wiring! scared to death of touching it

[blackjackbender 0]

im pulling my engine to paint the engine and clean up engine bay. i want to remove the wiring but know nothing about wiring and nothing about removing it properly. sort of seems butchered from previous owner, any kits that replace everything in the engine and front turn signals? or even complete rewiring kits, being 18 im fairly inexpierenced but know my way around cars quite well (lots and lots to learn though) just not the damn electrical stuff. right now its all siting on the cowl still hooked togeather, didnt wanna hit it until i knew what i was doing, so how do i get it out of the way for painting? sorry if its a bit confusing.

[blackjackbender 0]

pictures to help explain my madness

 

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[Protowrxs 111]

Be scared, be very scared... hehe..

 

I'll probably get trounced here by someone that knows much more than I do (especially since it's been years since I've pulled mine apart) but here's my take;

 

The easiest way is to just tape them up with masking tape and newspaper and lay them down inside the engine compartment if you're pulling everything.

 

But if you want...

 

You can remove the headlight/starter/etc harness (far drivers side of firewall) if desired by loosening the center bolt on the fuse block on the inside of the firewall. That wiring harness *should* come loose from the fuse block then but you'll need to be careful.

 

The center harness can be pushed back into the firewall area by unplugging the closest connectors. You might have to untape a few areas from the looks of things. If I remember correctly all the connectors are slightly different.

 

One thing I did ages ago was to reroute that harness on the drivers side that wraps around the shock tower to underneath the fender by drilling a hole in the inner fender just behind the shock tower on the drivers side. I then used an extra nut on the fender bolts and some custom hangers to hold the harness. Took a bit of time but it worked for me. I plan on doing the same or more hiding as the rebuild gets to that point.

 

Wiring harness replacements are available but the ones I've seen are terribly expensive.

 

-Stephen

[bnickel 10,004]

man that harness doesn't even look like it's in the right place. i would seriously consider buying new wiring for at least the engine compartment. the engine bay harness also known as the headlight harness is the big one and usually goes for around 225 bucks, then add the engine sensor harness about 25 bucks and the alternator harness for another 35 bucks or so and you should be good to go. from the looks of that wiring mess it's a wonder the car hasn't already burned to the ground

[Pakrat 1,043]

The easiest way is to just tape them up with masking tape and newspaper and lay them down inside the engine compartment if you're pulling everything.

 

Actually just FYI, there is an easier way. If you use aluminum foil then it is one step instead of two, no fumbling with paper and tape. I use this everytime I detail the bay with engine inside still or when I wash it to proect electrical areas, works quite well.

[bnickel 10,004]

The easiest way is to just tape them up with masking tape and newspaper and lay them down inside the engine compartment if you're pulling everything.

 

Actually just FYI, there is an easier way. If you use aluminum foil then it is one step instead of two, no fumbling with paper and tape. I use this everytime I detail the bay with engine inside still or when I wash it to proect electrical areas, works quite well.

 

i'll second the aluminum foil recommendation, i use it for all kinds of different things.

[Protowrxs 111]

Actually just FYI, there is an easier way. If you use aluminum foil then it is one step instead of two, no fumbling with paper and tape. I use this everytime I detail the bay with engine inside still or when I wash it to proect electrical areas, works quite well.

 

Wow.. cool. I learned something new in my old age. That could be very usefull for many other situations as well.

 

Thanks!

-Stephen

[buening 63]

Is your interior out of the car, or at least the dash? Problem i see here is the last two pics show the harness that runs to the passenger side of the engine bay and goes through the firewall via a grommet. Well, that part of the harness is also tied with the underdash harness. Now if it were the harness at the green plug on the drivers side of the firewall, which is the headlight harness, it would be easy. Unplug that one, go on ebay and find one for $30 and plug the new one back in. Piece of cake. The bugger that you have will require taking the upper dash and both instrument and clock panel in order to do it easily. A whole new underdash harness would be the optimal way to go. I've seen them on ebay for under $100 with only a few minor cuts, like a missing lighter plug or such. The prices for new ones are insane and with patience you can find some nice ones on ebay. Too bad it is a 69, cause i have multiple harnesses for 70 models. Whenever i see them cheap i gobble them up cause i know what the refurbished originals are selling for. You COULD find a not so great underdash harness on ebay and cut the parts off of that harness that are missing on yours and splice them into yours. As long as it is a 69 dash harness, the wires will be colored the same and it will be easy. Also a wiring diagram would help a bunch in determining which missing wires go to what on the car.

[blackjackbender 0]

Is your interior out of the car, or at least the dash? Problem i see here is the last two pics show the harness that runs to the passenger side of the engine bay and goes through the firewall via a grommet. Well, that part of the harness is also tied with the underdash harness. Now if it were the harness at the green plug on the drivers side of the firewall, which is the headlight harness, it would be easy. Unplug that one, go on ebay and find one for $30 and plug the new one back in. Piece of cake. The bugger that you have will require taking the upper dash and both instrument and clock panel in order to do it easily. A whole new underdash harness would be the optimal way to go. I've seen them on ebay for under $100 with only a few minor cuts, like a missing lighter plug or such. The prices for new ones are insane and with patience you can find some nice ones on ebay. Too bad it is a 69, cause i have multiple harnesses for 70 models. Whenever i see them cheap i gobble them up cause i know what the refurbished originals are selling for. You COULD find a not so great underdash harness on ebay and cut the parts off of that harness that are missing on yours and splice them into yours. As long as it is a 69 dash harness, the wires will be colored the same and it will be easy. Also a wiring diagram would help a bunch in determining which missing wires go to what on the car.

 

it is a 70 actually. the plug that goes into the firewall on the driver side, does that unplug or is that just a grommet?

 

thanks for the help again

 

Ty

[buening 63]

Well there the one in the pics that is shown going through a hole in the firewall, that is a grommet going to under the dash and is the part of the underdash harness. On the far drivers side of the firewall there is a square connector that from the inside of the car is your fusebox and from the under the hood appears like a rubber square plug with individual wires going into it. That particular harness is the headlight harness. Let me know if you need the headlight harness, i think i have a few that are not cut up. Does your grill have mach sport lamps or is it a standard grille?

[blackjackbender 0]

Well there the one in the pics that is shown going through a hole in the firewall, that is a grommet going to under the dash and is the part of the underdash harness. On the far drivers side of the firewall there is a square connector that from the inside of the car is your fusebox and from the under the hood appears like a rubber square plug with individual wires going into it. That particular harness is the headlight harness. Let me know if you need the headlight harness, i think i have a few that are not cut up. Does your grill have mach sport lamps or is it a standard grille?

 

its a standard grill.

 

well i sorted everything out and found that the wire taped over went to my wiper motor, labeled everything and took it apart, i think ill cross the rewiring thing later on when the engines going back in to see what im missing or what i am going to need to replace to get it working correctly and safely.

 

how do i remove the fuse box thing to paint or do i just tape it off and spray around it?

[buening 63]

Well there the one in the pics that is shown going through a hole in the firewall, that is a grommet going to under the dash and is the part of the underdash harness. On the far drivers side of the firewall there is a square connector that from the inside of the car is your fusebox and from the under the hood appears like a rubber square plug with individual wires going into it. That particular harness is the headlight harness. Let me know if you need the headlight harness, i think i have a few that are not cut up. Does your grill have mach sport lamps or is it a standard grille?

 

its a standard grill.

 

well i sorted everything out and found that the wire taped over went to my wiper motor, labeled everything and took it apart, i think ill cross the rewiring thing later on when the engines going back in to see what im missing or what i am going to need to replace to get it working correctly and safely.

 

how do i remove the fuse box thing to paint or do i just tape it off and spray around it?

 

Under the dash at the fuse box there is a bolt in the center. Loosen that bolt but it is attached with a spring so you probably won't be able to tell if you have loosened it enough. Once you think it is loosened, pull on the fusebox and it will detach from the underhood connector. Then, you can see sqeeze tabs either on the top and bottom or on each side. Squeeze them in order to remove the connector from the firewall. Hope this helps!

[sixtynine_stang 0]

If anyone has a harness that might be hacked up a bit, I'm looking for the part of the harness on the passenger side fender that connects to the voltage regulator and has the connectors for the alternator harness and the coil. Mine looks as scary as the one in the picture. Somebody really butchered the thing; replaced connectors, stuffed wires in without soldering them, it's a very sorry sight. Can anyone help me out? I have some pictures of the carnage in a prior post, "The Spaghetti Incident," but I'm still looking for some help with it. It's holding me up from starting everything else. I'd rather not have to spend the money for a new harness, but I might not have a choice in the matter if I can't find a suitable donor. Has anyone bought a replacement harness, and can you make a recommendation as to which one to buy if I have to? Thanks.

Mattie

[buening 63]

I take it from your username that your car is a 69. There should be three parts to the harness that runs on the passenger side of the car. One is the alternator/voltage regulator and will have a 3 prong connector, which plugs into the other end of the alternator harness. Then there are two single wires with a 90° female rubber bullet end that go to the I and S post of the solenoid. Finally there is a thick black wire with an O-ring on the end and that goes to the battery post of the solenoid. On my 70, the voltage regulator connector and harness was part of the alternator harness. A 70 alternator harness has a two prong connector that connects it to the main harness going back to the firewall, whereas the 69 has three (or maybe four?). There's a pic of the 70 alternator harness w/voltage regulator harness in the NPD catalog. I gave away my only 69 harness so i can't look at it for reference. Hopefully others may chime in. Oh and the only wires going to the coil is one from the distributor and the other in the harness that goes atop the motor that has the temp sender wire and oil pressure sender wire. Hope this helps some.

[bswor 76]

If anyone has a harness that might be hacked up a bit, I'm looking for the part of the harness on the passenger side fender that connects to the voltage regulator and has the connectors for the alternator harness and the coil. Mine looks as scary as the one in the picture. Somebody really butchered the thing; replaced connectors, stuffed wires in without soldering them, it's a very sorry sight. Can anyone help me out? I have some pictures of the carnage in a prior post, "The Spaghetti Incident," but I'm still looking for some help with it. It's holding me up from starting everything else. I'd rather not have to spend the money for a new harness, but I might not have a choice in the matter if I can't find a suitable donor. Has anyone bought a replacement harness, and can you make a recommendation as to which one to buy if I have to? Thanks.

Mattie

 

I replaced my wiring to the voltage regulator using a $5 replacement from either NPD, Dallas Mustang, or California mustang. They dont list small items like this in their catalogs so you will have to call them.

 

NPD = http://www.npdlink.com

Dallas = http://www.dallasmustang.com

Cal = http://www.cal-mustang.com

 

Go here to get their phone numbers.

[sixtynine_stang 0]

I saw a voltage regulator repair pigtail, but it was for a Bronco. I e-mailed them to ask if they had one for my car. I really need it. I'm working methodically, and I want to get the engine squared away before I move on to my suspension, and finally the interior and exterior. I'm still praying that I wont have to completely replace the harness. Thanks for the tip.

Mattie