 1956 and continued to use the 230 flathead until 1959 (1960 in trucks)..........so you should be able to tell the parts guy you want a 12V starter for a Dodge car 1956 to 1959 that had the 230 engine and you should be good to go.

regards,
bob

[MSeriesRebuild]

Lenard,

I don't have specific part numbers, but...............Dodge changed over it's civilian cars to 12V in 1956 and continued to use the 230 flathead until 1959 (1960 in trucks)..........so you should be able to tell the parts guy you want a 12V starter for a Dodge car 1956 to 1959 that had the 230 engine and you should be good to go.

regards,
bob

The T-245 engines have a different tooth count on the flywheel ring. I have not found anything other than specialty 12-volt starters that are compatible and work without gear clash. Just asking over the counter at NAPA most likely will not come up with anything of good result. The starter drive design is also different, most civilian vehicle starters have a drive that pushes straight into mesh without rotation. The T-245 24-volt starters have a specialty drive that mechanically rotates into mesh with the flywheel ring before electrical contact is made so that the drive begins to spin the flywheel. This design eliminates gear clash.

[52PLOWERWAGON]

we pull started mine because the starter wouldn't spin fast enough all we needed was power to the distributer