Re: Kirby's 1953 Packard Clipper

Posted by Fred Puhn On 2009/12/2 11:06:30

If you are worried about electrical shorts I have used a safer method than just connecting the battery. I have a small 6 volt battery charger with an amp meter on it. The current output from the charger is limited to either 2 amps or 10 amps with a switch. I always start with the 2 amp setting because that small current will probably not burn anything (not even a fuse)right away. You then hook up the battery charger in place of the battery and keep an eye on the amp meter on the charger. With everything in the car turned off you will not have any current flow except possibly for an electric clock (if it works). You can then turn on items one at a time and make sure the current flow is not excessive. Since some items draw more than 2 amps you can carefully explore the condition of the circuit using the higher current setting.

The reason for this method is so you will never draw an excessively high current if there is a short. The battery has no current limit except the resistance of the battery itself and the wires, so unless a fuse protects the circuit by blowing out you get huge currents, heating, burning, melting, etc. On these old cars not everything is fuse protected.

Once you check for shorts you can then inspect the wiring insulation and either re-insulate or replace the wires.