Rusty's not very quiet cuda progress

Start with the only good thing lately, I had the fine nut so I didn't need both, but at least the starter is good to go! 20230904_131206.jpg
then I took a pick of the bulkhead & dug out the diagram in the 73 book20230904_134818.jpgMine showed wire colors, NONE matched what's in the plug!
on mine
#3 was seat belt (74 was belt & auto trans)
# 4 was A/C motor (74 was Tach)
#9 was starter (74 was windshield washer)
#19 windshield washer (74 was starter)
#20 A/C clutch (74 was seat belt interlock)

So my crazy markings on the A/c wire, the green could go in the safety harness that slot was empty.
But the blue was marked lower left on the main plug & both plugs had that space occupied???

So I went under the dash again, don't see any of the interlock parts described, here's what's still hanging, wires on the left down low are the new radio wires. 20230904_131946.jpg
20230904_132019.jpg
 
Basically, I'm screwed!

So my thought at this point is buy the new harness without the interlock, see what their colors match or don't for that matter & see what works, maybe I could move pins around?

So this car did start & run, I drove it around a bit before I parked it. Pretty sure all the lights worked.
The blower I don't recall & the A/C was dead!
 
You're far from screwed. In fact, it would appear you've got a '73-style dash harness and the '73 underhood harness setup with the interlock sorta half-ass integrated. The big question is, if there's a blue wire in Cavity 20, where does it go? If it's not blue, what color is it?

I think you're going to be fine getting an engine harness from a '73 and skipping the interlock entirely. It almost seems like you've got some weird kitbash that someone cobbled together. I'd love to say maybe it's an early-enough car that they hadn't fully figured out the interlock integration into the wiring harness, but with such a high sequence number that's unlikely (but not impossible, either). Hell, the car's 50 years old and we can't ever know what was done prior to your ownership. It's certainly a fustercluck. 😂 We'll get it figured out... hell, we're 95% there now!
 
I forgot I did check those, Both old neutral safety plugs have nothing in #4 so the green from my notes could go there.
The blue on the other hand said lower left main plug, both big plugs have wires in that space.
#9 has a black wire
#19 has a black with yellow tracer.
# 20 was light green
So those are off.

What I'm thinking is if I just but the standard harness (without interlock) I should be able to go back to what should be factory, then if I have the wrong year dash harness a few pins would have to be moved or (I hate to say it) spliced to the opposite colors.

I think the easiest one to start with would be 9 & 19, they just reverse starter & wiper washer pump, if the pump don't go, huston we have a problem!
& with a nice new harness I can check which colors go where when I lay it out, starter wire & pump wire are way far apart.
 
OK, ordered the standard 74 harness, they didn't show a 73 at all.
Also didn't show a 74 eng side A/C harness but I looked at the 71 & it just looks like the 2 wires I have with the exposed plug on one end, green & blue, I was wondering if that was part of the eng. apparently not!
added sail panels to stay over the 189, well with the 30% you loose the free shipping, that was MORE, I can't catch a break!

At least it says there both stock items!
 
If, on yours, 9 was the starter and 19 was the windshield washer, then you've already got the 1973 arrangement for those two cavities. They wouldn't need to be reversed if you bought a '73 engine harness.

The mystery is the light green (LGN) wire. See if you can figure out the other end of it.

RUSTY Cuda said:
OK, ordered the standard 74 harness, they didn't show a 73 at all.
Also didn't show a 74 eng side A/C harness but I looked at the 71 & it just looks like the 2 wires I have with the exposed plug on one end, green & blue, I was wondering if that was part of the eng. apparently not!
added sail panels to stay over the 189, well with the 30% you loose the free shipping, that was MORE, I can't catch a break!

At least it says there both stock items!
Click to expand...
We were trying to avoid the '74 harness. That's the one with the interlock.
 
RUSTY Cuda said:
Mine showed wire colors, NONE matched what's in the plug!
on mine
#3 was seat belt (74 was belt & auto trans)
# 4 was A/C motor (74 was Tach)
#9 was starter (74 was windshield washer)
#19 windshield washer (74 was starter)
#20 A/C clutch (74 was seat belt interlock)
Click to expand...
According to what you wrote in that statement, that is 100% the 1973 pin arrangement. A '73 engine harness is a drop-in. A 1974 harness will require you swap pins 9 and 19, then remove pins 4 and 20, leaving those two wires hanging, and plug the green wire into 4 and the blue wire into 20.
 
That was the pin arrangement in the 73 book, I was comparing it to the 74 you posted.
the spot #'s on both bulkheads are the same

I ordered from yearone the pre oct12 (73) parts # HU324E
the one without the interlock.

I would think a pre oct of 73 would probably make it a 73 harness , before the 74 changes hit.

Well it's a stock item so it should be here in a few days for a look see!
 
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This is the order write up for my 74, ordered 9/13/73 I think I picked it up early nov. I think.
that would put it right near that cutoff date somewhere, it did not have the interlock, & I don't remember wearing seat belts much back then, I didn't start till I had kids in the 80's.
& I'm almost 100% sure it started without the belts, can't remember what the buzzer system did though, or did it just light that little warning light on the side of the dash?


orig 74 order form color scan full size.jpg
 
K, we have glass! 20230905_093049.jpg
Jass I think you might actually like this guy, first a coat of activator went on frame & glass, then he rolled out the 3/8 butyl tape, he went around pressing it down & then they set the glass. then a tube of glue came out. put a bead around the outer edge & brushed it down with an acid brush. 20230905_093036.jpgAt some point during this he put in the spacers, don't look like they do much, but a finishing Touch I guess.
20230905_093023.jpg
El humpo in the center is still there, but it doesn't touch the glass, it IS darn close!
From inside...............20230905_093111.jpg
 
RUSTY Cuda said:
That was the pin arrangement in the 73 book, I was comparing it to the 74 you posted.
the spot #'s on both bulkheads are the same
Click to expand...
What you said was, "on mine", not "this is what the '73 book shows" leading me to believe that's how the wires on your car were configured prior to disassembly. I knew what the '73 book said; I've been using it for comparison throughout this debacle. After this post, I have no idea what cavities 4, 9, 19, and 20 did on your car before you took it apart.

I'm not sure where the 10/15 cutoff date originates, since there's only one 1974 E-body engine harness shown in the factory catalog: 3764188. There is no cutoff date, period. It's not the same number as either of the 1973 harnesses, either: 3588974 (up to 11/07/72) or 3764173 (after 11/07/72). It's also curious that there's no cutoff date on their dash harnesses, despite the fact that those four pin positions changed function between 1973 and 1974.

Since Year One doesn't even seem to have this properly worked out, I think I'll simply return my engine, forward-lamp, and dash harnesses and swap them for 1973 parts instead. I don't want to twist the key and have the washer pump run.
 
I'll lay out what comes, see what's there.
when I ordered they did not show or I guess I missed the 73 harness, just went back & there it was right next to the 74 .
looking at the pic (lousy pic hard to tell) but the 73 definatly had that second big connector, it looked different on the 74 item.
I do not want to mess with the dash harness, that was in pretty good shape, & making that change now with the dash in, NOT for this old man.
 
New pos. cable arrived, with a little reshaping it fit the mini starter.
20230905_172920.jpg

Complete exhaust system is due in friday, now if the weather would only cool off I could get some hours in out there!
 
RUSTY Cuda said:
I'll lay out what comes, see what's there.
when I ordered they did not show or I guess I missed the 73 harness, just went back & there it was right next to the 74 .
looking at the pic (lousy pic hard to tell) but the 73 definatly had that second big connector, it looked different on the 74 item.
I do not want to mess with the dash harness, that was in pretty good shape, & making that change now with the dash in, NOT for this old man.
Click to expand...
I don't blame you for wanting to not mess with the dash harness, much less the dash. My whole point was trying to make it as easy as possible under the hood by working with what you've already got, and my impression was that you've got a '73-style dash harness based on the quote in post #3189. My #1 concern has been getting new wiring installed without chasing wire mismatches or electrical gremlins. That's the biggest joy of new wiring--it's a lot like having a new car. You just know there won't be problems.

Windshield leaks definitely won't be a problem. Holy cow, he didn't go easy on the sealant, did he? I've never used any sealant a'tall, just the rope! Oh, the "spacers" are actually setting blocks to correctly align the windshield top-to-bottom. Those come with the rope seal. Once the glass is in, they're extraneous. No reason to leave 'em, but no reason to pull 'em out, either. The moulding should miss 'em by a mile.

RUSTY Cuda said:
New pos. cable arrived, with a little reshaping it fit the mini starter.
View attachment 26149

Complete exhaust system is due in friday, now if the weather would only cool off I could get some hours in out there!
Click to expand...
I think the battery cable is spaced for the posts to which the adapter is bolted. It's on, so it doesn't matter. I think you want the adapter in place on a small block anyhow. On a big block, it doesn't clear the block.
 
Maybe, just maybe I'll get lucky (well good luck that is) for once & it will be the correct match up.
Since I'm trying to use stock parts, Plug & play should be the order of the day.
But lord knows with this car it's a lot to ask!
 
So in prepping for the arrival of the harness & the fact that it's still 95 out there I put the A/C on blasting in the garage & did the repairs on the forward light harness.
After that I double checked all the wire colors to the 73 book again, your research is spot on, the only mismatch was #19 (on that plug)20230907_135954.jpg
But & the big but is, it did work in the car, But, did they splice it somewhere else?

So I pulled out the spare harness to see if the clips can be changed.
First one came out easy, but would not lock back in (if it came out that easy it may not have been locked to begin with)
Ended up breaking that clip trying to get it locked in! 20230907_135813.jpg
Pulled out the gasket & fiddled around & found if I wedge a tiny round file in the spreading side I could get em out, plugged it back in & it locked, tried one more to be sure & that worked too, so as long as the new harness has the same clips If I have to move any I think I can without doing harm to them.
20230907_135834.jpgWorst case, I noticed the A/C harness for a 71 is just 2 wires & on one end they both have those clips so I could buy that & make a splice if all else fails!
 
I haven't got any of my reference information here at work. I'll have a look at it when I get home.

On the bright side (?) it's only 57° here today, so if that's moving toward you a reprieve from the heat is on its way!
 
going down to 80ish by sunday, but I have a family thingie that day!
fall will be here eventually, if I can get my butt up a little early I could get some serious hours in!
 
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