This is my first question for the board. I have my '57 (VIN 5899) body off of the frame and I am in the process of removing the wiring harness. The rear harness connectors for the tail lamps will not pass through the seam they are routed in. We tried to snake them over the inner fender well with no success. Were the ends installed after the harness was installed. I also wondered if the harness can be fished through the L/S rocker panel if is removed without a guide wire taped to it during removal. I was going to send it to the body shop with the harness out but It looks like it may be a better idea to swap parts after body and paint. Any thoughts or suggestions?
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Re: '57 frame-off wiring harness question
If you decide to paint with the wiring harness installed, be sure to mask the connecting terminals! Folks often fight intermittent connection problems after paint overspray has collected on interconnect terminals... -
Re: '57 frame-off wiring harness question
Don, there are others on here that can advise you better, but let me give it a try. I finished a frame off on my '56 this summer and encountered the same issues, only I also had the power top harness to deal with on the passenger side as well as rear light, fuel sender harness on the left side. RIght or wrong (mostly wrong I am sure) I ended up cutting the connectors off of the old harness AND the new harness and taped them together to form a lead. There was no way they were going to fit through with the connectors on there. This worked fairly well over the rear inner fender well opening but you have to make your connections as small as you can. One large bundle doesn't go.
Using a steel fish tape was the only way we got the wires through the rocker panel. We attached the new end to the old end and backed that up with the fish tape a few inches back from the end n case it came lose. On both sides we kept hitting a blockage at the bottom of the door jamb and just prior to reaching the two exit holes. Just keep working at it and it will eventually go through.
Now, finding the correct connectors to put back on the harness was the toughest part. If you end up needing them let me know and I will provide you with a source. Lectric Limited would not sell them to me and said that there is a way to do this without cutting them off. After I thanked them for all of their help.........I found a source. If you need more "bubba" advise, let me know. All in all you would never know that I replaced the connectors. Was judged at 98.8 at Bloomington this summer and have also Triple Crowned. Good Luck.
GarryComment
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Re: '57 frame-off wiring harness question
The area between the truck and soft top panel wear the wires go through is filled with a CLAY material ,pick it out and the wires will pass through then re-add the clay. That's how it was done!Comment
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Typically,
there is a barb inside the connector which will allow the metal connector to slide right out of the plastic plug. That's what I did with my 55. The fish tape would help, too. I had to remove a bit of the clay Roy describes. The antenna cable in the 55 passes through the RH rocker panel, and a ground strap must be fished out through a tiny slot and attached to the chassis. That was a lot harder than the taillight harness.Comment
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Re: '57 frame-off wiring harness question
Roy, mine still had the clay and what I believe was a horse hair insulation. The clay was just within the opening, so it didn't provide for much more room with it removed. Dave's point is partially correct. The plastic ends do come off leaving the brass female connector, but they are still too large to fish up and over the inner fender well. They had to come off too.
GarryComment
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Re: Typically,
I did mine years ago and think I also had to remove the plastic plugs , but there is no reason to cut the wire to do this. The hardest trouble I had was the truck wires.Comment
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