Re: The Duchess Project: 1940 Super 8 Convertible Sedan

Posted by Joe Santana On 2012/2/29 14:43:21

There were 2 problems.
1. The ball bearing(s), for which I experimented and used two. One 3/16 diam and one 1/4" diam.

2a. The other problem was insufficient ground at 2 points. The ground wire to the clock looked fine, but the wire wasn't all the way into the connector when it was soldered. It made the ground intermittent. This may have only affected the clock, not the light. But I replaced the connector and the connection. The clock has not been running for a week and it started up and ran a couple of hours. I need to take it in. It may have been under strain because the faulty ground.

2b. I discovered the grounding problem with the glove box light by touching the light fixture to the glove latch which is bare metal and well grounded to the dash. Bulb high, it lights. Bulb pointing down, light is off. It worked perfectly there, but when I put it in the hood where it belongs, it flickered.

The hood/holder for the light fixture had new paint on the inside of it from being restored. I sanded some off with sand paper wrapped on a rattail file, so it would ground. Now it works great.

I think in the old days, paint had lead or didn't insulate that well. Today's plastic, resin, urethane-based paint insulates really well.

It seems like such a minor thing relative to the huge job of restoration, but it's satisfying if we can get it to work.