Newbie Help - '67 CJ-5 Basics to make road worthy - Issue #3 – Electrical

I’m sure much of this has been addressed in the past, so please excuse a newbie for not having the patience to sort through all the threads with the search function. If someone could kindly refer me to a link of a relevant thread from the past, many thanks.

This is one of three threads to address the three issues I have with getting my “new” jeep road worthy; I thought it prudent to keep them in separate threads as they may go different directions.

Background: Last week, I inherited a 1967 CJ-5 with the 225 CID V6. It has been in my family since brand new. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been very well maintained. The engine is strong (only 19K original miles) and the drivetrain feels good and nothing leaks. However, lots of peripheral areas need serious attention. While I’m pretty savvy from a vehicle and engineering standpoint, I am completely Jeep-stupid and while I’ve already learned a lot from this and other forums, I have a long way to go.

Issue #3: Electrical – Tail lights and Signals

Both tail lights work, but both are busted and need replaced. I’ve already seen some factory tail light replacements on the internet, but what about turn signals? It looks like there is a signal switch on the left of my steering column, but it doesn’t work the taillights? Are turn signals on these vehicles aftermarket? Is there something I am missing? It looks like the wiper motors are shot as well, but that seems pretty self explanatory.

Thanks to all in advance.

 

The turn signals flash the taillights. All cars came with turn signals by law after about 1950 or so.

The bulb in each taillight has two filaments, a bright one and a dim one. If you look at the base of the bulb, there are two contacts. Those plus the ground through the bulb base makes two circuits. The dim filament is your running lights, and it's on all the time, both sides, when the light switch is out.

The bright filament is for both the brake lights and the turn signals. When there is no turn signal on and you press the brake pedal, both filaments are on. When you use the turn signals and no brakes, one bulb flashes. When you signal and brake at the same time, one bulb flashes to signal the turn and the other is on all the time to indicate braking.

All this is handled in the switching in the (factory!) turn signal switch.

Make sense? hth!

 

Tims right, if your turn signal switch says Sparton on it, its original. They are also self canceling with the proper adjustment.
Here is a guide to help service the unit, this is an Allstate, but it's almost an exact copy.
http://www.jeep-trucks.com/WOJP/Electrical/Spartan.html