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1950 8N light wiring

M

montidale

Member
My neighbor has a '50 8N he brought over to wire new head lights and a tail light and a few other things. There are no lights , switch or wiring on the tractor. They have been removed who knows
when. I am able to track down all the parts I need except for a few questions. The exact original light switch does not appear to have a fuse on it. Though the switches before 1950 and after 1954
have them. Didn't those circuits have a fuse in them? I'm able to find wiring schematics for the tractor but it's hard to find how they where routed originaly under the hood. I've seen a good posting
for routing the tail and work light. They ran it down the right side of the tractor to the left rear fender. The original mounting bracket is still on the left fender.The tractor is mechanically sound and for
the most part just needs some cosmetic repairs. The tractor came from his wife's family and he wants to bring it as close to original as practical. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,Dale
 
I don't know if there is a "correct" route for the wiring in the lights.
Since they were a dealer ( or owner) installed option it was up to the judgement of the guy who installed them and may have varied a lot.
As for the fused switch; I would opt for protect over correct.
 
When I got my 50 8N the wiring was a mess so I rewired the entire machine. I had a few of the wire clips that attach to the hood on the left side. It made sense for me to route all the wiring for the front of the tractor up the left side under the lip of the hood. I wrapped them in a single wire loom to keep it all together and used zip ties to keep it in place because the clips were not big enough to hold the loom. For the headlights I ran one wire that ran up the left side in the wire loom then Y'd off to go over the radiator in a piece of vacuum hose, zip tied to the gas tank frame, to feed the right light. As a convenience I put a bullet connector just prior to the split so I could unplug the headlights if I needed to remove the hood. When I remove the hood I just snip the zip ties on the hood and the wire loom hangs allowing me to remove the hood with the headlight wire and not mess with the other wiring. Not stock but it's tidy and efficient.
 
First of all, the Ford N-Series Tractors never had factory installed lights. Lighting kits were always dealer optional accessories. Next, the OEM Ford light switch was FUSED. Just because yours isn't, don't think it was original. Lighting drawings are in the July, 1947 (8N) and after MPC's. Lighting kits contained a more detailed drawing with complete parts list as well. FORD OEM Electrical System was 6V/POS GRN. Wiring used a single power wire with bullet-nose connectors. Ground was made thru tractor metal. Headlights were the 6V sealed beam Tract-O-Lite teardrop style. TAILIGHT used from 39-49 was the TAURUS model, after was the DUOLAMP model. In 1949 Ford released the 8N-15500 Implement Lamp, also called the 'worklight', and also supplied by the CM HALL LAMP CO, Detroit, MI as the FORD Lamp Factory. Up til then you used the RH (per law) headlight as a worklight, but, the new Implement Lamp could be used on the previous 9N and 2N models as well. You need to know how your tractor is wired. Is it OEM 6V/POS GRN or has it been switched over to 12V/NEG GRN? Either way, if it isn't wired correctly you will have starting and charging issues, so forget the lights for now. 6V uses a GEN and a Voltage Regulator. Those get removed and an alternator put in place for a 12V system. 6V industry standard sealed beam lamps are #4019, 12V lamps sealed beam headlamps are Industry Standard #4419. TAILLIGHTS are: 6V - #63, 12V - #67. The Worklamp had its own special 6V lamp and socket. carpenter makes it and a 12V version though. A 1950 Model would indicate it has been revamped to the Angle (Side) Mount Distributor. Prior to 1950 Ford used the front mount distributor. Serial Numbers and what you may perceive as a 1950 model mean nothing. Whether it is a front mount, side mount, 6V, or 12V are the important factors here on an 8N. You can get new, exact-as-original wiring, lights, and parts from Dennis Carpenter.com as he owns much of the original tooling Ford used and is the only licensed by Ford supplier around. You can also get copies of the ESSENTIAL MANUALS which you should own anyway if'N ya wanna be an N-Owner. Here is a scan of the lighting page from the MPC and more info:

FORD TRACTOR OEM WIRING FOR LIGHTING KIT:
bDlvePih.jpg
TXqFYsih.jpg

OEM 8N LIGHTING KIT DRAWING:
NvEn0p1h.jpg


1948 FORD 8N & DEARBORN 10-8 MOLDBOARD PLOW- TIM DALEY OWNER/OPERATOR:
Wv5VhnWh.jpg

FORD 8N TRACTOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BEFORE S/N 263843 (FRONT MOUNT):
rxNF128h.jpg


FORD 8N TRACTOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AFTER S/N 263843 (ANGLE MOUNT):
s5WslaLh.jpg

WIRING PICTOGRAMS by JMOR:
TBC19a5h.jpg



FORD 8N TRACTOR ESSENTIAL OWNER/OPERATOR/PARTS/SERVICE MANUALS:
qI9P22kh.jpg



Tim Daley(MI)
 
(quoted from post at 18:58:07 01/13/21) I don't know if there is a "correct" route for the wiring in the lights.
Since they were a dealer ( or owner) installed option it was up to the judgement of the guy who installed them and may have varied a lot.
As for the fused switch; I would opt for protect over correct.
Click to expand...
o your knowledge has any installation paperwork surfaced? I dealt with a few updates and campaigns at Ford, seems we were always supplied with instructions. This website calls for 7 clips per tractor for the rear work light, curious if that was pulled from the manual or if some installation guide.
 
(quoted from post at 07:54:01 01/14/21)
(quoted from post at 18:58:07 01/13/21) I don't know if there is a "correct" route for the wiring in the lights.
Since they were a dealer ( or owner) installed option it was up to the judgement of the guy who installed them and may have varied a lot.
As for the fused switch; I would opt for protect over correct.
Click to expand...
o your knowledge has any installation paperwork surfaced? I dealt with a few updates and campaigns at Ford, seems we were always supplied with instructions. This website calls for 7 clips per tractor for the rear work light, curious if that was pulled from the manual or if some installation guide.
Click to expand...
...or if some installation guide surfaced.

EDITED for an incomplete sentence.
 
Tim, lots of good info here. The tractor has a 6v +ground system. I have a 2N with a 8N engine in mine. The lights are on the tractor but no wires. So I can't use my tractor as a pattern to follow. With the info you provided I should have no problem wiring the lights. I looked up the light switch for a '50 in the Dennis Carpenter catalog. It shows a light switch with what appears to have no fuse that is the exact copy of the original. They do have a switch very similar with a fuse. I think I will go with the one with the fuse like Ultradog recommends. I do have a copy of the I&T manual,but I might have get a copy of the MPC. I just retired in September so I hope restore a few of the old tractors we have collected over the years. Thank's again for all the info. Dale
 

i bought 2 fused light switches from TSC for $5 or 6 apiece. they work fine.

safer beats original in my book.
 
Specify which clips --- there are a few. The only one that used multiple clips was the 9N-17668, 9 required, and by the 1952 8N was reduced to only 6. By the way, it wasn't the Implement Lamp, the lighting kit rear wire ran along the RH side of shifter cover where the clips bolted to secure/guide the wire, and over to the draft control lever and back behind the seat, down to the LH axle where another clip secured the wire to feed thru the LH fender and up to plug in to the TAILLIGHT. The Implement Lamp was meant to go on the RH fender bracket and then the wire was 'Y'd off and another fed the RH axle and fender.


Tim Daley(MI)
 
Sure you can! Lighting Kits were the same 39-49 except 39-44 used the CM Hall headlamps, then the sealed beam lamps came along and Ford made the Tract-O-Lite buckets. All other parts are the same. In 1949 the TAURUS taillight was obsoleted and the DUOLAMP Taillight was released. A 2N and 8N used an almost identical engine- front mount distributor but has nothing to do with wiring. Dash switch mounted and fed rear wire same on all models. Switch will have a wire to feed headlights and one to feed rear lights. Get your MPC and see the parts list and diagram then get your Dennis Carpenter catalog to see what parts you need to order.


Tim Daley(MI)
 
The 7 clips are part number 358297, and secure to the lip on the underside of hood with a loop to hold the wire to the headlights, on the rear lights. Gotta look close on the drawing on MPC with the text and part number descriptions.


TPD
 
(quoted from post at 08:32:23 01/14/21) First of all, the Ford N-Series Tractors never had factory installed lights. Lighting kits were always dealer optional accessories. Next, the OEM Ford light switch was FUSED. Just because yours isn't, don't think it was original. Lighting drawings are in the July, 1947 (8N) and after MPC's. Lighting kits contained a more detailed drawing with complete parts list as well. FORD OEM Electrical System was 6V/POS GRN. Wiring used a single power wire with bullet-nose connectors. Ground was made thru tractor metal. Headlights were the 6V sealed beam Tract-O-Lite teardrop style. TAILIGHT used from 39-49 was the TAURUS model, after was the DUOLAMP model. In 1949 Ford released the 8N-15500 Implement Lamp, also called the 'worklight', and also supplied by the CM HALL LAMP CO, Detroit, MI as the FORD Lamp Factory. Up til then you used the RH (per law) headlight as a worklight, but, the new Implement Lamp could be used on the previous 9N and 2N models as well. You need to know how your tractor is wired. Is it OEM 6V/POS GRN or has it been switched over to 12V/NEG GRN? Either way, if it isn't wired correctly you will have starting and charging issues, so forget the lights for now. 6V uses a GEN and a Voltage Regulator. Those get removed and an alternator put in place for a 12V system. 6V industry standard sealed beam lamps are #4019, 12V lamps sealed beam headlamps are Industry Standard #4419. TAILLIGHTS are: 6V - #63, 12V - #67. The Worklamp had its own special 6V lamp and socket. carpenter makes it and a 12V version though. A 1950 Model would indicate it has been revamped to the Angle (Side) Mount Distributor. Prior to 1950 Ford used the front mount distributor. Serial Numbers and what you may perceive as a 1950 model mean nothing. Whether it is a front mount, side mount, 6V, or 12V are the important factors here on an 8N. You can get new, exact-as-original wiring, lights, and parts from Dennis Carpenter.com as he owns much of the original tooling Ford used and is the only licensed by Ford supplier around. You can also get copies of the ESSENTIAL MANUALS which you should own anyway if'N ya wanna be an N-Owner. Here is a scan of the lighting page from the MPC and more info:

FORD TRACTOR OEM WIRING FOR LIGHTING KIT:
<center><img src="https://i.imgur.com/bDlvePih.jpg"></center>
<center><img src="https://i.imgur.com/TXqFYsih.jpg"></center>

OEM 8N LIGHTING KIT DRAWING:
<center><img src="https://i.imgur.com/NvEn0p1h.jpg"></center>


1948 FORD 8N & DEARBORN 10-8 MOLDBOARD PLOW- TIM DALEY OWNER/OPERATOR:
<center><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Wv5VhnWh.jpg"></center>

FORD 8N TRACTOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BEFORE S/N 263843 (FRONT MOUNT):
<center><img src="https://i.imgur.com/rxNF128h.jpg"></center>


FORD 8N TRACTOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AFTER S/N 263843 (ANGLE MOUNT):
<center><img src="https://i.imgur.com/s5WslaLh.jpg"></center>

WIRING PICTOGRAMS by JMOR:
<center><img src="https://i.imgur.com/TBC19a5h.jpg"></center>



FORD 8N TRACTOR ESSENTIAL OWNER/OPERATOR/PARTS/SERVICE MANUALS:
<center><img src="https://i.imgur.com/qI9P22kh.jpg"></center>



Tim Daley(MI)
Click to expand...

Me thinks you could make a link to all of this like Bruce has for his 75 Tips!
 
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