73' Charger Toasted Fuse Block & Wires you have to see this ! Help !

[Nacho-RT74]

Posible problems on brushes:

Holder screw shoulder broken. Then prong can move slightly and get in touch with screw grounding the brush.

Screw went throught the holder ( on the parallel to the prong brush one ) and can get in touch with brush spring, grounding it. This happened to me once with an alt which was using a "pointy" selftapping screw

cracked holder somewhere somehow.

don't worry about the brush moving a bit to the sides... pretty much normal.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

The ALT is brand new. I put it in when I did the wiring. I will have them check it and get a replacement if bad.

I am still having trouble with the floor shift light. I checked the passenger side clip & no power. I can see the wire on the driver side where the power source is. Going to check the plug port it goes into on the driver side.


Thank you man !

[Nacho-RT74]

Babies can born death too LOL.

Due some storaging, I have found brush holders can get cracked.

I'm not saying is a fact, but that's a chance. This is about track all where it comes the problem. Fortunatelly you have a more trustable wiring now down the dash

[BMOTOXSTAR]

I am going to check the ALT brush holders like you said to.

The harness plug connectors on the ALT look like they had heat and are slightly melted.

Sine I already repaired the ALT wire going to bulkhead I just went ahead and ordered a re-pop engine harness complete on E-Bay.

Now I see there is 1 wire #20 on the AC harness that goes  to the engine harness bulkhead side plug?

Also...do you know where I can find the front speaker plug that goes from speaker to the radio? It was cut and the radio works. AM, I just want to hook it up !

[Nacho-RT74]

you can find a set like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Delphi-Metri-Pack-2-Conductor-Connector-Terminal/dp/B07BNB4RVX

or get juts the female or male end set

https://ceautoelectricsupply.com/individual-components/connectors-and-plugs/packard-connectors/

get some extra terminals just case the crimp job comes out bad

the wire must be blue ? thats for the compressor clutch ( actually runs to the presostatic valve at drier first, then to compressor ). On 71 the AC harness used the NSS plug cavities, but due the seatbelt warning system added needing the tranny ground signal on 72/73 ( actually 74s too but diff system ) The NSS plug got that ground wire, so the only cavities available were one on NSS and that one on engine. The NSS plug got the blower wire, green ( also for heater cars ), while the engine harness plug got the clutch.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Nacho,
  I think  I need the propper crimper for those (Packard) terminals. Just ordered the connector, many thanks.
When I did the ALT gauge I got lucky and did a good crimp with pliers.
If you know where I can find one...

Nacho, as you said, go through all the wires!

So now next I am going to have some NNS harness questions and A/C wire question....then I should be done with all the electrical except for the headlight harness which is good ! 

[Nacho-RT74]

Well, going throught the wires will discard that problem and is an area normally forgotten. However I never said REPLACE ALL THE HARNESS LOL. That was up to you LOL! I think the ones you had could be fixed. It were just SOME of the wires and plugs not AALL the harnesses! I allways have fixed mine when is needed. Remove the tape, fix whatever fix is needed and then new tape.

However about engine harness, if you can't make one by yourself ( which is not hard really ) nothing like get a new fresh harness. The engine harness is the one what gets worst allong with the NSS due the heat and oil they allways are exposed.

Crimper? Dunno. I allways make it with pliers LOL. But also sold them. I guess any cheap one will make the job available at any hardware store. Sure is way easier and cleaner job with a crimper.

[ACUDANUT]

I have a very, very nice complete under the dash harness for a 73-74 B-body for 100.00

[Nacho-RT74]

Mmmm actually 73 and 74 are completelly diff due the interlock system added on 74s

[ACUDANUT]

 Well mine is a 73.  The plug in to the firewall is still bright white. Not yellow and burnt looking. 

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Sens me a pic of the harness...would be nice to have an extra since I plan on never getting rid  of this Charger.

I did put a new one in already...extra may be nice to have.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Nacho, yes the ALT tab studs were loose. Tightened them and now gauge reads dead center or a little to C when all accessories are on. 

The engine & NSS harness I ordered got put in another persons mailbox....what a mess !!!

Until I get these I should not have any more questions.

Oh yeah, wiring looks good for floor shifter light. Bulb should be under plate on console?

[Nacho-RT74]

a little to C ? mmmmm it shouldn't... more likely to D at iddle with acc and lights on... but let's wait how it works on next days.

this is the hole for the socket



I'm able to make it on driver side of console sliding out to rear the bucket... sometimes the wire is visible. If you have thin fingers maybe you could do it. If not, removing the top plate should be enough, Still tricky but enough.


Bulb is #57

it could be even loosen from the shifter what makes not to be grounded so won't light on

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Yeah Nacho, I installed the radio today AM, does not work. All plugged in correct.

I am having a problem with the ALT to bulkhead main black wire. The plug was so burnt that the new terminal was loose. It is now sung and the ALT gauge is just a little to D with lights and all accessories on. 

Waitng on that engine harness cause my plug was so bad & could not find one....

[Nacho-RT74]

But with the parallel path shouldn't be a problem anymore. Most of the power should run on that path. So is weird that small variation made that reading change. Sure the loosen terminals makes resistance and that adds load, but still.

What accesories are you turning on aside the headlights?

Plug is available at megapartsusa.com and several other places.
https://www.megapartsusa.com/proddetail.php?prod=102-Q3

But you already bought the harness anyway.


Radio... did it work before ? Or it was just an ornament on dash? LOL. I know didn't have the plug but dunno if it worked ever since you have your charger. Have you tested the speaker? It can be tested with a 9 volts batt touchs and it should be able to heard "clunks" every time you feed it. You can also test the radio speaker output with ANY kind of speaker you have around.

I know somebody selling couple of AM radios on $75. If you care about that of course. My car was AM mono and changed to Multiplexer AM/FM Stereo, and made an adaptor to the DIN plug able to accept a 1/8" stereo mini plug for external audio devices ( soon to get the new repro version but the first ones without BT ). Venezuelan Chargers never got fender tags because aside color combos all were equipped the same so no need for fender tags.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Yeah Nacho, Megarats is where I got the harness. Thank you man. Ordering anotr plug just to have on deck in the tool box incase in 15 years I have to do this again !

Radio never worked, dash ornament fo sho ! Yeah all wires hooked up and plugged in,no power to radio. I am going to test the power coming out of harness plug and do the 9 volt speaker test. That is a good one for when I see used speakers at re-sale shops ! 

I have always had 2, 6x9 ins in a box , a sub in the trunk and I do the radio aftermarket under the dash in one of those plastic under dash mounts.

Hope to one day get the retro fit modern like you have & do the AUX in splice as you did. I need USB also though !

[Nacho-RT74]

the multiplexer Radio I made the conversion to the DIN plug is an original 71/74 one... I have not installed the newer retro repro yet. They get the aux in provision ready. Not USB thought, just analog. Newers are with the analog input and also BT.

( I won't tell to Megaparts guys you called them megaRATS LOL )

[ACUDANUT]

EMAIL SENT

[MaximRecoil]

factory never soldered the wires and terminals, just crimped, but sure factory tools and skills are better than any ppl who doesn't use to deal with this stuff

That's because soldering wires in a car is a bad idea. Solder is relatively brittle, and where it wets into stranded wire, it turns it into a solid, brittle section of wire, which defeats the purpose of stranded wire (which is flexibility). A car environment has movement/vibration and extremes of temperature, which can eventually cause soldered wires to crack at the solder joint. Soldering is good for e.g., household plumbing and attaching components to printed circuit boards.

so soldering is an extra safety point to be sure wire won't leave the terminal accidentally and assure a better contact.

Adding solder to a proper crimp is superfluous at best, and counterproductive at worst (depending on how much solder you add, and where in the joint that you add it). A proper crimp is already stronger than the wire itself, i.e., it's flat-out impossible to pull the wire out of a proper crimp without breaking the wire, plus, it is airtight (because it forms a cold weld between the crimped terminal and the stranded wire), so it can't corrode within the crimp.

The problem is that a lot of people don't crimp properly. They use a poorly designed crimping tool, and/or there's a mismatch between the gauge of wire and the gauge of the terminal, and/or there's a mismatch between the type of terminal and the type of crimping tool. This ubiquitous tool is probably the biggest cause of bad crimps:

[Nacho-RT74]

[BMOTOXSTAR]

I got so lucky with that same Harbor Freight crimper...

At times it felt like I put all my weight into making it crimp properly. All my crimps are solid ! I did do shrink tube over the crimps. Probably not needed...

So glad I did not solder....
Thank you guys for the input.

Due to super slow shipping right now I have not been able to test drive again after repairing the engine harness.

I am waiting on a rubber gasket for my stock brake master cylinder. Leaks horrible from the gasket. Has to be reason my brake light is always on. Leaks from the top pof the gasket only...just a lot.

Thanks guys !

[Nacho-RT74]

I allways have soldered and so far so good haven't got any problem with that yet. Sure I'm aware about the excess of lead will prone to break the wire specially to critical areas harnesses with movement and I don't have a good crimper.

About the brake light... the lid gasket has nothing to do with the brake light on cluster. You are having a leak AFTER the dist block, or even between MC pistons OR the differential piston into the dist block is leaking throught the circuits O rings. BTDT on last one.

My car ( same as many Mopars in Vzla ) was getting the light on and the big bowl on MC getting emptied while the small bowl overflowed. At the end found the brake fluid was being interchanged between front and rear circuits through the differential piston system into the dist block. That was making the differential piston to activate the light on cluster because the front brakes system gets more pressure than the rear and with that drainage throught the dist block the piston was been pushed.



How "mechanics" cheated ppl in Venezuela along the years? After make many MC changes, or service the pistons inside couple of times without good results they end disconnecting the dist block switch and drill a hole between bowls wall to keep the fluid balanced. Brakes keeps working, just not as efficient it should, but the "emptying and overflowing" problem was being "solved"... and light OFF. Sure everybody thinks the dist block will never fail LOL.

Have you noticed of the leak on lid comes from just the front section of MC ?

You can clean MC surface and gasket ( I in fact sandpaper them ) and add some pressure to the lid bending a bit the lid retaining spring.

[MaximRecoil]

I allways have soldered and so far so good haven't got any problem with that yet. Sure I'm aware about the excess of lead will prone to break the wire specially to critical areas harnesses with movement and I don't have a good crimper.

The classic crimper for common closed-barrel connectors like these...



... is the Thomas & Betts WT111M:



Those are on the expensive side, but any crimpers with the same basic design will make a solid crimp in a closed barrel connector. There are even some versions of that cheap stamped steel crimper/stripper combination tool that I posted a picture of in my previous post that can make a solid indent-type crimp in addition to the not-so-solid oval-shaped crimps, and those work fine too. For example, I bought these cheap ones twenty some odd years ago, and use them for all closed-barrel connectors up to 10-12 gauge:



I use the indent crimper that's behind the hinge (marked "8-22 bare term") rather than those not-so-great oval crimpers that are in front of the hinge (marked "14-22 insul 10-12").

Technically you're only suppose to use an indent-type crimp on non-insulated terminals, because the indent can pierce the plastic insulation, but I couldn't care less about that. That tiny pierced section of plastic insulation ever being the cause of a short circuit is about as likely as winning the lottery every week for the next 50 years. In any case, if someone is concerned about it, they can simply remove the plastic insulation to turn them into non-insulated terminals (and add heat shrink tubing if they want).

For open-barrel terminals like are used in most factory-made wiring harnesses, for the past 15 years I've used a Waldom W-HT-1921 crimper, which isn't very expensive. There's a good article on how to use them here. There are also ratcheting crimpers with interchangeable dies, which crimp both parts of an open-barrel terminal at the same time (i.e., the part that grabs the bare wire and the part that grabs the insulation), but the Waldom is the only open-barrel crimper I have any experience with and it's always worked perfectly for me on a wide variety of open-barrel terminals, so that's what I've stuck with.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Thank you for posting about the crimpers. I am going to invest in a pair like you have.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Nacho, yes...it is leaking on the front bowl side not the back towards the firewall.

Even with the new gasket that I just received, she still leaks, not as bad.

Thank you for posting the diagram.