Re: '56 Patrician New Owner Questions.

Posted by Mr.Pushbutton  On 2018/8/14 12:43:10

The electrical end of the Torsion-Level system is fairly easy, but 62 years of electrically illiterate "mechanics" my be as much the problem now, as is evidenced by the manual switch's presence. The motor receives power to go either up or down from one of two solenoids located in '56 in the driver's side fender well. The timing box ("black box" "brain box" "time delay switch") is located on the chassis. It sends a GROUND to the appropriate solenoid when it wants movement in either direction. The solenoids get hot power internally from the bus feeding both "incoming" sides of the solenoid, connecting the small center post to ground pulls in the solenoid.
Inside the timing box there is a single-pole double throw switch that is linked to the torsion bars. When the bars sense an non-level state this throws the switch in one direction, which sends power to one of two thermal coils around a leaf contact. The wire heats up, causing the leaf to deflect toward a contact. When it makes with that contact the corresponding relay pulls in and sends the ground up to the solenoid. The time it takes the leaf to deflect is the 5-7 second time delay necessary to avoid adjusting for every little bump in the road.