Bulkhead connections- 2 bypass issues

[68RRFlyer]

I pulled apart the middle bulkhead connection and two plugs are now defunct.  They are <P> and <L>.  <P> is the big thick connection (solid Black wire) that runs from the alternator to the connector then based on what I'm seeing on the wiring diagram, continues to a 3-way connection that then runs to the fuse panel and headlight switch.  That three "T" connection has one of the three showing it leads to the back of the ammeter.  Which now, my ammeter shows a current discharge due to the alternator not powering anything because the connector is shot.  Anyrate, I know Nacho has the bulkhead bypass diagram, and would that work here to get rid of that connection and resume the alternator powering the car again?   I can't reach either of these two connections on the bulkhead connector under the dash due to it being an AC car (no room), so would running that black wire to the black ammeter post correct the situation for me?

The other connection is <L> and is a black with white tracer.  That seems to run to the T/S switch.  I should be able to find that wire in the connection and then just tap into it and complete the circuit that way by bypassing the bulkhead connection.  I'll be tearing the dash out in the spring time and will fix the connection the right way then, but want to get the car up and running off the alternator like it's supposed to for some fall cruising.  Will taking that black wire inside the engine compartment and tapping into the black wire off the ammeter post get the car charging again?  Seems like it may, but I'm not an electrical genius.  Thanks!

Cheers   

[Nacho-RT74]

yes, run directly the wire up to ammeter will get back the power to the batt BUT NOT to the car. Black wire needs to get the splice inside harness tape. The splice on diagram is what really feeds everything on car. The splice should also show a wire up to ign switch I think ( beside fuse box, ammeter and headlights ). Ign switch and fusebox wires should become in RED from splice

You can get the wire up to ammeter AND also keep the old black wire to ammeter and that will feed the splice, but need to be sure about rest of wire sections are isolated ( the wire running to bulkhead inside cab ) and nut propperly clean and tight.

You can also run a wire through the bulkhead hole up to what rest of wire on back of bulkhead and replace the damaged female spade terminal with a thick bullet kind terminal. Use male/female bullet kind will give you the posibility to remove any harness from the other like originally was, without need to reach on back of cluster to remove ammeter nut. Beside that bullet kind terminals are safer and more resistant to get more load.

The black traced wire on "L" is the horn. Drives ground from column, and activates the relay on engine compartiment. from bulkhead to engine harness becomes in green traced red.

[Nacho-RT74]

BTW I did not bypassed the bulkhead conections, they are still there, I simply routed extra wiring out of the bulkhead, but thats because my bulkhead is still intact

[68RRFlyer]

OK, thanks Nacho.  I can get access to the female spade on the black wire, that was just melted together and the male post is now broke by pulling it apart.  So I should be able to connect those two via a bullet connector or at least repair the male end to reconnect to the female end.  The female end inside the bulkhead connector is loose though, and pushes in when I plug the connection together so it'll be tricky.  The black/white tracer wire is unfortunatley, pushed way inside the bulkhead connector and I can't reach it.  So that one I'll have to splice into the T/S connection under the column.  Thanks!

Cheers

[Nacho-RT74]

yeah, well I guess the black traced white ( horn ) wire is in that way because the ammeter wire melted the bulkhead far enough to stick the horn wire terminal inside the plastic at a side.

you could try to drill the bulkhead and then remove both wires, and use the hole to pass throught both. then use a treminal on engine bay side. You should have enough wire inside cab to pull it out a litle bit.

OR use wire sections inserted on bulkhead to conect both sides with terminals ( inside cab and on engine bay ). You could fill up the hole with epoxy to keep wires in place.

on the Original bulkhead I had with Ammeter wire cavity totally melted ( also red one coming from batt ) what I made is replace terminals ( bullet ) on cab side and fit them on bulkhead, THEN FILL THE BULKHEAD HOLE with fiberglass ( you can use epoxy or even bondo ) so in that way bulhead was one piece again without a hole and terminals were integrated on it.

Drilling the hole you'll have room to fit a 10/12 gauge bullet kind terminal to ammeter and a regular spade terminal to horn.

To horn you can use anykind of terminal, but be sure about ammeter wire using a HIGH QUALITY TERMINALS, crimping AND solding

I can take a pic of the fix I made LOOOONG time ago, when I didn't have a bulkhead to replace, and refill the hole with the terminals and fiberglass

[68RRFlyer]

That pic on the left may be the way to go.  The one on the right would involve me getting underneath that dash and with it being an A/C car, no friggin' way!   I think I may try the "drill it out and pull the wires through" method, and then bullet connect the two terminals that way.  Understood about the heavy gauge wire on the ammeter connection.  I have lots of 10 gauge laying around.  I'll probably do the parallel wire upgrade too while I'm at it.  I can't do anything until I get back on the 21st anyway, but that's probably the route I'll take.  Thanks Nacho.

Cheers 

[Nacho-RT74]

the middle and right diagrams are a bulkhead side views of the solution, using the hole show on left. The boxes are locations to terminals.

sorry, I didn't wrotte the legend on diagram LOL.

[68RRFlyer]

Hey Nacho, no way that wire will come out of the bulkhead connector, and I don't have enough joints to twist my skinny butt under that dash to get to the bulkhead connector to put a new terminal on it.  SOOOOO I need to bypass that connector and reconnect that wire from the alternator to it's other part under the dash.  Any idea where that splice is in the main harness and is it reachable anywhere that a human can get too?  I realize that wire needs to reconnect to itself before the splice, so I'm going to do that so I can get the car back running on the alternator like it's supposed to.  ANY ideas where that splice may be?  Can I splice it into anything else easy reachable to power the car again (like the red or black wires in the fuse box) after the splice???  Man, this sucks

Cheers 

[68RRFlyer]

I might have solved the problem but need some concurrence.  I followed the bulkhead connector wires inside the car down to where they seperate and go to the TS switch.  Taking the tape off the harness, I found the thick black wire and two thinner, but thick red wires (1 size smaller gauge) and by the diagram it looks like the one red one goes to the Ammeter and the other goes to the High Beam switch.  So that black one is the alternator feed.  So, what I'm thinking is that the splice on the diagram from the alternator wire is further up the harness closer to the ignition switch.  I haven't cut the tape off to see since that's further up the dash, but not seeing any other thicker wires that what appears to be the case.  So I'm thinking of running that alternator feed black wire from the inside of the engine compartment, bypass the connector, and connect that to the black wire in the main harness from the firewall at that point.  Should that work?   

Cheers   

[68RRFlyer]

..and as a follow up, that worked!    That splice, for anyone who may need it as a reference on bypassing the bulkhead connector, is up close to the ignition switch.  I tied the wire under the hood into the harness before where you see the T/S switch wiring seperate and go up the column.  Worked like a charm!  Chapter on this one, closed

Cheers 

[Nacho-RT74]

well I'm more less unsure what exactly you had to deal with, but remember you CAN remove the bulkhead conector from friewall. Is just clipped on, and you'll get room down the dash allmost to floor to work on once bulkhead is unpluged on harness of engine bay

you could simply cut the black wire on back of bulkhead and break that area to drill the hole.

I don't know how exactly is the 2nd gen harness since only worked partially once on a 70, so dunno really where is the splice, but you could also attach to the ammeter black wire stud. that will feed the splice too. Anyway apparently you found it.

What did happen to the black wire going to bulkhead inside the cab ? did you leave it there ?

what about the horn wire ?

[68RRFlyer]

How I did it was I pulled the wires out of the connector inside the engine bay and crimped on another 4ft piece of 10ga wire to the alternator feed wire.  I did the same with the horn wire too, except I used 18ga for that.  I routed both of those wires down the firewall and went through the clutch pedal boot on the firewall then up over the steering column.  There I was able to tape the wires to the main harness that comes down from the firewall and as the harness bends up towards the ignition switch, I cut the wires and spliced them in.  Afterwards, I wrapped the harness with tape and you can't see the splices.  The only unused wires are in the harness that run from the bulhead connector inside the car to the point of the splice.  They are dead wires not hooked to anything now and just remain in the harness.

See, that's the problem.  I can't get to the firewall bulkhead connector from under the dash.  I know it clips in and out, but you can't get to it.  No room.  I have an AC car as well and there's no way to unclip that thing and pull it down.  This is a temporary fix for now, and what I plan to do next month will be to drill out those two ports in the bulkhead connector and run the wires through those holes, down the main harness, and then into the splices I have now.  That way, you won't be able to tell.  You really can't now, but I know it's there, it's not right, and I want it back to the way it was routed initially.  So that'll be next month but for now, the horn works, the car runs off the alternator, and all's well in electrical land!

Cheers