The reading light switch in the V8 sedans often doesn't work, but it's easy to repair.

First, take precision needle nose and bend up the tabs.

Then, polish the contacts. Obviously the contacts in the back plate, but also the sliding contact, and importantly the back plate holding tabs themselves must be polished on the insides, since the switch grounds through the case. In addition the mounting holes and mounting screws should be polished. Of course, by "polished" I'm taking cleaned up with steel wool or sandpaper, not brought to a bright polish necessarily. Just the oxidation/rust cleaned off.

Note: wrapping some sandpaper in the tips of pliers is a good way to get in the tiny spaces.

Take some light grease and sparingly apply to the moving contact and the sides of the front of the switch slider.

Reassemble. Be sure to note the white dot (white dot is down when installed and also white dot shown = on).

Test.

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Since you just installed the water pump last year, the first thing I’d check is the if tightening the packing nut a little takes care of the leak. Mine was leaking around the shaft and I repacked it and it took care of that leak (I also have a radiator leak). In your case, likely don’t need to repack the pump, but just tighten the packing nut a bit.

Thanks, Bob. That’s a good idea.

The Amp meter itself has just two terminals studs. Luckily you can't really hurt it. Either it will read correctly, or backwards. If it reads backwards, just swap the wires on the terminals.

But curious why they installed a new one under the dash? Amp meters don't really care about voltage.

The one in my 115-C works just find on 12v.

Ok thank you bob! This sounds like I can rewire it correctly back to six volts without removing the ammeter .. if not it seems there are four nuts holding it on if I have to remove it in order to wire it..

I am not sure I had my friend do it for me. I was there when he did it. I don’t remember seeing them and think that would have caught my eye. That will be my first check.

Did you use copper washers on the waterpump? If not it may leak there.

Rats, no luck today with my used starter. I got everything installed, cleaned all contacts etc, and when I tried to start the car with the gas pedal, I got "nichts" nada. (I could see a small drop in voltage on my gauge, but not a big drop)
I then tried using a screwdriver to bridge from the hot side of the starter to the small terminal on the solenoid. That turned the starter....
Also when I bench tested this starter, I hooked battery cables up to the starter and the battery terminal on the starter and tried using a section of wire to trigger the solenoid. That didn't work, but using a screwdriver did trigger the solenoid and the starter turned nicely....I guess this solenoid is sticky and needs too much current to get things going. Didn't somebody recently rebuild one of these 1954 solenoids?

Thanks guys. So it look like it is somewhere from the water pump or a hose. Will dive in and see if I can spot.

Thanks for those last images of the door parts.

I got the PS pump back in the car but have not started the engine yet to check it out.
If I did nothing else, with that pump, at least it appears that I fixed the leak.

Spent a few hours yesterday and today getting one of the rear, quarter windows in place.

I got my modified regulator in place for the first time. It was too wide at first so I had drill new hole and turn the motor about 45 degrees and trim off about 1/4 of an inch from the bolts and it fit pretty good after that. Its already wired up and working.

You can see in the image below that the window is not all the way up. It is rubbing on the ceiling line as it goes up and I do not want to force it to far. I am trying to adjust that heavy metal pivot piece (in the last image) to move it over a little.

Will try again tomorrow.

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