C1 (Mini) disaster

[Rob M.]

Hi all,

Just as a lessons learned which I do want you all to learn from:

I was just installing my new main wiring harness, everything went fine until I connect the fuel gauge. The complete brown wire melted away, over the whole length from the gauge to the fuel tank before I was able to cut the power.

Well, appearantly the metal fuel pipe exiting from the fuel level sensor cover was touching the bolt where the brown wire connects to the fuel sensor. This shorted the circuit to ground. I can't understand this design making this possible at all! I hope my fuel gauge still works and haven't melted as well.

This all means another $78 for the rear harness (which was still in great condition before the disaster) and an ugly (non correct) brown wire to run from the rear harness connector to the fuel gauge and some non-serious damages to my main wire harness (some of the surrounding black tape melted). I'm in missery...

greetings,
Rob Musquetier.




The C1 1959 Corvette Restoration Project

[Dennis A.]

Re: C1 (Mini) disaster

Rob...

Sorry to hear of your disaster, best to disconnect the battery any time the electrical system is going to be worked on.

[Terry D.]

Re: C1 (Mini) disaster

And you're an electrical engineer,shame on you, LOL. We all do things one in awhile that we shouldn't. Just glad nothin else was destroyed.

Terry

[Chuck R.]

Re: Lighting can strike

Had a similar instance with a 66 Charger I restored.

I was in a rush to re-assemble the car and take it on vacation after painting it and wasn't watching out for loose wires in that long tail light assembly.

Sure enough, when I hit the light switch "Phsssssst" everything was blown from the lovely aqua marine gauge clusters to the tail lights in a matter of litterally the second it took me to turn it back off!

Simple mistakes can create complicated issues sometimes.

Thanks for sharing your experience Rob I'm sure that there are alot of these types of bones in the closets that are not shared because of the embarrasment factor.

Hey I can't wait to fire my 68 up for the first time in ten years.

Joe L. will probably see it glow from sunny CA.

Chuck

[Rob M.]

Re: C1 (Mini) disaster

Denn,kis,

The sad thing is that disconnecting the battery wouldn't have prevented this. Since when I would reconnect it I would still end up with the same result. The design of the fuel tank sensor simply allows this to happen (something I can't understand. I just taped the metal part of the fuel line near the sensor connector to prevent it happening again. I suggest you all out there to do the same!!!

greetings,
Rob.

[Rob A.]

Re: C1 (Mini) disaster

Thanks for the heads up....I thought Murphy's Law only existed in my garage during my ground up '67 restoration...

[Dennis A.]

(Message Deleted by Poster)

Message Deleted by Poster

[James F.]

Re: C1 (Mini) disaster

Rob,
Sorry to hear about your incident. The '56 sender fuel line screws into the fuel line with a Weatherhead brass fitting. Your picture shows the same arrangement as my '56. Somewhere after '56 I thought Chevy changed to a short rubber tube connection between the two tubes. Possibly you have an early sender? Regards,

[Jim Ward]

Re: C1 (Mini) disaster

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I hope you can salvage the rest of the wiring

[Chuck R.]

Re: Funny...My thoughts exactly

If I ever (very doubtful) do another 68 I figure I can cut the fingerprint, goober and accidental drop touchups by at least a third

[Rob M.]

Re: Funny...My thoughts exactly

Don't forget the 'remove nuts and bolts in a very difficult, to small area' which are easily removed when you had known you had to disassemble another part first....

greetings,
Rob.