62' fordomatic 2 speed....

[iRobert1989]

Hello,
I'm new to the forum. I needed some help/information. I currently have a 62' Ford Falcon 2.4L I-6 1700CC paired with the Fordomatic 2 speed trans that has now become my project car. My mom who was the previous owner did not take care of it and it needs some TLC. I recently did the oil and filter which was an easy feat. However, now I have a few issues that I was hoping someone could help me with. Here is all information known about the car...

New brakes. New master cylinder. The old one had a hole in the cap that blew brake fluid all over the right fender well and removed the new paint in the engine compartment.

New strut rods, rubbers, nuts and washers. Do not lose or damage those nuts. They are a very rare size and are very difficult to replace. The ones I got came from a supplier in Tennessee. If the nuts get lost or damaged, it would be easier to weld on a different, more common thread size onto the strut rods and start all over with another conventional nut size.

Engine. All New remanufactured. Converted to 170 cubic inch displacement with new cam and hydraulic lifters to eliminate need for adjusting valves every 10 to 15 thousand miles. The only things original in the engine are the block and head. The head had several bad valve seats and the rebuilder was almost ready to throw it away, but did manage to save it....

I would like to ask about the fluid situation. As stated I changed the oil and filter about two weeks ago. I put on a Mobil 1 Filter and used Mobil 1 10W-40 synthetic oil. That was what was recommended to me. I'm going to change the antifreeze later tonight in class. I wanted to ask about transmission fluid and what it needs if it needs it. Also, if it needs any sort of steering fluid or brake fluid. It doesn't have power brakes or power steering so i'm a little unclear about what it needs.

The headlights, tail lights, and turn signals all work perfectly. However, the brake lights will not light up and the instrument cluster doesn't light up. Also, the car is running rather rich I think it may be the carburetor. I'd love to hear all the advice I can get. Thank you

[R62HOPE]

These are some of the easiest cars to maintain and to learn the basics of auto repair and maintenance. Great choice!!

Type "F" tranny fluid for the 2 speed. Nothing to add for manual steering. Dot 3 Brake fluid as needed; this would have been added to the master cylinder when the master cylinder was replaced. Even if you had power brakes the brake fluid would be the same.

The brake light switch is mounted to the front of the master cylinder - it sort of looks like a metal mushroom with two wires coming out of the top. Make sure it has power to it and that you get power through it when you step on the brake pedal.

If you aren't familiar with or comfortable with just jumping in and learning from mistakes I suggest you grab a service manual. You can learn a lot from just tinkering and from the forums. But for clear diagrams and ALL the answers* the factory book is the best bet.

*All of the answers except why the engineers put the fuse box on the headlight switch...

[yank with ute]

Lesson #1 If the dash lights are out you have no (running) tail lamps as they are connected to the same FUSE.

Lesson #2 If you do not have tail lamps your dash lights won't work because they are on the same fuse.

The non-working dash lights was Ford and other US car makers way of telling you the fuse for the tail lights had blown.

[Squirlz]

Originally Posted by yank with ute

Lesson #1 If the dash lights are out you have no (running) tail lamps as they are connected to the same FUSE.

Lesson #2 If you do not have tail lamps your dash lights won't work because they are on the same fuse.

The non-working dash lights was Ford and other US car makers way of telling you the fuse for the tail lights had blown.

There are, of course, other answers. I have working tail lamps on my '62 but no dash lights. Probably a wiring or bulb issue.

My brake lights don't work until the pedal is pressed HARD. Probably air in the system.

[yank with ute]

There are different pressure ratings for the activator switch which is mounted outside the master cylinder. Have no idea if they can be purchased at a high volume parts store but I have seen them listed in catalogs from companies advertising in street rod magazines.