This is on my 1953 Ford Mainline. On the back of the ignition switch there is four outputs and they say. Can you help me. Coil - goes to coil AM - ? i think it goes to circuit breaker ACC - ? i think it goes to instrument ST - ? i think it goes to starter relay
Interstingly enough, my 1952 service manual shows diagrams for basically all the different circuits, but nothing specific for the ignition switch. The closest it comes is a diagram looking at the dash from the back side, but it only shows wire colors, not which circuit other than the ones going to the cluster. It also doesnt label which terminal is which, but lets see if this helps anyway, I wouldnt guess 52 would be any different than 53, the dashes are very close. Looking at the back of the switch with it positioned properly, the top terminal shows a red wire with a green tracer. Going clockwise, the terminal on the right shows a yellow wire. The bottom terminal shows a red wire with a blue tracer. The left side terminal shows 2 wires, one is not labeled, the other goes dierctly to the oil, fuel, and temp gauges and is labeled as a black with green tracer. This may not help if it is not the stock harness however, and I also know my old cloth covered wires are pretty hard to distinguish colors on after 60 years, especially laying up under the dash. It has been a couple years since I have played with my switch, so my memory is foggy, but I would say you are correct that coil = coil, st = starter solenoid, acc should = accessories (gauge cluster, radio, etc), and I would guess AM would be your source voltage (weather thats fused, a circuit breaker, whatever, basically to the battery).
Well, by doing process of elimination, here is what a typical ignition switch needs : 1) A power post where 6 or 12 volts comes into the switch. Usually marked "Bat" or "+" however in your case it looks like the put "AM". (Maybe they are getting power off of one of the posts on the ammeter ? ) 2) Power to the coil when cranking and running, so you already know which one that is. 3) Power to the starter solenoid, and yours is marked as "ST". 4) Accessories. This one is for things you want to operate when the car is shut off, generally the radio is the only thing I can think of that goes on this post. If you wire it up that way you will be fine. Don
+1 on the voltmeter. If I remember correctly, here is how I wired mine. AM = always hot from the light switch. ACC = not used, but powers radio, gauges, etc but not ignition. My car is currently only wired to start and move around. All the rest of the wiring is shot. COIL = hot side of the coil, thru a ballast resistor (12V to 6V) ST = to the starter solenoid. I also went 12V and switched to negative ground. The easiest way to make sure you have it right is to run pigtails off the terminals and get a volt meter. I clamped the hot to the + battery post, and checked the terminals in every key position. No key, no power outputs. ACC is the only one powered if the key is in and turned back. COIL would have power and I think ACC also has power if the key is turned forward but not ST. Turn the key the rest of the way and ST gets power as well as coil but I don't remember if acc has it as well. If you don't have a volt meter, a 12V light bulb and some wire would do the job. Depending on what you do with your car, you could use ACC for radio and gauges. COIL side would run the coil, possibly the circuits to an electric radiator fan and fuel pump. These things are kind of important if you are driving but not important if you are parked somewhere watching the sunset and listening to the radio (or making out). Thus the difference between ACC and COIL. Anyway, that's how to figure out what circuits are working in regard to key position and it doesn't matter what the ignition switch says. I hope that was at least a little helpful. I'm at work and not near the car to verify.
The Jalopy Journal
