1961 Galaxie

[parklane]

Two questions today. This is a Canadian production car with engine code E3. Who can tell me if it's a 352 or 390?? Also, my brake lights quit working, but problem is not the switch. Trying to trace wires under dash, but coming up with nada. HELP, before I get rear ended

[Alaska Jim]

do you have power at the light bulb socket? could be that the socket has lost its ground through the light housing or the housing to the body. it is possible that the turn signal switch is bad.

[darrell]

black rocker covers 332 green 352 gold 390.thats how you tell canadian engines.

[wbedwards]

Don't shoot me if I'm wrong, but I think the brake lights are wired through the turn signal switch as I had trouble with mine. If I remember right, cleaning the turn signal restored everything back to working.

[dmsfrr]

Originally Posted by wbedwards

..... I think the brake lights are wired through the turn signal switch .....

Yes they are.

[Herman Munster]

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I recall that some Fords used the dome light fuse for the brake lights on the same circuit.
I'm not sure if that was the case for the 61's.

[Ford blue blood]

If you have turn signals and park lights on the rear the wires and sockets are good. The power to the brake light switch can be checked with a simple tester. The brake switch can be checked by jumping the two wires together. If you still have a brake light issue it is in the turn signal switch.

[parklane]

Thanks for all the ideas guys. Darrell, thanks for the color codes on the Canadian cars. Did some investigating, by running a wire from the battery to one terminal on the brakelight switch, and applied petal. Hey!! they work. The turn signals work the way they should, so can the problem still be the switch?. The cruising season is almost done here, so just going with the jumper wire for now, and repair when it's cold.

[dmsfrr]

Originally Posted by parklane

..... by running a wire from the battery to one terminal on the brakelight switch, and applied petal. Hey!! they work. The turn signals work the way they should, so can the problem still be the switch?. .

Were the turn signals not working either?

With a power jumper wire to the brake light switch, if both R & L brake lights turn on and off with the pedal the brake light switch is fine (and also the brake light connections thru the turn signal switch).
Trace the original power wire for the brake light switch back to it's source, checking for power and loose connections. Power to the brake light switch may come thru a circuit breaker in, and a battery '+' connection on, the headlight switch. (my wiring diagram book is for '55/'57)


(edit/followup)
Found a '61 Galaxie wiring diagram here...
http://www.oldcarmanualproject.com/t...re5765-206.jpg
Power to the brake light switch comes thru a green/yellow wire from the headlight switch. Also under the dash is a junction/connector in that wire that sends power thru the door switches to the dome light.

Turn signal power comes thru an orange/yellow wire, also from the headlight switch, to the flasher.

The headlight switch has internal thermal circuit breakers for the 4(+) lighting circuits that go thru it, each indicated by the |~| symbol within the diagram of the switch.


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[parklane]

Thanks for that diagram, dmsfrr. That sure clears things up. I had one printed out, but it was so small, that I couldn't make anything out on it.

[dmsfrr]

Originally Posted by parklane

Thanks for that diagram, dmsfrr. That sure clears things up. I had one printed out, but it was so small, that I couldn't make anything out on it.

I got it to print out pretty much full sized on an 8½ x 11 sheet of paper and it's not too hard to read.

Try this.... when you open the link, left clicking on the picture once enlarges it, then right click to "Save Image as".
Save the file in a place/folder you can find with a name you'll recognize. Then go to that saved file, open and print it.


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[packyusmc]

The only way you can tell which engine you have (FE engine) is to put number one piston on top dead center. Remove spark plugs number one and number four. Get a long piece of coat hanger, small welding rod, small dia. Wooden dowel. Ect. Put the rod down number one and make a mark that you can duplicate. Then put the rod down number four and make a mark in the same place on the spark plug hole or where ever you choose. When you have the two marks measure the distance between the two. The distance on a 332 is about 3 1/4". 352 is 3 1/2". 390 is about 3 3/4"along with 406-427. 428 is about 4". That's the only way to tell without disassembly of the engine. Can't tell with part numbers, paint colors ect.