Builds Putting the rust demon at bay (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter archie73
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...i try not to overthink the rust. Can't wait to see how your small block turns out.
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- Thread starter
- #663
Holy blast from the past…
Rust is currently kept at bay. I went with the Aqualu 3/4 tub. Lazy but effective. Frame rust is somewhere in the future, but I have some time to contemplate a way forward.
The SBC was nice. The LS was cats meow.
Mike Shull
Let’s go…
- Thread starter
- #666
I started the work on page 11. It was Covid. Prices hadn’t gone crazy yet. Now that I have one, the next will too, I’ll find a way to pay for it.
Chungas Revenge
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #668
Quick question as I don’t know when I’m going to have time to dig into this-
While driving down the highway yesterday I lost power. As I pulled over, I noticed smoke coming out of the louvres on the passenger side of the hood. “Well I guess I know where to start.”
The positive wire going back to the stock fuse block is smoked. After a little more digging, I call a friend to drag me up to the next trailhead parking lot.
A little pre-text- I am running 100 amp alternator, so I bypassed the oem amp meter and tied the two leads together. Another symptom that may or may not be related is I’ve been blowing the 20 amp fuse for the instrument cluster. I don’t have the wiring diagram in front of me, but as I recall the amp meter feeds the fuse box in a 1973? My immediate assumption is that I need to rewire what feeds the fuse block.
On a separate note, I think I found out why my speedometer doesn’t work.
New speedo cable ordered from Cruiser outfitters.
While driving down the highway yesterday I lost power. As I pulled over, I noticed smoke coming out of the louvres on the passenger side of the hood. “Well I guess I know where to start.”
The positive wire going back to the stock fuse block is smoked. After a little more digging, I call a friend to drag me up to the next trailhead parking lot.
A little pre-text- I am running 100 amp alternator, so I bypassed the oem amp meter and tied the two leads together. Another symptom that may or may not be related is I’ve been blowing the 20 amp fuse for the instrument cluster. I don’t have the wiring diagram in front of me, but as I recall the amp meter feeds the fuse box in a 1973? My immediate assumption is that I need to rewire what feeds the fuse block.
On a separate note, I think I found out why my speedometer doesn’t work.
New speedo cable ordered from Cruiser outfitters.
Mike Shull
Let’s go…
My fuseable link used to be by the right hood louvers and it was a 30 amp link if I remember correctly. My amp meter leads used to be fed directly from that fuseable link. I replaced mine with a 30 amp breaker and I have a separate lead going from my alternator directly to the battery.
pb4ugo
SILVER Star
The batt to fuse box wire(white/blue stripe) is the charge wire, it goes thru the ammeter to show when it's charging or not. Bypassing the ammeter shouldn't be the cause, unless the wire grounded. In a round about way, the alt supplies power to the fuse box when the engine is running. You will probably have to pull the harness and strip the tape off, so you can find all the melted damage. Any wire that was next to the smoked wire maybe compromised.
- Thread starter
- #671
Yeah that’s what I figured as well. Ugh.
So the ironic part is that I just started working on the electric F100 again.
- Thread starter
- #672
So I got some time to look at the wiring today. And now I’m drinking whiskey…
The OEM alternator ring terminal, which I should’ve more correctly terminated, grounded out on the steering box. Basically, the white and blue wire that @pb4ugo referenced got heated up throughout the harness. I haven’t pulled the full harness yet, but I have a pretty good idea of what I’m looking at.
Once again, I’m the only one to blame, I’m the only one that works on this truck.
I will be pulling the harness, hopefully in the near future. I think this is just moved into a winter project of rewiring the whole front half of the truck. Current plan is to jumper it enough to drive off the trailer and into the garage. Then pull the harness and lay it out, if the project seems doable. If not move on to the next step…
There’s a big part of me that says this is a 52 yro harness and it’s time to replace it. I already found a couple places that nearby wires were damaged and I’m sure there will be more.
For reference, I’m past stock and running a LS. The engine management is a sub- harness (that I hope was not damaged). All my dash is stock though, so I guess that means I’ll be repinning the stock(new?) connectors. Basically I need all the stock lights/instruments/dash switches, key power to the sub harness and a starter circuit. Plus a couple more I’m not thinking of right now.
I checked @Coolerman website and he’s not doing complete harnesses anymore. Mine is likely pooched anyway. So that leaves me with an aftermarket harness. I’d love to hear from anyone that used one.
The OEM alternator ring terminal, which I should’ve more correctly terminated, grounded out on the steering box. Basically, the white and blue wire that @pb4ugo referenced got heated up throughout the harness. I haven’t pulled the full harness yet, but I have a pretty good idea of what I’m looking at.
Once again, I’m the only one to blame, I’m the only one that works on this truck.
I will be pulling the harness, hopefully in the near future. I think this is just moved into a winter project of rewiring the whole front half of the truck. Current plan is to jumper it enough to drive off the trailer and into the garage. Then pull the harness and lay it out, if the project seems doable. If not move on to the next step…
There’s a big part of me that says this is a 52 yro harness and it’s time to replace it. I already found a couple places that nearby wires were damaged and I’m sure there will be more.
For reference, I’m past stock and running a LS. The engine management is a sub- harness (that I hope was not damaged). All my dash is stock though, so I guess that means I’ll be repinning the stock(new?) connectors. Basically I need all the stock lights/instruments/dash switches, key power to the sub harness and a starter circuit. Plus a couple more I’m not thinking of right now.
I checked @Coolerman website and he’s not doing complete harnesses anymore. Mine is likely pooched anyway. So that leaves me with an aftermarket harness. I’d love to hear from anyone that used one.
Bummer.
On my LS I did the alternator charge wire straight to battery. I did not run the charge wire through the factory harness.
I bypassed the charge wire to the factory harness straight to battery for dash power.
Takes the 100+ amp LS charge wiring out of the OE wiring
On my LS I did the alternator charge wire straight to battery. I did not run the charge wire through the factory harness.
I bypassed the charge wire to the factory harness straight to battery for dash power.
Takes the 100+ amp LS charge wiring out of the OE wiring
rkymtnflyfisher
Trout Bum
Good place to start with multi-vehicle wiring.
Same here.
Stock amp gauge wires are terminated together behind the gauges and taped up.
One wire off the LS alternator directly to the battery.
- Thread starter
- #676
Yep this was my setup. Apparently, my termination one the old alternator lead shorted out.
It’s a project truck, this will be added to the list.
- Thread starter
- #677
I learn from the best.
pb4ugo
SILVER Star
Your situation is not that uncommon, there are several threads on this subject. It's helpful to remove the fan air duct on the pass side and ashtray to remove the harness. I'd strip it down 1st to see how bad it is. Lay it out on something. I fortunately had an old harness to scavenge some wire from.@Coolerman sells color correct wires and plugs along with wiring diagrams too. I went thru this a number of years ago. I run an internally regulated alt, and went to a direct alt charge wire to the batt. I use the batt as the junction block and run an idiot light. You should checkout Mad Electricals' website. They have good tutorials on one and three wire setups, along with an article on charging systems using ammeters. Ive never bought anything from them. The ammeter setup is an old and antiquated setup. The alt supplies power to the fuse box then charges the battery. The charge wire goes throughout the harness as you are finding out.
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- Thread starter
- #679
My alternator is wired like you said. Unfortunately, the oem wasn’t properly terminated.
I like your positive attitude!!! I’d love it if I can get out of a complete rewire. Either way I’ll be pulling the harness first. I’m pretty sure the whole section along the d/s fender that contained the alternator lead is fragged. If I could get away with just patching that section it wouldn’t be to bad.
