Electrical schematic request - 41 Convt. electric top

fortyonerag

fortyonerag

Well-known member
All,

Can anyone assist? I'm looking for a wiring schematic for a 41 Ford electric convertible top.

This is not a hydraulic pump/ram system like later models. There is a motor either side operating a screw jack assembly.

I understand these are shunt wired motors and I should be able to figure this, but I thought I'd ask here before diving in.

Any assistance appreciated.
 
Try Electro Hydraulics in Punta Gorda,Fl. They provide wiring,
motors and parts for Ford convertible tops. G.M.
 
Get a copy of the 1939-48 Ford/Mercury shop manual If you own a vehicle from those years, you need this book It has extensive info on the Auto-Lite electric top. Order from C&G at 800/266-0470. Order the printed version V-222, or the CD version CD-39-48, which is less expensive. The electric top was a one year model in 1941, and replaced the earlier vacuum version in previous years. The electric top was difficult to adjust, as the motors tended to get out of sync. This problem survived in the later retractable hard top, and spelled the end of that type when service became an expensive matter.
 
If you have access to 1935 to 1952 Motors Auto Repair manual there is some information there. The info is quite basic. it does have a diagram showing switch and breaker locations. PM me if you want it. I can scan the info for you.
 
My 39-48 shop manual does have the wiring diagram.. Send me a personal message on the site and I'll scan it for you.
 
PM's sent. Many thanks, supereal and 41ford1.

I have the Ford 1932-1941 shop manual, the 41 Super Deluxe owners booklet and the EFV8 book. All great reference texts, but none with the convertible top schematic I need for the 41.

It would be easy if the 41 used a hydro electric system (I have a schematic for this) instead of two screw jack motors.

P.S. Hydro-E-Lectric had no data but were kind enough to respond, for which I thank them.

Many thanks for the assistance.
 
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The 1939 to 1948 green cover Service Manual used reprint material from a Canadian Ford training shop manual and has a lot of information the plain Ford manuals didn't have. It covers Ford & Mercury cars & trucks. The Autolite electric top info is in there. Reprints of these are not as good as the originals unless a digital copy is taken from an original but they aren't bad.
 
fortyonerag said:
PM's sent. Many thanks, supereal and 41ford1.

I have the Ford 1932-1941 shop manual, the 41 Super Deluxe owners booklet and the EFV8 book. All great reference texts, but none with the convertible top schematic I need for the 41.

It would be easy if the 41 used a hydro electric system (I have a schematic for this) instead of two screw jack motors.

P.S. Hydro-E-Lectric had no data but were kind enough to respond, for which I thank them.

Many thanks for the assistance.
Click to expand...

Just wondering, in 53', the Mercury used two screw jacks and a single motor. How similar were the systems?
 

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The 1941 Autolite system had just the two separate motors. They were problematic when one motor would run faster than the other which is a characteristic of any worn electric motor. Due to these problems, the system was short lived.

A lot of later convertible electric actuator systems used those dual drives off of a single motor to solve the speed differential problem but it seems all of them can be problematic at times. The more complex the system, the more possibilities of problems.
 
rotorwrench said:
The 1941 Autolite system had just the two separate motors. They were problematic when one motor would run faster than the other which is a characteristic of any worn electric motor. Due to these problems, the system was short lived.

A lot of later convertible electric actuator systems used those dual drives off of a single motor to solve the speed differential problem but it seems all of them can be problematic at times. The more complex the system, the more possibilities of problems.
Click to expand...

This system only lasted a year and a half and then they went back to hydraulic cylinders.
 
Merc Cruzer said:
Just wondering, in 53', the Mercury used two screw jacks and a single motor. How similar were the systems?
Click to expand...

Many thanks for the schematic. The 41 is different to the 54 in that it has no control relays that I can see. One switch (many terminals) and two motors.

Quite a few big wires. I'll just get off my slack backside and ring the circuit out I guess.
 
41ford1 said:
I am attaching the scans from the Motors Manual here. I hope these help on your project.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the post. The 41' and 53' systems are very similar, except the 53' used a single motor, which would would eliminate the issue of of out of sinc motors. It is interesting to note that just prior to the 53' system, it was vacuum and then mid 53', they went back to vacuum and no screw jacks. I would bet that 53' system could be adapted very easily, if someone wanted to go that way, and the out of sinc issue became too much of an issue.

This has been an a very educational post.
 
Merc Cruzer said:
Thanks for the post. The 41' and 53' systems are very similar, except the 53' used a single motor, which would would eliminate the issue of of out of sinc motors. It is interesting to note that just prior to the 53' system, it was vacuum and then mid 53', they went back to vacuum and no screw jacks. I would bet that 53' system could be adapted very easily, if someone wanted to go that way, and the out of sinc issue became too much of an issue.

This has been an a very educational post.
Click to expand...

Do you mean hydraulic instead of vacuum?
 
In 1952 I used a pair of '41 Ford conv top motors, complete with the wiring and switch in my '36 Ford coupe as a remote lift for the deck lid. Pretty trick setup, especially sitting in the car and having the deck lid raise and lower as if by magic.
Never had a problem for over ten years, then one day one of the motors quit. I pulled the attachment bolt out of one jack, disconnected the wiring from same, the one remaining jack has worked just fine every since.
There are no relays built-into the system, just the wiring loom and the Ford self cancelling switch.
Throughout the years a lot of people have tried their best to buy the '41 system from me.
 
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