Pack Rat chewed through wiring harness by firewall.... (1 Viewer)

[mrmanos]

I had a run-in with a pack rat a couple of years ago, and it turned out badly for me...I failed to kill him. I opened the hood of my 87 FJ one fine fall day to be surprised by a huge pack rat. He was just beginning to stuff hay and straw into the space behind the carb. He took off as fast as he could, my big black cat following him at a safe distance... I saw him again 2 days later, this time on the patio, trying to get into the gas grill. I ran and grabbed an old pump pellet rifle, drew a bead on him and fired just as he was jumping to the ground. I nicked him, a small trail of blood was following him as he limped away. I wondered if he would die, or worse, hold a grudge.. well he did. And he totally ate the lining of the hood, tearing it into small pieces and stuffing it into every small space between the carb and the firewall.
It still starts, and runs okay, but I need to replace the big bundle of wires that run from the instrument panel or behind it, through the wall into the engine compartment.
Do any of you experienced guys know where I can buy a new harness? I didn't have much luck finding a used one, and I've been helped a lot in the past by some of the members here, who know a lot more about wrenching than I do, or ever will. But I'm gonna attempt to fix it myself. I'd appreciate any advice you may have.

 

[Output Shaft]

Can't help you with the wires,
But mice have done the same thing to my engine compartment and hood liner in the past. Luckily for me they didn't go after the wires.
Might want to check inside your air cleaner. They love to make nests in there too.
Gotta keep mice (or in your case, RAT) traps loaded inside the engine compartment and around the car at night when camping out in the wilderness. Rodents love the warmth and protection of the cruiser. They all run for it right when the sun sets.

Mice can somehow easily crawl up inside the roof liner and make nests up in there too... I've heard them and their babies having a jolly ole time squeeking up there..
Too bad their 6th vertebrae has to become acquainted with Victor Moustrap.. But they just don't understand English... no matter how nice you talk to them.

 

[Spike Strip]

Nothin' keeps the little bastards off the property like a skinny cat. Trouble is, they often end up (what's left), in my bathtub

I wish this method worked as well with the Jehovah's Witnesses who seem to love knocking on my door every Sunday morning ....

 

[mrmanos]

This creature is way bigger than a mouse. It has a body about 9", and tail another 6", so its huge. It left behind a bunch of poop, which indicated its size. I put a Victor rat trap inside compartment, loaded with cheese. This a.m., I saw about 1/2 the cheese was eaten, but it carefully avoided tripping the spring. I also put bar bait poison by the gnawed wired bundle. That too, was eaten about 1/2 way. I found a parted out LC on ebay, and the guy may have the correct harness. I'm guessing its the bundle that hooks up to the fuse box, but I'm not sure. There are a couple shops here that work on old LCs, so I will have to take it to one of them. The electrical stuff is a little too complicated for me.
My cat only kills little voles and birds. He saw the rat a couple years ago and high-tailed the other way when he saw how big it was.

 

[Spike Strip]

Your best bet would be to post in the wanted section for a FJ60 harness of your year truck. Your harness is prolly repairable, but difficult to say without pix.

I know Mark A. of Marksoffroad.net has dismantled many FJ60s and probably has what you're looking for. You'd have to call him: 818-953-9230. Burbank, CA.

Georg (MUD id: Orangefj45) in Stockton prolly has it, too.

Another option is to pull that section of harness yourself and send it to "Coolerman" (MUD user name) as he repairs wiring harnesses.

Good luck!

 

[mrmanos]

Heres some pix, including the hood liner. Only about six of the wires are actually chewed right through. Maybe I could splice them together, but it'd look crappy and likely short out. I sent the pix to a guy who is parting out an 86. It starts up fine, but dies, like something to do with fuel, but it has a mechanical pump..I'll have a mechanic check it out soon, in person. Also check the wanted ads here.

 

[Spike Strip]

May have chewed through the wire to the ICS (Idle Control Solenoid)

In one of your pix, there's a green plastic connector on the top of the carb. On the carb side of the connector, there are two wires, one white one green. If you have jumper wires, you can connect the green wire terminal directly to 12v + battery and the white to any good ground, and see if she'll run. You should also hear a "click-click" from the ICS when there is power applied to it.

I would just splice and solder the wires and seal a good length of each with top-quality adhesive-lined heat shrink, then re-wrap with Elliot tape.

 

[DanS HJ-45]

You're lucky. A pack rat decided to eat each and every spark plug wire on Guzzler. Funny thing is, my Dad started it up before coming up to visit me, and a week and a half later all 6 plug wires were gone. Truly nasty little things.

Your harness is repairable. But, to do a really good repair, I would remove the harness from the truck (or at least fish it out of the firewall, and work on the wires in the open.

...but as noted, an easier solution would be to buy another harness, and simply swap the harnesses.

Dan

 

[mrmanos]

You're lucky. A pack rat decided to eat each and every spark plug wire on Guzzler. Funny thing is, my Dad started it up before coming up to visit me, and a week and a half later all 6 plug wires were gone. Truly nasty little things.

Your harness is repairable. But, to do a really good repair, I would remove the harness from the truck (or at least fish it out of the firewall, and work on the wires in the open.

...but as noted, an easier solution would be to buy another harness, and simply swap the harnesses.

Dan

I'm looking for another harness, and the guy on ebay thinks he's got one. He has a bunch of harnesses, and they look to be in good shape. I'll keep y'all posted on my progress or lack of..

 

[mrmanos]

May have chewed through the wire to the ICS (Idle Control Solenoid)

In one of your pix, there's a green plastic connector on the top of the carb. On the carb side of the connector, there are two wires, one white one green. If you have jumper wires, you can connect the green wire terminal directly to 12v + battery and the white to any good ground, and see if she'll run. You should also hear a "click-click" from the ICS when there is power applied to it.

I would just splice and solder the wires and seal a good length of each with top-quality adhesive-lined heat shrink, then re-wrap with Elliot tape.

Thanks for that information. I am sure you are correct; because when it ideas, it stalls if I let my foot off for more than a few seconds. I will check it out later today after it stops pouring rain.

 

[Spike Strip]

Again, try to get one out of a late '86 to end '87 so it's plug 'n pray ....

Good luck.

 

[Landpimp]

I once heard that critters much prefer the wiring in Japanese cars to any other(US or Euro) that there is something in the harness or something they find extra tasty. I may have been getting fed a line of BS......but I have heard of dozen of local cars that rats ate the wiring and all of them were Japanese.......never a Buick or VW

if whatever it is you want to kill fits in this......it will kill em. I use these over normal traps anymore.....I was shocked at how well they work.
http://www.victorpest.com/store/rat-control/brzu001promo

 

[DFXR]

I once heard that critters much prefer the wiring in Japanese cars to any other(US or Euro) that there is something in the harness or something they find extra tasty. I may have been getting fed a line of BS......but I have heard of dozen of local cars that rats ate the wiring and all of them were Japanese.......never a Buick or VW

if whatever it is you want to kill fits in this......it will kill em. I use these over normal traps anymore.....I was shocked at how well they work.
http://www.victorpest.com/store/rat-control/brzu001promo

It may be BS...vermin had their way with a friend's 66 DeVille a while back. We pushed it out of the garage (because it wouldn't start) and a pile of chewed up electrical and vac lines on the ground told the tale. Pushed it back in, and 8 years later he is just getting around to sorting it all out.

Some rats/mice eat the stuff, others use it for nesting material.

 

[mrmanos]

I live on a ranch, about 12 miles from the nearest town. We have foxes, coyotes, porcupines, deer, elk, antelope and every kind of rodent. Mice always get into my old John Deere tractor, and in the house. A never ending war with them. But the pack rats only come around once in a while. This one ignores the tractor, ignores my F250 Ford, and ONLY likes the FJ60, and its tasty wiring. I may have to get one of those Rat Zappers. That looks like it would work for sure. In the meantime, however, I have bar bait poison and a giant Victor traditional rat trap loaded w/ peanut butter on the inside fender. This rat left droppings as big as the ones that come from my goats. I couldn't believe how big they were. Anyhow, I am going to look for a harness from an 86 or 87, as suggested. Then plug and pray as someone said above. I'm pretty sure the only things that are not working are related to the idle solenoid and emissions; it starts right up, runs fine, but idles down to a stall. And oh yeah, the rat removed the cap of the brake fluid container, nipped off the wires too.

 

[mrmanos]

Update: Drove the rig to a mechanic a friend recommended. He fixed the wiring, and then some. But then he told me how these old trucks were only meant to run for 10 years, blah, blah, everything is gonna break sooner or later. Well, upon driving out of the garage, I find he increased the idle speed to compensate for the idle solenoid not working. I found that particular part on the Cool Cruiser site, around 18 bucks. So, I am thinking of buying it and installing, hoping that it corrects the problem. Another thing, the mechanic replaced the double fuse power cord from the battery, now the stereo has no sound. I'll try to figure it out.
The weirdest thing is that is it wasn't a pack rat at all that did the damage. It was a Marmot, know around here as a Whistle Pig. I caught the giant, 12 lb rodent running up under the wheel well of my gf's F250. When it saw me, it took off at a fast scurry out my junked 1967 Dodge Power Wagon, which hasn't run in almost 20 years. I went inside my house, grabbed my ancient Remington pump .22, and shot the bugger! I examined it, post mortem, so to speak, and saw it had chisel-like teeth, about an inch in length, and front and hind paws designed for digging. I felt bad about shooting it, but I was sure it was about to do another engine compartment job on the gf's Ford. So thats the up to the minute on my latest crisis. Much thanks to everyone who commented and advised. I will post pictures of the Marmot, and the repaired wiring in the next few days.

 

[mrmanos]

It may be BS...vermin had their way with a friend's 66 DeVille a while back. We pushed it out of the garage (because it wouldn't start) and a pile of chewed up electrical and vac lines on the ground told the tale. Pushed it back in, and 8 years later he is just getting around to sorting it all out.

Some rats/mice eat the stuff, others use it for nesting material.

The guy who repaired my wiring told me the same thing. That the 70's and 80's FJs had hood liners made of an Asian jute or similar plant, and that rodents find it especially tasty! The Whistle Pig(not a pack rat) must've really liked it, but he paid for it with his life!