looking for install manual - electrical

[bens33ford]

Howdy, I have a 1985 Dodge Ramcharger 1/2 ton outfitted with an MM2 - LD series with a 7.5' blade.
Short story - I need to locate the wiring installation instructions to double check the install.
Long Story - The previous owner was not a big fan of maintenance or a real "hands-on" kinda guy. The blade has been worn down beyond the cutting edge & up into the mounting holes on one side of the blade. The wiring go thru the firewall didn't have a grommet or any protection & has been severed by the brake pedal. I have made some initial repairs & the plow functions but there are several issues. It travels left & right & raises smoothly - but drops like a rock when trying to lower the blade. (Has a joystick - rev 6) The light wiring is really jacked up. before I bother the list with the various issues I thought it would be best to verify the wiring myself first.n I have looked thru the archives & see that lighting issues are a popular topic
This is a "home-owners" plow & will just be used to clear my long driveway. Thanks in advance for pointing me to the data. This looks like a very knowledgable group. Looking forward to learning from you all.
Benjamin N. Ca.

[bens33ford]

OK - I was able to locate the install diagrams. Now I can verify/correct & or repair as required.
Info found here for future reference:

http://library.fisherplows.com/

[RepoMan207]

Ben...sounds like a train wreck! If it weren't on such an old truck, or a driveway rig, I would recomend starting over, but that's a bit pricey for what you're using it for.

Mechanic's Guide

The dropping of the blade can be corrected by adjusting the Quill....reference the guide. It also can be due to the controller. Turn the quill clockwise to achieve a slower drop.

Let me know if you have further questions or issues....I'm sure you'll have a few lol.

[bens33ford]

Wow, thanks for the mechanical link. This will be vey helpful in my troubleshooting. I have some 1/2" steel plate available so I was going to fabricate a piece & weld it on to make the blade "whole" again. A local dealer is suggesting installing a new Poly blade back on as well as a steel cutting blade. (then I'll need longer bolts of course). I thought the poly blade was for gravel surfaces etc. & was used instead of a steel cutting blade to save the wear on the steel blade. What's the thought process/reasoning behind have both a Poly & a steel blade installed at the same time??
Benjamin

[RepoMan207]

Originally Posted by bens33ford

Wow, thanks for the mechanical link. This will be vey helpful in my troubleshooting. I have some 1/2" steel plate available so I was going to fabricate a piece & weld it on to make the blade "whole" again. A local dealer is suggesting installing a new Poly blade back on as well as a steel cutting blade. (then I'll need longer bolts of course). I thought the poly blade was for gravel surfaces etc. & was used instead of a steel cutting blade to save the wear on the steel blade. What's the thought process/reasoning behind have both a Poly & a steel blade installed at the same time??
Benjamin

Yeah, I don't know what that guys thought process is...but it seems pretty asinine to me.

You need part 22181, run that for a season or two without an edge, then throw an edge on it.

[bens33ford]

Thanks. I do not know much about snowplows...but I know better than to waste the Poly blade & then "literally" drive the snowplow into the ground repeatedly. Here is a pic of how much was worn down. Note that the bolt hole on the right side is gone!

[bens33ford]

Here is pic of the replacement metal. When I'm done with the welding it'll be ready for a new poly blade.

[RepoMan207]

WOW! That has to be the worst one that I've ever seen.

[bens33ford]

OK - blade has been repaired with new metal. Now I need to order the new Poly edge & start troubleshooting the electrical. Do the dealers/distributors usually have the isolation module tester available? After reviewing the mechanical document from RepoMan207, I suspect that may the isolation module could possibly be my issue. Can I remove the module from the truck & take it to them for testing?

[brad96z28]

If you want it to drop slower just adjust the quill.

[RepoMan207]

Originally Posted by bens33ford

OK - blade has been repaired with new metal. Now I need to order the new Poly edge & start troubleshooting the electrical. Do the dealers/distributors usually have the isolation module tester available? After reviewing the mechanical document from RepoMan207, I suspect that may the isolation module could possibly be my issue. Can I remove the module from the truck & take it to them for testing?

They do, atleast they should, but being that far over in the country...ya never know. Don't take it out, the way that works is, it plugs into the wiring, as well as the ISO. you either need to buy the tester yourself, or bring the truck to them. I don't think your ISO is the issue. All you said was that the lighting was all jacked up...what's specifically is the issue...or issues? Or, what are you seeing that makes you suspect the ISO?

[bens33ford]

When I reviewed the wiring it appears that he wired the turn signals "purple leads" & the parking lights "brown lead" correctly. He did use those quickie press on splice terminals that I'll need to remove & solder properly. But the over-all quality of the install makes me want to start all over. The connectors to the plow were just wired tied to the grill. Same with the iso module. It was just wire tied to the underside of the air in-take. . The parking lights come on for both the truck & the plow. The driver-side signals work on both the truck & the plow. The pass-side signals work on the truck front & plow, but the rear light doesn't blink & the flasher speed is twice as fast as the drivers side. (maybe just the bulb on the truck rear?). The headlights do not come on for either the truck or the plow. I have verify that the bulbs on the truck & the plow were ok by removing the plug from the lamp & jumpering 12 VDC to the terminals of each lamp. I tested both the high & low beams individually & each light up as they should.
So I was going to re-do the connections, verfiy the routing, add some dielectric grease to the plugs & go thru the sequential troubleshooting flow chart. That was going to be my approach & thinking ahead.....if the headlights still didn't work, then I am guessing that the iso mod is the only thing left. Another question, if it does turn out to be the iso mod....can I create a bypass so only the plow lights come on? The rig will be used for plowing only. It's on a non op registration & stays on the property & a private road. With the cost of the poly edge ($400+ with shipping) & the potential cost of a new 4 plug iso mod. ($275) things are starting to add up!

[RepoMan207]

Originally Posted by bens33ford

When I reviewed the wiring it appears that he wired the turn signals "purple leads" & the parking lights "brown lead" correctly. He did use those quickie press on splice terminals that I'll need to remove & solder properly. But the over-all quality of the install makes me want to start all over. The connectors to the plow were just wired tied to the grill. Same with the iso module. It was just wire tied to the underside of the air in-take. . The parking lights come on for both the truck & the plow. The driver-side signals work on both the truck & the plow. The pass-side signals work on the truck front & plow, but the rear light doesn't blink & the flasher speed is twice as fast as the drivers side. (maybe just the bulb on the truck rear?). The headlights do not come on for either the truck or the plow. I have verify that the bulbs on the truck & the plow were ok by removing the plug from the lamp & jumpering 12 VDC to the terminals of each lamp. I tested both the high & low beams individually & each light up as they should.
So I was going to re-do the connections, verfiy the routing, add some dielectric grease to the plugs & go thru the sequential troubleshooting flow chart. That was going to be my approach & thinking ahead.....if the headlights still didn't work, then I am guessing that the iso mod is the only thing left. Another question, if it does turn out to be the iso mod....can I create a bypass so only the plow lights come on? The rig will be used for plowing only. It's on a non op registration & stays on the property & a private road. With the cost of the poly edge ($400+ with shipping) & the potential cost of a new 4 plug iso mod. ($275) things are starting to add up!

That sounds about typical of a homeowner job. The park lights will come on both the truck and plow, same with the turn signals. The headlamps are most likely an easy fix, finding it is the issue. 9 times out of 10, it's not the ISO. You’re obviously doing the right thing by replacing the connectors and greasing it up. If it were me, I would mentally go through the steps of installing it, and correct the issues at hand as I went along, then see where you stand with the headlamp issue. Don't take for granted that the initial installer spliced into the correct wires, or that the positive / negative common configuration is correct. Dig out the test light and go through the motions. Chances are the rapid blinking and rear turn signal aren't related...but you'll find out through the course of your mental walk through.

As far as price...that's insane. The ISO is only $100-$120 over here, and it easily can fit in a $6 flat rate box...poly edge, not so much, cheap yes, but shipping sucks. Email (RepoMan207@aol.com) me if you need a part, I'm sure we can work out the logistics of it all, and get it done cheaper.

Let me know if you have any questions, or need advice.