The 8 volt system is generally not the way to go.

If you connect a meter from the BAT terminal on the generator and the car frame as ground and there is any voltage less than your battery your generator is not working.

With the motor running of course.

measuring as above, take a clip lead (wire with a couple of aligator clips) and briefly touch the F or Field terminal on the generator to ground.

If the generator is working the voltage will rise fairly quickly so don't leave the wire on long (seconds).

If everything in the car is 6 volt I would go back to 6 volt Pos ground.

A lot of people tweak the regulator to get it to run 8 volts. Regulators are specific to neg or pos ground.

Usually improper battery cables are the cause of upping the voltage, which I should add will shorten the life of light bulbs which are getting harder to find.

Jim

not sure what you are trying to accomplish but the hardest part of fixing the radio is getting it out from under the dash.

The tubes used in the original radios are not hard to buy and not all that expensive.

I went to some trouble to restore the radio in my 54 Cavalier only to find there are no listenable AM stations in Phoenix AZ.

Jim

If the radio uses a pair of 6V6 tubes as the radio in my 54, I would expect about 15 Watts Max.

The Philco made radios use a Loctal type tubes (two in puish-pull for audio final) and I would expect the same audio power.

Most of these radios used a 4 ohm speaker.

Any of these 4, 8, 16 ohm speakers would work.

Keep in mind that the auto radios with a single transistor in the audio output use odd impeadance speakers like 40 ohm. These came along in the late 50's - early 60's. These were only used in 12 volt cars.

Jim

My 54 Cavalier has the flasher in a socket which is tied into the wiring harnes behind the dash cluster.

The flasher works fine and makes the usual tink . . tink sound when the signal is flashing.

The direction indicators in the dash cluster become a little dim when I sit at a light with the headlights and radio on as the voltage drops. The outside signal lights are normal bright.

I thought after looking at the circuit diagram the dash indicators were in parallel with the signal lights. Maybe tine to recheck the schematic.

If the transistor is connected with the polarity backwards, it is likely fried but not always.

If you look closely at the flat face of the transistor there should be a part number which if you post it here we can look up. there transistors are usually a couple of bucks.

So in looking at the picture the actual flasher is the bi-metal with the heat coil and the dash indicators run on a separate contact?

Jim

seperat contact?

Jim

My 54 cavalier has a dome light in the rear and the metal cover with the plastic lens pulls off as one peice and it is quite tight.

Jim

The Boyce Mot-O-Meter company used the name Motometer on their products.

I don't recall any other makers of these, but I would be surprised if not.

I have one on my model T Ford that screws in, in place of the original radiator cap. It is a good item and was a worth while accessory.

Jim

be careful with the fine wires coming from the tuning coils, hard to fix.

Jim

You will need some kind of antenna to get anything.

If the Vibrator is a 4 pin style (can looking thing that plugs in) you will want to replace it with a new solid state unit for the proper poliarity (+ ground). (Antique Electronic Supply in Tempe AZ). If there is an 0Z4 rectifier tube in this radio replace that as well.

Radios of this era will generally need the small paper capacitors replaced and often the Electrolytics. As the hard part is getting the radio out of the dash I do everything while it is out.

I have found the rubber clutch that allows the tuner to skip ahead when youi push a button can become dry and gummy. Most parts of the tuner run without lube to keep from collecting dust. Don't use WD-40 on anything...

I spent some time restoring the wondrebar tuned radio in my 54 and now there is no listenable AM in Phoenix AZ.

Jim

That was quite interesting.

Where is this located?

Thanks for the guidance
Chalk line was a poor choice on my part.

What I was planning was to spin the wheel and mark a line around the circumference on the tread and then measure it front to back using a long steel yard stick or piece of flat bar or piece of rigid conduit. Thinking the toe-in was -0- when the wheels are straight ahead.

I plan to set the car level on it wheels to make my checks.
The only play in the steering linkage I can feel is a bit of King-pin movement but it is very slight.

I haven't checked for end play in either the steering wheel or the pitman shaft, but I can do that on the way home from work.

I'm running some old wide whitewall L78-15 tires I believe these are bias ply. I notice more wear on the inside tread edge. I was thinking of getting some better new wide whitewall radial type.

On a perfect new surface road the car tracks straight as an arrow. On roads with a little wear to the surface the car seems to follow the little rifts. Is this what you call road compliance and hunt? It feels like one of the tires wants to ride in the rift or follow a crack.

Most of my driving is city streets under 50mph.

Jim