Please Help identifying underhood components

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Mako21

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Hello all,

Still very new to this but enjoying learning.
Electrically, could someone please tell me as indicated by the attached photo from left to right, labeled A through F, what the name of each component is?

Mechanically, my Dart is just about right, now looking into the electrical system and the components which are most prone to fail. Thanks.

0DB1F635-1366-4BAE-80A1-B8BA8014A312.jpeg
 
A & D are potential failures.
Keep an extra D with you, and a will fail if you have any kind of electrical issue or overload the charging system
 
I don't think you can go to NAPA and ask for an extra "D". I think he is looking for the actual components name. I could be wrong.


Oh, and in 3, 2, 1. You are going to be informed to download the free service manual.
 
Item A has a bunch of gunk/dried resin oil that leaked down it at some point, but the car runs fine.

It’s a 1976 so I think I have the 60 amp alternator system.
 
Yes please m, if someone would be so kind to list the name of each
A
B
C
D
E
F
 
Well C. looks like the backside of your fuse block. D. is Ballast. and F. is electronic ignition module (or ignition control module)
 
Let me try,
A looks like the charging regulator
B looks like a vacuum accumulator/distributor
C looks like the bulkhead wiring connector
D looks like the ignition ballast resistor
E looks like the starter relay
F looks like the electronic ignition module
 
A Unkown to me
B unknown to me
C bulkhead connectors (source of many a failure)
D ballast resister (many say it is a failure point my 67 has 321,000 miles and never a ballast resister replacement)
E unknown to me
F Mopar electronic ignition module

I believe Rustycowell69 is correct that A is the voltage regulator, and the goop leaking from it is the pottant from the back side that covers the electronics..
 
Last edited:
I think the correct term for B is vacuum amplifier.
A is voltage regulator
D is ballast resistor
C bulkhead connector
E starter relay
F is electronic ignition control box
 
What would be some preventive maintenance I could complete to be proactive and support the electrical system as a whole?
 
Pull every electrical connector, inspect/clean terminals, apply dielectric grease to terminals, and reassemble. Corrosion is the number one problem. Also sometimes wires are melted. In that case you need to find out why.
 
I forgot: Also look at all the grounds. Almost all of them are sheetmetal screws screwed into sheetmetal. Which also corrode/rust over time. Also, many components are often grounded thru their cases (ignition module is one "ground" that almost always goes bad). Clean all of those terminals and their screws up, and put a little dielectric grease on those connections too.
 
Number 1 failure of Mopar crappy electrical systems is people adding on extra electrical load (stereos, electric fans, etc) and not understanding how the electrical system operates. The bulkhead connector (C in your photo) is the first spot to be proactive about preventative maintenance. Number two is the ammeter connections under the dash at the ammeter.
 
I always add dedicated ground wires to anything that grounds through the chassis with a small sheet metal screw. Another way to take a load off the wiring harness is to run the headlights off relays.
 
Hey guys, I hope you had a great holiday weekend thanks for all the great input and advise.

I’m ordering a headlight kit from the member Rob (crackerback) to take some load off the electrical system.

I do plan to update my lights to LED using slant six Dan’s recommendations.

I’ll check all the fittings and connectors for proper grounds, sand off any corrosion, and apply the dielectric grease to fittings.

Other than that I don’t plan to add any electrical components add ones to overload the system (stereo/electric fans). Stock is good enough for me. Hope it continues to last a long time.
 
Dana is correct. Mako21 elsewhere has posted that his car is 1976.
You can search FABO for a pdf of the 1976 wiring diagrams that 67Dart23 has posted and that I've tried to help people with understanding.
It is very important to understand how a '76 is wired differently from the previous years before mucking with it.
Adding the headlight relays (using Stern's parts or crackedback's) will still be benificial.
Do not add a wire around.
No need to mess with the ammeter or the wires to it.
Cleaning connections is fine but observe that the '76 has multiple fusible links that as far as I can tell are crimped/welded or similarly joined into the lines. If so, don't try to pull them apart.
If you like the idea of LED's, Stern is probably one of your best sources of info and guidance. I personally see no advantage but to each there own.
 
I always always always recommended bypassing the bulkhead connector for the ammeter wires.

I also recommend running the output stud on the alternator straight to the battery.

I usually catch hell for suggesting either.
 
I always always always recommended bypassing the bulkhead connector for the ammeter wires.

I also recommend running the output stud on the alternator straight to the battery.

I usually catch hell for suggesting either.
and why would you suggest that on a '76 ?
 
Well, I will admit that I'm really new to this and now thoroughly confused. I've gone down a big rabbit hole now trying to find articles and discussion on 1976 wiring. From what I can ascertain, and please correct me if I'm wrong, the '76 wiring is actually an upgrade from previous cars? I don't think fusible links are a bad thing to incorporate and the 50 amp stock alternator is good (it seems these big alternators are sought after on the older model cars).

Overall, I will keep trying to learn and do my research.

So will upgrading the headlights with a relay kit on a '76 really help take a load off my electrical system? How beneficial would it be? I did read a discussion about the slight difference in wiring and fusible links incorporated.

Why would Chrysler change out the wiring which worked so long for them on previous cars?
 
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