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From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Originally Posted by OldCarBum
Would it be possible to make your own resistance wire by soldering a 1.8 ohm resistor in a wire and just slide some shrink wrap over the connection?
If done right, nobody would even know it was there.
Won't work. With a common coil primary winding resistance of about 1.5 ohms, and an alternator voltage of 13.2 volts, that resistor will (correctly) try to limit the dwell current to 4 amps (the desired primary current). However, in the process, the instantaneous wattage dissipated in that resistor during dwell is I^2 x R = 28 watts. Pretty sure it will quickly blow/fuse open any size resistor you try to hide in a harness. That's why the old ballast resistors were so darn big and mounted to the firewall (to handle the wattage and heat), and why the newer/C3 ballast resistor is a long wire (to spread the wattage/heat over a longer path/area.
This complete engine bay wiring harness is looking more attractive: https://www.topflightautomotive.com/...-block-manual/
It is a little more, at $263, but I have seen too many fiberglass corvettes that have melted down due to bad wiring.
Maybe consider it cheap insurance.
From: I'd like to propose a toast... to internal combustion and wind in the face.
The harnessendectomy was a complete success:
I never did find the fabled resistor wire. That I didn’t find it means it’s been removed. Though from what I recall the car has the original points distributor, I believe at some time in the car’s past someone installed an HEI but then the points distributor was reinstalled without correcting the wiring.
Concerning the pink and tan wires out of the fuse block, after removing the vent pipe I got an up close look at the wires and both of those disappear into the original wiring harness that’s never been tampered with. The car has rear window defrost so maybe those wires have something to do with that. At any rate, I’ll definitely check the coil voltage before firing the engine.
I’ll be ordering g a new LL harness in the next few days. This car has always been dead reliable and it needs to be that way in the future. If either of Ms. mudbone’s car or my truck is in the shop the ‘72 is the back-up.
I think the picture below shows how the ignition and forward harnesses slide together before they are screwed to the bulkhead.
When endeavoring a project like this understanding these details can save loads of time.
Here’s the bulkhead connector:
There’s obviously a couple of open holes. Maybe someone can point out where the resistor wire is supposed to be found.
Last edited by mudbone64; Nov 6, 2022 at 09:14 PM.
Oh but I do, I have an excel spreadsheet on a 69 and two 65's I did a frame off restoration on that list every part and cost, they are painful to look at (the last 65 more so).
From: I'd like to propose a toast... to internal combustion and wind in the face.
Originally Posted by Mr D.
Oh but I do, I have an excel spreadsheet on a 69 and two 65's I did a frame off restoration on that list every part and cost, they are painful to look at (the last 65 more so).
Certainly you do and apparently more so than I. I've got a cardboard box I stuff all of my receipts in and there's no way I'll every tally those up. They'll be a nice gift for the next owner.
Certainly you do and apparently more so than I. I've got a cardboard box I stuff all of my receipts in and there's no way I'll every tally those up. They'll be a nice gift for the next owner.
I use a different Easy-to-Remember Filing System (no receipts needed).....
Interior = $1,000
Brake System = $1,000
Suspension = $1,000
Differential/DriveShaft(s)/Trailing Arms/Parking Brake/ (DIY Rebuild All Components) = $1,000
New Chrome = $1,000
New Tires & Trim Rings = $1,000
Engine & TH400 A.T. DIY Rebuild =$1,000
(Items I forgot about $1,000)
From: I'd like to propose a toast... to internal combustion and wind in the face.
I’m about to get the harness installed but I do have some questions. From what I’ve read the black connector in the picture below connects with the connector that’s under the vacuum hoses on the left side of the picture. Can anyone verify this?
Also, what is the black wire coming out of the firewall with the green wire attached to it? You can see one of them has had the connector taken off it so it’s hard to know what to do.
My Wilcox wiring Diagram for a 72 shows a 20 DBL and a 18 (ga) Tan going to the TCS solenoid, and the 20 DBL also connecting to the 20 DG in a connector, that goes to the temp switch.
I like the gauge wire sizes that are added. Thank you Wilcox!
So your black & green wire is probably more of the temp switch wiring?
Last edited by leigh1322; Nov 13, 2022 at 04:08 PM.
From: I'd like to propose a toast... to internal combustion and wind in the face.
I believe they may have something to do the with anit-theft system. I'm not the best at reading wiring diagrams but I think the diagram below references the wires I'm talking about:
The diagram references black and white wires that I suspect being the alarm but it doesn't address the green wire. If I can get this connection addressed I believe I'm ready to begin testing as soon as the frozen tundra thaws out. The weather in central Kentucky thinks it's January.
From: I'd like to propose a toast... to internal combustion and wind in the face.
Old man winter has set in mighty early in central Kentucky and until today I haven’t had the will to fight it and work on the ‘72. Feeling guilty and needing some fresh air I decided to finish hooking up the harness. My last connection was the kick-down switch but after I got it plugged in I began to question the orientation of the plug. Does anyone know which way it’s supposed to be plugged in? I checked my AIM but it didn’t reveal much.
Old man winter has set in mighty early in central Kentucky and until today I haven’t had the will to fight it and work on the ‘72. Feeling guilty and needing some fresh air I decided to finish hooking up the harness. My last connection was the kick-down switch but after I got it plugged in I began to question the orientation of the plug. Does anyone know which way it’s supposed to be plugged in? I checked my AIM but it didn’t reveal much.
From: I'd like to propose a toast... to internal combustion and wind in the face.
The grand finale
Voltage at battery: 12.10
Cranking voltage at coil: 8.9
”Key on” voltage at coil: 6.45
Temperature at coil after car was well up to temperature after setting dwell on new points: warm but I could hold on to it all day.
The one hurdle I didn’t anticipate was the dwell on the new points was so far off the car wouldn’t hit a lick when I first tried to get it started. The point gap wound up being too large. My advice to anyone packing an extra set of points would be to install new points, get the dwell set and throw the previously installed set in the small bin between the seats. You’ll notice I didn’t say glove box.
Many thanks to all of those that participated. I doubt I would have solved this one without this forum.
Now, on to replacing the left front brake caliper for the fourth time. If there’s another Corvette in my future I’ll never purchase brake calipers from local parts houses again.
