Engine Wiring Harness replacement help!!

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DartVadar

DartVadar

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So I recently ordered an engine wiring harness from evans wiring, he said it comes with everything under the hood but the headlight harness. I though that was fine because I was under the impression that the headlights were a separate harness anyways. But upon taking the old harness out I found that the headlights are attached to the other harness. Its a 73 dart small block. I know I can order a separate headlight harness from evans as well, but my old one seems to be one giant harness. It seems like the previous owner really liked electrical tape...

So should I just take everything out and order a headlight harness? or should it all be attached to one giant harness?

After looking up some stuff I think I ordered the wrong harness... Well I guess I'll have to order a new one that has the engine harness AND the forward lights! Or can I add the forward light harness from the old one?
 
I thought the headlamp harness was all separate wires most years. It usually runs all the way to the front, then splits for left & right. It varied as they added side marker lamps and dedicated grounds, otherwise, the headlamp connectors and wiring never changed. Perhaps the O.P. tapped everything together.

The 3rd (top) connector was added in 1966, mostly for the wiper motor which moved to the engine bay. They did add other wires to that connector.

I have a 74 (late) small block engine & headlamp harness new in the bag that I scored cheap on ebay, but wouldn't risk it on your 73, plus shipping over the border hurts.
 
I know you can buy seperate light wiring for for the lights. So as long as it's a 73 harness I should be okay to run a seperate harness to the lights?
 
I think you'll find the headlight harness isn't separate from the forward light harness. The signal lamps, horns, etc.. are in the forward light harness, along with the headlights.
If you plan to run anything other than OEM type headlight bulbs you'll need to upgrade that wiring and add relays. In that case a reproduction of the factory harness may not be the best route.
 
I meant seperate from the engine wiring harness. Because I ordered an engine harness without lights of any sort. So I can buy a harness for all the forward lights? And use that harness and the engine harness? And I'm just running oem lights anyways.
 
I'm going to buy my engine bay harness for my 65 cuda from year 1. it is a plug n play harness from firewall to headlights and I will be able to upgraded to electronic ignition instead of using points distributor
 
65 CUDA said:
I'm going to buy my engine bay harness for my 65 cuda from year 1. it is a plug n play harness from firewall to headlights and I will be able to upgraded to electronic ignition instead of using points distributor
Click to expand...

I've heard those year one harnesses are good as well, but 65 cudas harnesses are set up differently if I'm not mistaken.

The harness I ordered from Evans was the engine wiring for electronic ignition because that came stock on my car. But because the previous owner of my car did a lot of "fixing" it seems he combined the two harnesses, and it looks like there was a fire on one of the wires years ago, definitely smart to replace them all. From what I understand after doing some research the forward light harness and engine harness are in fact two different harnesses, and they plug into different slots on the bulkhead connector.

I think this is correct anyways....
 
Apparently 73 forward light harnesses don't exist... I can't seem to find one anywhere, they all stop at 72. I can get a 73 engine and combined harness from year one but I'd like to use two seperate one considering I just bought the engine harness.

Any ideas where else I can look? And is there a difference between the 72 and 73 forward light harness?
 
Are you sure the "combined harness" is not just 2 harnesses in a single bag? The late 74 A-body bag I have looks like 2 separate harnesses in one bag, but not going to open the bag to see. Has a Year One label "HU11", over an M&H Electric Fabricators label (PN 00855).
 
It could be, but It may be different because the "HU11" is for a 74, but im sure if it looks like you have two separate harnesses in there than it would most likely be the same for 73. I'm going to call them sometime to see whats what.
 
So I spent some time unwrapping all of the electrical tape on the harnesses and there is in fact two harnesses, one for the engine and one for the forward lights. The lights harness is in good shape so I will use it again, and i'm waiting for the engine harness. I think I'm good on the engine bay wiring now. As far as I know anyways.
 
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