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Need some help please on a 65 Vette. I'm trying to find a place to tie in my electric choke wire, 12V switched. Also my electric fuel pump. Fuse box doesn't seem to be the place, all are 12v always.
In looking around, I saw this on the firewall opposite the fuse box. Bubba has cut the red wire on this plug in. Can someone tell me where it goes and what it does? Electrical is not my strong point.
The best place is the wiper motor power at the firewall. Many use a lead of the ballast resistor - I don't like to tie aftermarket components to the ignition system...
Not near my schematics but that red wire shouldn't be cut; all the bulkhead connector wires have a purpose. Somebody may have run a new wire elsewhere to replace it...with all those zip ties I think Bubba has not been idle...
The electric fuel pump uses a significant level of power so I ran mine from the fuse box outlet (there is a plug there for power windows) to the electric fuel pump which I have mounted in the rear near the tank. Line has an inline fuse as well. Choke can be hooked up to a wiper motor hot lead as someone suggested.
The wire that is cut should be a red wire that goes to the horn relay according to the wiring diagram. It looks like you have a few issues going on with the front harness (multiple wires, splices, etc.) so you might want to replace it. The wire insulation gets hard and brittle over the years due to age and engine heat so another reason to replace it. You can buy the harness and a wiring diagram from https://www.lectriclimited.com. I just installed a rear harness on my 64 coupe.
Last edited by Sniper168gr; Aug 21, 2017 at 08:09 PM.
From: Middle TN by way of KY, OH, VA, IL, CA, FL, NY, SC, HI
Hoo Boy.
That's a mess for sure.
I hate to be depressing, but many of these cars are destroyed by 50+ year old wiring.
I recommend that you save your risk, your non-electrical skills admission, and the pain of your Bubba'd up wiring, and buy a new engine/underhood wiring harness and get a fresh start.
Hi B.S. I just replaced my engine harness this weekend. Also a 1965 SB. No air or FI. Lectric wiring is the place to get it. Easy schematic to follow. 3.5 hrs to replace, it was a snap. The replacement solved a few other issues at the same time. If I can do it, so can you. Just follow the harness from the fire wall on. Detach the old plug, one connection at a time and then plug in the new one, one at a time. Easy Peasy. Sully
That cut red wire is always hot, regardless of ignition, and carried 12v to feed the fuse box inside the cabin. Someone has obviously cut it because it was intermittent (common issue) and routed another around it somewhere. That is the big red wire you read about that causes the car to die and you lose all power to the cabin if it corrodes or doesn't make good contact in that bulkhead connector. If you tie into that wire or the power window connection, you'll have constant power to your choke and fuel pump 24/7 if the battery is connected. You want 12v switched for both those. The two easiest places are the ignition side of the ballast resistor (not the side that goes to the coil), and the hot wire going to the wiper motor as Frankie said. That way if you turn off the key, you can remove the power as needed.
This is getting scary. So the cut red wire was from the battery feeding power to the dash, so since I have power inside, another wire must be feeding it. Don't see it but will look harder tomorrow.
Okay, I'll connect these wires to the wiper for switched power for now. Think I'll definitely install a new harness this winter. How messed up do you think the under dash wiring might be?
This is getting scary. So the cut red wire was from the battery feeding power to the dash, so since I have power inside, another wire must be feeding it. Don't see it but will look harder tomorrow.
Okay, I'll connect these wires to the wiper for switched power for now. Think I'll definitely install a new harness this winter. How messed up do you think the under dash wiring might be?
It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like the red wire that was cut is spliced and is partially hidden behind a bundle. If so, that wire probably goes into the cabin to the fuse box. Check the taped wire at the red arrows I added.
Last edited by 65GGvert; Aug 21, 2017 at 10:50 PM.
It's not uncommon for that connection to be bypassed in the bulkhead connector, though I would have tried fixing the problem rather than bypassing it. It doesn't necessarily mean the wiring is bad under the dash, if they ran that wire to the fuse box with a proper connection. It connects on the back side. The same red wire also feeds the power ant switch, the cigarette lighter and the headlight switch before the fuse box. Those things aren't fused.
Last edited by 65GGvert; Aug 21, 2017 at 10:58 PM.
I would think the best way to wire up the electric fuel pump and choke, after you fix the original problem (bulkhead connector) is to connect the fuel pump to the 12 v side of the ballast resistor (not the coil side) and run a wire to the "S" terminal on the voltage regulator for the electric choke. If you try to feed the pump from an ACC line their won't be any voltage there when cranking. The stator terminal is 12 volts only when the engine is running. I think this provides better choke action. The manufacturers that build cars with electric chokes wire them this way.
As much as this thing has been dicked with he may have some sort of electronic points conversion, one reason I never tie a power lead off the ballast resistor for accessories...its just asking for trouble when the wiper motor switched power is 8" away.
Yes, you can unplug the bulkhead connectors CAREFULLY....some cow-pie for brains Bubba took the low road and snipped that main power feed wire at the connector.
I STRONGLY recommend you get a new engine bay harness before you start worrying about hot rod harry upgrades. You have bigger (and dangerous) wiring issues.
You're exactly right, 65GGvert, see pic. So I guess this wire wasn't making connection. Not pretty, but guess this serves. I don't suppose there's a fix for this other than getting a new harness.
I know this wiring is 50 years old, but doesn't look that bad. What makes it look bad is Bubba's crap! I think if I get rid of Bubba's stuff and wire it right with you guys help it will be a lot better.
I couldn't find the ballast resistor. Can you tell me where it's located, or was it removed because of the electronic ignition?
Any guesses of what the turquoise wires are?
Sorry, that's way too many non-stock wires for me to decipher from pictures. You have several changes that I don't know where they go. I'm willing to help with original wiring and maybe a slight mod, but I'm afraid to get into suggestions that might damage something on your car.
You have so much going on there it's crazy. That fat red wire laying across the steering mast jacket is extra special. These cars can catch fire from such things. Even the later generations. Just saw this an hour ago.
Ballast resistor should be on the firewall to the left (toward center of engine bay) of the brake master cylinder. Take a wider view photo of the firewall/engine bay.
As has been suggested more than once, the safest and simplest way for you to avert a possible fire and/or being stranded by the side of the road is a new engine harness. $177 and about 2-3 hours of your time.
Ballast resistor should be on the firewall to the left (toward center of engine bay) of the brake master cylinder. Take a wider view photo of the firewall/engine bay.
I doubt you'll find a ballast resistor with that distributor setup.
As has been suggested more than once, the safest and simplest way for you to avert a possible fire and/or being stranded by the side of the road is a new engine harness. $177 and about 2-3 hours of your time.
I know, that's all well & good, but if I don't understand where all of Bubba's wires go & do, I won't be any better off. I think I need to undo what he did first and then examine the condition of the wires and make the decision then. So far as I've seen, he hasn't yet spliced into a wire (hate that).
You have so much going on there it's crazy. That fat red wire laying across the steering mast jacket is extra special. These cars can catch fire from such things. Even the later generations. Just saw this an hour ago.
Actually, that fat wire was cut from the bulkhead connector, spliced and attached to the back of the fuse panel. Assuming the connection to the fuse panel is good, it ought to be as good and reliable as it ever was, maybe more so because you don't have the pin corrosion problem anymore.
65 Electrical Problem
