Can I fix this?

[Kats66Pny]

Is there some way to get this broken end out without messing something up or does the whole dang wiring need replaced? Tried using pliers and pulling it out. Wasn't working so leaving it alone so I don't mess something up.



It's the connecting piece that sticks in the firewall between the apron and the master cylinder.  It goes from the firewall, along the side the shock tower and to the radiator support to I'm guessing the lights? I forgot that when I was removing the harness, that piece was broken and there was no choice but to cut it apart so I could send my harness to Midlife.

I can't connect that part of my dash harness until I can get this fixed, if it can be. 

[Horseplay]

I'd get a new harness, myself. The headlight harness being under the hood and such is usually subject to the most damage from the elements, etc. Not too mention it being hacked up by POs over time.

[Kats66Pny]

I got spared this time. The headlight harness wasn't touched by any PO's. It looks to be the original harness, and last year when I drove it, all the lights worked, but yeah, I get your point. It wouldn't hurt to replace as much wiring as possible, especially if it's still the original stuff and 40+ yrs old.

If I have to get a new one, atleast the pricing isn't outrageous. Might be cheaper somewhere else too.
- http://store.sacramento-mustang.com/1964-1966-mustang-headlight-wiring-harness-p524.aspx

Of course I know I need a new one of these.  The one I have now, it was cut off and there's no wiring to connect to the oil sending unit, so I'd probably need to get both of these.
http://store.sacramento-mustang.com/1965-1966-mustang-engine-gauge-feed-wire-harness-p519.aspx
http://store.sacramento-mustang.com/1965-1966-mustang-oil-pressure-extension-wire-harness-p520.aspx

[Horseplay]

Make sure you are looking at the right harness. A 65/66 w/ warning lights is $109 from them. You can usually get them much cheaper by looking around and catching sales. Wait for a CJPony sale would be my advice.

Check your original harness in the front turn signal section. I don't think I have ever seen one that wasn't cut and spliced there.

[silverblueBP]

Send it to Mid.

[Kats66Pny]

As far as I could tell, there is no cutting or spliced anything on the headlight harness.    Everything was there and connects perfectly (except that one piece with the broken connector in it) when I hook up the headlights, parking lights, etc.  I really don't want to pull that harness out if I don't have too. I hate wiring.   

[RyanG85]

Try screwing a drywall or sheet metal screw into the center of the broken pin and pulling it out.

[Midlife]

I can't see the picture at work, so I have to wait until I get home. 

Don't you dare touch it, Kat, until I give you permission!!!!

[BobV]

Don't you dare touch it, Kat, until I give you permission!!!!

I bet you say that to ALL the girls, er sheep....

[AzPete]

Better take a closer/larger picture for Mid.......he is used to his old man 90 power magnifiers.....

[Midlife]

OK...now that I can see the picture, I can tell you what to do.  I've done this many times with great success.  First, find a small drill bit and drill out a center hole in the messed up plug.  Then, get an easy-out, put your drill in reverse, and lightly apply pressure with the easy-out into the center hole.  It should grab the remnant of the broken pin and you should be able to pull it out. 

If you don't have an easy-out, start drilling ever so larger holes.  At some point, the plug will come out with the drill.

[Kats66Pny]

Spent this morning messing with this broken connector. Had to go borrow a friends drill since I can't find mine.  Anyway I used an easy out like you said.. and it came out. Kind of.


The broken piece came out as well as part of the connector. The inside metal part. It's stuck on the broken piece.
The right female plug still has a metal piece inside and the left female now has nothing but rubber.

You can see the broken piece still wrapped in the piece that is suppose to still be in the female plug.



Well, luckily this Friday is payday and I can just order a new damn harness.

[Midlife]

Oh damn...I've never seen that happen to me!  If you're going to remove and replace the harness, just send it to me and I'll splice in a replacement connector.  Lord knows how many of those I have laying around.

[Kats66Pny]

Alrighty, guess I'll spend this morning trying to get the headlight harness out. 

[cmayna]

I bet Mid will never let you touch it again.

[Kats66Pny]

Ok so maybe removing this isn't as simple as I thought it would be. It seems to be connected to everything and can't tell if it's suppose to one long harness... or if the PO made it that way with his love of electrical tape.  

Here some pics and even a video of what it looks like.

Goes from the firewall, along the shock tower and splits, with one part going along the top of the radiator and another down into the radiator/core support.


Then come back out the passenger side and up to this box.



Then runs from there back to the firewall side behind the carb and then splits off into a few other sections.




Then another piece comes out of it and is connected to nothing because the PO or someone cut it off. I believe it is suppose to connect to oil sending unit.


and if those pictures are confusing, here's a video.

[Midlife]

The headlight harness snakes along the driver's side up to the radiator support, and breaks out down and left to the headlights and voltage regulator, and the rest continues down below the radiator support (or is at least supposed to...), and over to the battery/alternator area.  There, it breaks out to the RH headlights and a bunch of plugs.  Those plugs attach to the alternator harness and the gauge harness; the latter snakes along the passenger side fender back to the firewall, attaching to the heater, the coil, water temp, and oil sending units.

[Kats66Pny]

Looks like I'll be busy this weekend pulling it all out!

[Midlife]

Send it to me, and I'll fix you right up for no charge.  Consider it a Santa's gift.

[Kats66Pny]

Send it to me, and I'll fix you right up for no charge.  Consider it a Santa's gift.

  Thanks! Wait... should be scared on what else you might send back?

[AzPete]

Just wait for what he asks for as a favor......

[Kats66Pny]

Ok even more reason to hate the PO.  I tried taking the harness out but it isn't going to happen unless I go in and remove all tape/wrapping and cut wires apart.  He has it wired and taped up so much to so many different things that if I take it all apart, Gertrude may never start again. LOL 

If I take it all out, it would have to be a total redo of the harness.  So I don't know.... 

1. Should I risk it and cut off all the electrical tape and cut wires and yank all that out and just get a new harness and start from scratch...

2. Should I just leave it all alone (it obviously worked and Gert started/ran/drove lol) and you can mail me the connector (or maybe go buy one from auto parts store) and I can try to fix it?

3. Light the damn car on fire and send it off a cliff so I can finally see her do 75mph?

 

[BobV]

Fix things right???  Or, be one of those "previous owners who half-asses things" that everyone bitches about???

You've come this far. 

[66gt350]

You've come this far. 

+1

You've put so much time and effort into the car, why leave something that is half-arsed?  You may find that there's alot of wires that you don't need anymore.

[Midlife]

Kat:
It won't work now with the one connector destroyed on the engine compartment side.  I can send you a connector with pigtails and you can have hubby solder in the 8 wires...probably the quickest thing to do.  The correct answer is to replace all of that junk with repro.

Are there any cliffs high enough in your area?  What are the chances of your obtaining a license to buy explosives?