I hate electrical

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gtgto

gtgto

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
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My car has been running great for while but the last time I drove it I got it home and left it outside. After dinner I decided to wash the windows inside and out. Got in the car and it turned over fine but would not start......No spark was the cause. While pushing down on the bulkead connectors my fusible link came apart right where it connects to the harness.....I figured its as good time to replace my bulkhead connectors and remove clean and place all the wires in the 3 new connectors I have. I also ordered a new fusible link and 30 male and 20 female packard connectors. I don't have a proper crimping tool so I ordered one I found online with the help of FABO. Fusible link should be here tomorrow. Not sure about the connectors and crimping tool. I removed cleaned and placed all wires in new connectors today and only broke one.. When I get everything else I ordered in the coming days I should be good to go. What are the chances my car is going to fire up without any further issues. Some of the connectors were not locked in place and they were all pretty grungy. All are like new now.
 
Seems logical that your no fire was caused by the bulkhead connector/s


Only time will tell
 
Funny - a 50 year old part giving you trouble here in New England. I’d bring it back to the dealer and ask for warranty.
Lol! Good luck and keep us posted. Your info will help others in the future.
 
New, cleaned up connectors will make a world of difference. I totally redid my dash harness, and once plugged in, everything fired up fine.
 
The original problem sounds exactly like a ballis resistor....
Bulkhead connectors are for factory ease of installation.. I'm not a fan of them at all...
Expensive to replace not necessary and just another place to fail again.,..
 
j par said:
The original problem sounds exactly like a ballis resistor....
Bulkhead connectors are for factory ease of installation.. I'm not a fan of them at all...
Expensive to replace not necessary and just another place to fail again.,..
Click to expand...
I do have a few ballist Resistors ready to go if needed. Right now I am done with the cleaning up of each and every wire and its connector to the 3 bulkhead connectors except for the one I broke. I cannot install it till my damn crimping tool comes and USPS decided it would be a great idea to screw my delivery up. How does the part go from Ma. one state away from me in CT to CT to my town, says OUT FOR DELIVERY and then it says MISSENT and its back in Springfield Ma. again......Maybe today, maybe tomorrow.....I hope to get it some day. I even tried to go buy a crimping tool from Advance Auto and Home Depot cause I am impatient but no luck....I decided to wait it out till mine arrives. I might head to harbor freight and see if they stock one that will work for the packard connectors. How annoying.
 
I used these, probably a little different, but you are really looking to make a nice tight connection regardless of its "shape". I also soldered each connector.
Klein Tools Crimping and Cutting Tool for Connectors 1005SEN - The Home Depot
I had a LOT to do because I installed a modern fuse panel and underhood maxi fuse/relay box out of an explorer (IIRC) up under the dash. Every wire in/out of that is on a Molex connector. Alt power, Ignition, headlight & horn wiring go through a "hidden" pass through rather than the bulkhead connection.
Hi & lo beams, ACC & run circuits all get fed through relays rather than their switches, switches are now just low current triggers.
Why? because it's a great idea in theory. Was it needed? probably not to the extent that I took it, but some things will benefit from it. Brighter headlights was the impetus that started the saga.
It was a lot more than I bargained for, & I still need to transcribe my documentation to a proper diagram, but so far everything is powering up as expected. (one at a time, I haven't given it an all at once test yet)
 
gtgto said:
I do have a few ballist Resistors ready to go if needed. Right now I am done with the cleaning up of each and every wire and its connector to the 3 bulkhead connectors except for the one I broke. I cannot install it till my damn crimping tool comes and USPS decided it would be a great idea to screw my delivery up. How does the part go from Ma. one state away from me in CT to CT to my town, says OUT FOR DELIVERY and then it says MISSENT and its back in Springfield Ma. again......Maybe today, maybe tomorrow.....I hope to get it some day. I even tried to go buy a crimping tool from Advance Auto and Home Depot cause I am impatient but no luck....I decided to wait it out till mine arrives. I might head to harbor freight and see if they stock one that will work for the packard connectors. How annoying.
Click to expand...
I did a frame off frustration on my 74 power wagon and pulled all of that old wiring out from head to toe.. had no interest in using that 50-year-old crap or that bullhead connector which I promptly sealed... I did use my factory end pieces for plugging in the headlights tail lights marker lights and turn signals and also switch the wiring kits Chevy connection to a Dodge connection in the steering column area so if I needed to replace my ignition or my turn signal harness I could just plug it in... The rest of it scrap metal... I used it cheap 20 circuit wiring kit and it had plenty of wire with tons left over to do the entire long bed club cab truck...
I used solder filled shrink wrap butt connections and put it all in wrapped loom... Of which I bought a few different sizes... And colors...
I also purchased a heat gun...
Screenshot_20221026-074612-712.png


Screenshot_20221026-075028-623.png


Screenshot_20221024-082820-905.png
 
RogerRamRod said:
I used these, probably a little different, but you are really looking to make a nice tight connection regardless of its "shape". I also soldered each connector.
Klein Tools Crimping and Cutting Tool for Connectors 1005SEN - The Home Depot
I had a LOT to do because I installed a modern fuse panel and underhood maxi fuse/relay box out of an explorer (IIRC) up under the dash. Every wire in/out of that is on a Molex connector. Alt power, Ignition, headlight & horn wiring go through a "hidden" pass through rather than the bulkhead connection.
Hi & lo beams, ACC & run circuits all get fed through relays rather than their switches, switches are now just low current triggers.
Why? because it's a great idea in theory. Was it needed? probably not to the extent that I took it, but some things will benefit from it. Brighter headlights was the impetus that started the saga.
It was a lot more than I bargained for, & I still need to transcribe my documentation to a proper diagram, but so far everything is powering up as expected. (one at a time, I haven't given it an all at once test yet)
Click to expand...
I did almost the same thing as you when I redid my wiring under hood on my 85 D150. I went to the junkyard and got the under hood fuse box from a 90-92 ranger and everything that used to be thru a fusible link is now thru a Maxi fuse.
I had a bulletin from Littelfuse on my old phone I don't think it transferred over to this one when I had to get a new phone. But it told of how the Maxi fuse came to be and that it did so specially to replace fusible links which I absolutely HATE with a passion.i emailed Littelfuse several times back n forth while I was at it.

I hunted all over the place for any kind of reference to equate #of amp rating of a given size (gauge) fusible link to a given fuse rating but wasted lots of time, came up empty. All I did find was the standard color chart that related color to gauge size.
When all was said and done I looked at the gauge size of the parent circuit (before it went to the fusible link) and was able to match up the wire gauge size with a fuse holder and the (same) gauge size wire coming out of it. If my wiring was 10ga it went to a fuse in the new box that was 10 ga. Etc.
And went with whatever rated fuse was already in that slot according to the diagram on the fuse box. I then simply drew up a pic of the fuse box (think high school drafting class) and wrote in my new use for each fuse blank. All crimped soldered and heat shrink coated.
I went to the junkyard and got a (much better) harness off another truck like mine to begin this project, since mine was so badly butchered by the PO I have to wonder how this truck lasted long enough for me to be able to buy it before it would have become a charred ashy mess.....
 
Now to do the in cab part. I left the original bulkhead setup stock as Dodge built it, next part is to swap in the in cab portion of the harness, (that I have) so I can run power windows and AC which I have yet to add into my truck but have everything needed to do so. It goes to paint first before that happens though.
 
gtgto said:
My car has been running great for while but the last time I drove it I got it home and left it outside. After dinner I decided to wash the windows inside and out. Got in the car and it turned over fine but would not start......No spark was the cause. While pushing down on the bulkead connectors my fusible link came apart right where it connects to the harness.....I figured its as good time to replace my bulkhead connectors and remove clean and place all the wires in the 3 new connectors I have. I also ordered a new fusible link and 30 male and 20 female packard connectors. I don't have a proper crimping tool so I ordered one I found online with the help of FABO. Fusible link should be here tomorrow. Not sure about the connectors and crimping tool. I removed cleaned and placed all wires in new connectors today and only broke one.. When I get everything else I ordered in the coming days I should be good to go. What are the chances my car is going to fire up without any further issues. Some of the connectors were not locked in place and they were all pretty grungy. All are like new now.
Click to expand...
My crimping tool arrived today so after a wonderful day at work I get to do something I like to do.....the leaf blowing can wait another day. I'll check in later with an update.
 
gtgto said:
My crimping tool arrived today so after a wonderful day at work I get to do something I like to do.....the leaf blowing can wait another day. I'll check in later with an update.
Click to expand...
I finished up and fixed the broken wire.....Got everything away from the engine and checked my voltage at the coil with key on.....I cheated and put timing light in place as I turned over the engine at the relay with the key on and I have spark....Turned over for a little bit to get gas to the carb and she fired up......Checked all my lights and horn and everything worked except my backup lights.....I will check the wiring and also the linkage which goes to the column since I had to rebuild that while I was trying to get the car back into reverse, and the bracket which holds the rod in place for the column lock fell off.....I re installed it and have all gears but still no backup lights,,,,,I'll check things this weekend....Supposed to be nice here tomorrow so I'm planning on taking my car to work. Running out of good weather.
 
gtgto said:
I finished up and fixed the broken wire.....Got everything away from the engine and checked my voltage at the coil with key on.....I cheated and put timing light in place as I turned over the engine at the relay with the key on and I have spark....Turned over for a little bit to get gas to the carb and she fired up......Checked all my lights and horn and everything worked except my backup lights.....I will check the wiring and also the linkage which goes to the column since I had to rebuild that while I was trying to get the car back into reverse, and the bracket which holds the rod in place for the column lock fell off.....I re installed it and have all gears but still no backup lights,,,,,I'll check things this weekend....Supposed to be nice here tomorrow so I'm planning on taking my car to work. Running out of good weather.
Click to expand...
We're just Now running INTO Good Weather!
 
I've had my car out a few times since cleaning up the bulkhead and the car is running flawlessly. My new issue is my reverse light on the dash and my backup lights are now not working. I look at my wiring diagram and my bulkhead connectors and i see wires in places they shouldn't be.....I took a break from it cause I was getting annoyed. I'll get back at it soon when my frustration level subsides. Does anyone have a picture of where the wires from the trans reverse switch end up at the bulkhead? I'm also wondering if the linkage from the column for reverse lockout mechanism is out of adjustment since I had to play with that a little when the connector which holds the rod up to the column was not connected to anything after I put the car in reverse. The sleeve on the column was spinning freely. Its always something.
 
By the mid-1980's, I think all manufacturers gave up on bulkhead connectors and just ran the thick wire bundles straight thru a bulkhead hole. The wiring had grown so much that a connector was impractical. Makes a rewiring job tougher. My 1985 M-B is somewhat in-between. All the 12 VDC supply wires pass thru a fuse box which sits in the the firewall, so sort of a bulkhead connector.
 
I also had a no spark issue other week. I had cleaned bulk head connectors several times, changed the ignition switch to a new one, some of the firewall part looked suspect. SOooo. I did run the big RED wire thru direct. Changed out the coil, points/condensor. Balast. The dist. was new a year ago. Nothing. Messing with it one day I noticed I hit the neg. coil post with a jmper bd also it th points. Then I had spark I also hate electrical as I SUCK at it, and I have no idea why I then had spark out the coil and at plugs. It runs again!!
Anyway!!!
 
gtgto said:
I've had my car out a few times since cleaning up the bulkhead and the car is running flawlessly. My new issue is my reverse light on the dash and my backup lights are now not working. I look at my wiring diagram and my bulkhead connectors and i see wires in places they shouldn't be.....I took a break from it cause I was getting annoyed. I'll get back at it soon when my frustration level subsides. Does anyone have a picture of where the wires from the trans reverse switch end up at the bulkhead? I'm also wondering if the linkage from the column for reverse lockout mechanism is out of adjustment since I had to play with that a little when the connector which holds the rod up to the column was not connected to anything after I put the car in reverse. The sleeve on the column was spinning freely. Its always something.
Click to expand...
Well I was able to figure out my backup light issue. The harness that goes from the bulkhead to the reverse switch on the trans has a bad splice. The wires are crunchy from at some point resting on the exhaust. I have backup lights again but I will need to either remake the harness or find a new on that goes from the switch to a connector to the bulkhead.
 
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