The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

First post for me on this forum. Excellent information - I wish I had read more before I recently acquired a 1964 Super Dexta. Not very good condition (cracked block) and some mods e.g. alternator but I intend to gradually sort a few things out so thought I'd start with an easy bit and fit an oil light as it's missing. However I can't quite work out how it should be wired up. The lights supplied by Agriline have a single wire out the end and the casing is the earth. How do you wire that up so the switch joins or breaks the circuit? I am probably being dim but I do understand the basics of electrical circuits. It's neg earth but I don't see that should make a diffiernce. The old wirng diags show 2 wires out the back of the light which I can see would work but not with the casing going to earth?
I'd appreciate any help.
Tony

i think you need a bulb holder with 2 wires out the back.
you would need a connection to the bulb from the battery (via the key switch so it wont drain the battery)
from bulb to oil pressure switch.

hope this helps.

That's what I thought but agriline sell them as parts for Dextas with one wire so I presume there must be some way to do it?
Tony

When I installed new oil pressure and generator lights, I soldered a length of 16 gauge stranded wire to the light housing.
Then you can wire as needed.

Gene

Its not unknown for Agrline to ship parts that dont meet spec.

I would give them a call

Thanks for the advice. I thought about the solder to light body solution but then you have to insulate the body from the dash plate? I just thought there must be a simpler solution! I think I'll ask Agriline as they do sell them as 'original'.
Tony

TonyDexta wrote:Thanks for the advice. I thought about the solder to light body solution but then you have to insulate the body from the dash plate? I just thought there must be a simpler solution! I think I'll ask Agriline as they do sell them as 'original'.
Tony

Try some insulation tape. Keep several colours in my toolbox

The ones I got from Agriline are the "oringinal type". They had only one wire.
I don't know that you would have to insulate from the dash. You are looking for a solid connection.

Gene

Oil warning light needs 2 wires.

1) First wire has to go the the Manifold Heater Switch (together with the cable of the Generator Indicator lamp). That Connector is also connected to the ignition key (in reality this is the Starter Isolation Switch, was we have a mechanic starter lever). This switch is switching the "-" of the battery to the rest of the system (Black/Brown colour).
2) The other one goes to the Pressure switch (purple colour).

Rgds

Thanks for various thoughts on this. I never really got to the bottom of this 'original' light bit as I just can't see how one wire out the back and the body of the bulb holder to earth can work? I used the suggestion of soldering another wire to the bulb holder body and insulating it from teh earth with tape. So it's wired up but the light stays on all the time so I suspect the pressure switch is knackered unless my oil pressure is that low but the engine runs well and only breathes a bit out of the rocker cover pipe. There in lies the next problem! Has anyone got any good ideas about getting the pressure switch out of the block? It isn't helped by the fact that I have a foreloader on it but it is very difficult to get at it at all.

Hi if you cant get near the oil switch with a scoket or or spanner the way itook one out
was with a plumbers wash hand basin wrench , or if you can get screw driver on to the edge
tap it lightly with a hammer untill it starts to move it should then screw off with your hand,
good luck with it , Gerry

hi tony

my dexta had a bolt screwed it to the hole for the sensor ! previous owner .... (not me lol )

got a new one finally from agriline ,, second try lol two thread sizes so you will have to measure old one before u order it m8

at least the thread should be oily

wired mine in ,,works great phew
hope this helps
tom

We came across the issue of the replacement lamps and lenses having a single cable. We had bought a wiring loom though and it came with some lamp holders as well, they were part plastic so had both cables as there was no physical earth. The new lamp lenses clipped on to the wiring loom plastic holders with no trouble. I would think that the holders are a standard item and I would invest in two new ones for the warning lamps that had two cables and then use the new lenses. A visit to a tractor show will definatly turn some up. Dont be tempted with the cheap replacement lamps that are sold as an alternative, they have two screw terminals but they are horrible and will fit poorly, our mistakenly bought lamps will be going back soon for a refund even though they are half the price of the single cabled replacements.

As for the oil pressure sensor ours came out very easily but as tom says there are two sizes 1/8" and 1/4" BSP. Unless your dexta is very early or had an earlier engine transplanted you will want a 1/4"BSP sensor. I think 1/8"BSP was upgraded to 1/4 sometime pre-1960. The new ones seem to all be spade connectors so you may need to adjust your original wiring (if its still fitted)

Thanks to Eddie, Tom and Gerry for futher advice on this. I sorted it this afternoon. I got the sensor out with an adjustable spanner and hammer and then realised that the light was still earthing through the dash plate! I have now insulated that with a bit more tape and the jobs a goodun. The sensor works fine and the light goes out as soon as you turn her over. She's a 1964 super dexta. If I ever do a proper restoration job on her I will get a new loom and hopefully that will solve these problems!
Tony

I recently bought a loom and I have two bulb holders for the warning lights, but I've also discovered a third bulb holder, with a metal body, with an orange and yellow single cable running through it. Can anybody shed some light as to what this bulb holder may be for?

Thank you!

WeeDexta
Thr third lamp is would you believe it for the bulb holder in the back of the Proofmeter/revcounter!
So you can read your revs at night.
Jerry
Bath
UK

These are on EBay, they look like the right bits with two wires each.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORDSON-DEXTA ... 2eb71dc836
Regards
Jerry Coles
Bath
UK

Jerry Coles wrote:These are on EBay, they look like the right bits with two wires each.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORDSON-DEXTA ... 2eb71dc836

Anyone using these, see photo below?

Hi WeeDexta. Whose loom did you buy? Do you like it? (One of the other threads said different looms different qualities).

Ben,
I bought a set of those but they didn't stay in the bezel very well. So I junked them and went to Radio Shack and bought individual red & green 12 volt lights that are in a socket that fits perfect. Got the tip on here from somebody a while back.Maybe Chris from S.D.
D.
Bill

PghBill wrote:Ben,
I bought a set of those but they didn't stay in the bezel very well.

Really! Those pressed steel lens holders are I think almost identical to the originals.

I got some original holders. Made up some gaskets out of thin rubber sheets, to fit under the bezel whilst holding the warning lights & temp guage in just the right position and hopefully leaving no gaps around for water to run in.

Just by way of a reminder for folk, the warning lights must have two wires each and must be insulated from the bezel/tractor chassis, as both wires are effecivly 'signal' wires; there is no ground wire.