Relay installation ???

[kaptnkaos]

Hey Guys...

I'm tryin' to figure out how and where to install a relay for my camper lights.
I have the CS above the frame wiring & plug but the brown tail light wire was dead on that plug.
I ended up splicing into the brown wire going to the tail lights on the truck to get all the marker lights on the camper to work.
I'm afraid of over loading that circuit.
What type of relay do I need for this application???

KaptnKA S

[71PA_Highboy]

I buy these.... usually 10 at a time... And I never seem to have enough for my next project... But all my friends have good wiring and relays everywhere....

http://www.delcity.net/delcity/servlet/ ... 563&page=1


HTH,

eric

[mephistopheles]

I buy these.... usually 10 at a time... And I never seem to have enough for my next project... But all my friends have good wiring and relays everywhere....

http://www.delcity.net/delcity/servlet/ ... 563&page=1


HTH,

eric

I buy all my relays and wiring needs from DelCity. Pretty good folks with good prices and decent goods.

[kaptnkaos]

I was looking into the relays...

The sockets have 5 wires... I am assuming that:
One would be power
One would be ground
One would be incoming... from source ie: tail light feed from light switch
One would be outgoing... going to the camper harness
Than leaves one wire unaccounted for... wuzzzzuuupppwifdat???

Which also brings up another question... what wires do what ???

If I install a relay for the camper running and tail lights... do I need to install one for the brake lights as well ???
I do wanna hook up a trailer plug in the back as well.

Thanks again,
KaptnKA S

[mephistopheles]

I was looking into the relays...

The sockets have 5 wires... I am assuming that:
One would be power
One would be ground
One would be incoming... from source ie: tail light feed from light switch
One would be outgoing... going to the camper harness
Than leaves one wire unaccounted for... wuzzzzuuupppwifdat???

Which also brings up another question... what wires do what ???

If I install a relay for the camper running and tail lights... do I need to install one for the brake lights as well ???
I do wanna hook up a trailer plug in the back as well.

Thanks again,
KaptnKA S

It depends on the relay. A SPDT (single pole double throw) relay operates differently from a SPDT (single pole double throw) relay. On a SPDT relay one wire is a ground (called terminal 85), one wire is a power source for the relay (terminal 86), one wire is the circuit you want switched (terminal 30), one wire is the wire that will connect with terminal 30 when the relay is "off" (terminal 87a), and the other wire (terminal 87) will connect to terminal 30 when the relay is "on" (and terminal 87a will no longer connect to terminal 30).

In a SPDT relay, terminals 85, 86, and 30 are the same. Terminal 87a has now become part of terminal 87; now terminal 87 and terminal 87a are a single circuit having no connection with terminal 30 when the relay is "off" and having a shared connection to terminal 30 when the relay is "on".

[kaptnkaos]

Which kind of relay would would best in the this application??? or does it matter.
What I got when I read your instructions was that there are two wires connected together on the outgoing send ???

KaptnKAOS

[mk]

Doesn't your truck have the relay/ circuit breaker combo above the RH kick panel, Kap? Here's a pic of one I retrieved from a '72 CS last summer...



The factory wiring includes a main feed from the battery to the setup and wires from the light circuit feed from the h/l switch to the relay and back across the dash to the outbound light circuit feed. I'm not sure what the specs on the relay were as this one has been replaced at one time but it looks like it was working. If you can use it, it's yours.

mike

here's the schematic that shows how it's wired in...

http://www.fordification.com/images/sch ... arkers.jpg

[kaptnkaos]

I have the CS above the frame wiring & plug but the brown tail light wire was dead on that plug.
I ended up splicing into the brown wire going to the tail lights on the truck to get all the marker lights on the camper to work.
I'm afraid of over loading that circuit.
What type of relay do I need for this application???
KaptnKA S

MK by splicing into the tailight circuit, I by bypassed that relay.
I knew this was a temporary fix when I did it, 'cause I wanna do it right.
I didn't have the time to chase down all the wires...
I am leaning toward the stock relay being bad...
I hate electircal gremlins...

KaptnKA S

[mephistopheles]

If you just want to put in a temporary relay for the camper marker lights, get a SPST 12volt relay. The schematic for it will look like one of these two


The tail light wire will go to pin 85, pin 86 will go to a good ground, pin 30 will go to an appropriately fused lead to the battery, and pin(s) 87 (and 87a) will be your new power for the camper marker lights. If all you can find is a SPDT relay, don't use pin 87a.

[kaptnkaos]

I have checked most of the common suppliers NPD, Blue Oval, LMC etc looking for a replacement stock relay...
The only one I've seen was and NOS one on ebay and went for nearly $50.
So I am wanting to replace the the old relay with a new style one.
I'll purchase the correct one to do the job...
I don't want to do a temporay fix.. that's what I have already done... now I want to fix it right,.
I want to start with a new relay and work from there to eleviate future problems.
It is much easier to start from scratch and do it the way it should have been than to figure out where the problem is.
If that means running new wires... that's not a problem..
I just don't wanna get stuck out on the road somewhere 'cause I didn't fix something right.

KaptnKA S

[mephistopheles]

I have checked most of the common suppliers NPD, Blue Oval, LMC etc looking for a replacement stock relay...
The only one I've seen was and NOS one on ebay and went for nearly $50.
So I am wanting to replace the the old relay with a new style one.
I'll purchase the correct one to do the job...
I don't want to do a temporay fix.. that's what I have already done... now I want to fix it right,.
I want to start with a new relay and work from there to eleviate future problems.
It is much easier to start from scratch and do it the way it should have been than to figure out where the problem is.
If that means running new wires... that's not a problem..
I just don't wanna get stuck out on the road somewhere 'cause I didn't fix something right.

KaptnKA S

The way I told you how to wire it is correct. I assumed you wanted to replace the relay for now and get a stock one later. 526A would be your supply from the battery (pin 30), 285 is the input from the headlight switch (pin 85), 207A is your output (pin 87), and pin 85 goes to ground. If the circuit breaker is good, reuse it. Else put in a new circuit breaker or 20amp fuse.