Darryl Dodd

Does anyone know a place that sells connectors or pins to repair C2 wiring harnesses? This is for a new lectric limited harness that worked fine for two years then something shorted behind the gauge cluster. The only melted wires were the soldered bundle... Acc. Wire on ign. Switch, Ground wire to cluster, two wires going to each plug on thr wiper motor and two wires going to fuse box. It only melted the wires to the ign. Switch and the cluster ground. I spliced a section from my original harness, hooked up the battery then lights worked fine. As soon as I turned ign. switch to Acc. It fried again! Same wires. Lots of white smoke but no fire. I didn't have the steering column in the car so could not having some wires hooked up cause this? Or could the first short have caused damage to a gauge, switch, wiper motor, etc. it looks like the temp gauge and amp gauge might be damage. Anyway looking for wire connectors To replace that soldered bundle with new wire & pins. 64 corvette.

AmmoVet

http://www.mouser.com/

leif.anderson93

I love spending other people's money but if it were my car and I fried the harness twice...I'd be buying me a new dash harness for $500 before my car went up in flames...just sayin'

Frankie the Fink

And I would also be looking under the top ignition shielding to see if any ignition wires were cut by the sharp bottom edge...or shorted to the inside top of the shielding...

mike coletta

I agree with the above. If you don't know what caused it, don't replace it again........You know what they say about doing the same thing over and over, with the same results. There is a dead short someplace. The white smoke is the copper heating up red hot, and melting the plastic covering.

ohiovet

a great source of harness and connectors is:
Eagle Wire Products, Springfield, Ohio 1-800 977 0030

Darryl Dodd

i found a chaffed wire at the ignition switch. Not sure if this is where it started. The wires on the new harness didn't have as much slack as the original harness. I'll check the wires under the shielding. The melted wires were isolated to the bundle I mentioned in the original post. I'm checking every wire individually for continuity/shorts. So far so good. I'm more concerned about the components the wires go to. Everything will be bench checked or replaced. I'm taking the dash pads and dash out to get better access. Replacing the pads and recovering the dash was a planned project for next year but I guess I'll be doing that now. BTW no fuses were ever blown. Any ideas...through them at me. I'll appreciate any help.
Ammo, I checked the web sight and they have ooddles of connectors. With just wire size and no part number I'll have to call them and see if they can figure out what I need. Thanks!

DUB

I use MOUSER also and they have saved my backside in numerous electrical repairs when I am dealing with the newer style terminals on the Corvettes. They do have what your car has.

The terminals of you car can be obtained at NAPA actually. And you will need special crimping pliers for them.

AMERICAN AUTOWIRE also has the terminalas and crimping pliers.

For what it is worth....If you are removing your dash panel...leave the dash pads attached. And then if you are planning on removing them...it is easier to do with the dash panel out of the car.

DUB

Frankie the Fink

Absolutely !

Darryl Dodd

Just to clarify this is one of the connectors I'm looking for. Fuse box to engine and headlight harnesses. Learned the dash trick a day too late. Pads are already out. But does that mean I can put them back in together?

buns

Those are Delphi "Twin Lock" connectors. Forum member 'tubman' has/had some extras for sale. Might send him a PM.

If that doesn't work, this place has/had them.


http://www.delmarwire.com/home/fuse-block-terminals/

mrg

So it doesn't happen again you might consider adding a 30 amp fuse inline with the large black wire that connects up at the center post on the solenoid. The wire doesn't necessarily need to be cut to splice in a fuse holder; a pigtail lead with proper ring connectors works fine too.

​​​​​​This mod saved the day on my car when a wire got pinched to ground during a Pertronix module installation. With everything ready to go upon starting the engine.......nothing happened.

Backtracking the Pertronix install, the pinched wire was found. Fuse check........​​​blown fuse.
After wire fix and new fuse, all good to go afterwards.

If not for the fuse, not sure if other harness wiring would have been affected but ignition wire circuit would have fried for sure.
John
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Darryl Dodd

Lots of good choices for the connectors and good advice. Still haven't found the dead short. Does anyone know how to bench check the ignition switch or wiper motor? I plan to replace the ign. Switch but it would be nice to know if it is shorted internally. The wiper motor was rebuilt a few years ago and I don't want to rebuild it again if confirmed good.

DZVette

Lots of info on the wiper motor here:
http://repairs.willcoxcorvette.com/?yt=1963&s=wiper

Good luck
DZ

DUB

Are you absolutely POSITIVE that the black ground wire for your wiper motor and fan blower is connected to the engine block or bell housing bolt and NOT being attached to the large stud on your starter solenoid???

This is commonly done due to the eyelet for the wire would make sense that it would go on the starter due to it will fit onto it.....even though it does not go there.

Without knowing what wires are being melted...I can not help in telling you how to check your ignition switch.

A good photo with a good description would help.

An ohmmeter would allow you to check the ignition swtich and see if any of the terminals that would get battery voltage...are actually contacting the housing of the swwitch..and thus...being gorunded.

DUB

tubman

I have some of these Packard "Twin Lock" connectors left over from one of my projects. Delmar Wiring has the 14-16 Gauge connectors, but not the 12 gauge, but you have to buy a minimum quantity of 25. Also, please be aware that they need a special crimper that is not commonly available plus a connector removal tool, which you can get from Amazon for a reasonable price. Despite what many on here say, harnesses with minor problems can be repaired. I did one two years ago and still occasionally check it with my infrared thermometer; I still have not seen a temperature gain of more than 2 or 3 degrees across the bulkhead connector. I have seen bulkhead connectors melted so badly that the pins can not be removed from the body.

Darryl Dodd

Ok, I'm sure all of these sources have what I need but without knowing the model or series or an Oem or part number I really can't do anything. I guess what I need is not only the source but the actual part numbers from that source. I need 3 different connectors for a 64 corvette. The twin locks at the firewall/fuse box. The flat/blade type that plugs into the blades on the ignition switch. The flat/blade type at the fuse box that excepts two wires. The blade type connectors are for 1/4 or 3/16 blades. I think I need the 3/16. Most places don't specify. I hate to sound lazy but I haven't had any luck. When a source has 50000 items and I don't even know what to search for its almost impossible. Btw I found the the reason the wires melted. Operator error! I screwed up. I mixed up the cluster ground and radio capacitor wires. Sending keyed power to ground. Stupid mistake on my part. After having many C2 clusters in and out over the last 20 years this is the first time I did this. Looks like I got off lucky with just two wires and two gauges damaged

Frankie the Fink

Lectric Limited sells bulkhead connector and fuse box "repair kits"...but they are an "all or nothing" deal and not cheap...

I bought the kit just to get the plastic housing and gasket but it included the Delphi/Packard 'twin lock' connectors for the bulkhead (as shown) and I should still have those since I managed to save my originals. If you just need a few I can look for 'em if you tell me how many you need.

You DO know that's a VERY special crimp to get those bad boys installed...right ?

Maybe somebody else can help you with the other connectors you need..

Darryl Dodd

Thanks but I'm getting some of the twin locks that Tubman has. I'd still like to have the part numbers and a place to order these and the other two I need. I got the harnesses from lectric limited and they already told me they won't sell the parts I need.
I have an aviation background and am very familiar with the crimper and removal tools. I do have (the automotive versions ) of both.

buns

The connectors you are looking for are Packard (Delphi) 56 series. This place has them and just about anything else except the twin locks.


https://theelectricaldepot.com/weath...9d3de982455198



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