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OK, I inherited this car with an MSD ignition, leftover Duraspark wiring, on board regulator wiring for the alternator....and who knows what....

This particular "hot" connection was all screwed or plugged together on a little standoff, which was then tie wrapped to a water hose! All exposed to errant wrenches and stuff happening......!

There are ring eyelets and spade connectors, some original DeT and others are added on.

I really don't want to cut off the original connectors on factory wiring....bugs me.....but I want something that is secure and safe from "creating sparks and excitement" in the engine compartment!!!

***OK after looking at the picture again....it would appear the thing about cutting off the original connectors has already sailed....those don't look very original at all!***

What have you used or seen? My local electronics salvage/junk store is now a pile of ground concrete..... Frowner Which is where I would normally go to find great left over stuff from the space program...and my old jobs, to resolve this! Smiler

Here is a pic of the problem that I want to work on today....

I figure:
A) putting it on the little "panel" on the firewall is a good idea...
B)protecting it from "unintended touching"
C)easy to access/test
D)won't melt with engine compartment temps near headers!
..all are desirable goals!

Perhaps what I have is really fine...just need to encapsulate it??? Old microwave plastic food box? Snuff can (plastic!)....?

Maybe just put some heatshrink on the spades as a starter....

Here's the bugger....
Thanks!
Steve

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Wow! Great examples of where I need to be......

I believe I have figured out that the Lite Blu and Brown (or Orange) wires are redundantly redundant....with the MSD and Pertronix perhaps. In stock config, orange (or brown) wire is +12V at "start/crank" from "I" terminal on starter solenoid to +coil....and Lite Blu is Resistance wire from switch...for "run".

I know that one red is +12V "Run" to MSD. (top in pic)
Second red with shiny crimp goes to +side of Pertronix unit in dist.

Guessing that third of my Red wires is main +12V from the ignition switch during "RUN".

With +12V going to both Pertronix and MSD, then the resistance wire, as wired, is unneeded?
(Depends on if in the IGN switch if RUN and START are connected together during start.)

Also, I don't know if the "Start" wire (Orange) is needed any longer to bypass (the resistance wire) or provide full +12V during start.

Both the resistance wire (lite blue) and the bypass (orange) wire circuits would be in parallel during crank or "start".

Gonna go stare at SOBill's drawings some more as well as the MSD tech sheets.

Worse case, when I get this all put back together, I disconnect these wires and see what happens! If nothing happens...better plug them back in! If noting still happens....hmmm, left something unplugged!!!! Smiler Smiler

Some really great ideas for junction blocks etc here!!!!

The good news, is that I have now identified cut wires and "hangers out" wires for the most part!!!

OK, time to get back to busy!
Thanks all!!
Steve
I posted this pic on my "hosed" post...oops!

Here is my problem area....

Will likely put a junction block of sorts up where the space is next to the coil....where the old voltage regulator likely lived!

Next will be DuraSpark II box and distributor....but back to pipes and hoses first...and "some" wiring cleanup....get rid of that bundle of excess wire with the tie-wrap around them.......! SCREAMING "CLEAN ME UP!"

Cheers!
Steve

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Steve, I applaud your efforts to rationalize an electrically abused Pantera. But wait until you move to the front compartment and find the 'extra 6 feet of wiring loom & connectors' tucked/taped under the upper radiator support... by the factory. Not exactly uncharted territory as a few owners have straightened this one out, but I suspect you will have a unique take on the issue. Good luck.
Jack,

Wasn't that so one could test the fans with the radiator out of the car?????

Yes, I found "some" extra wiring up front, but not really all that much. What is there, is fairly stiff now as the insulation has taken quite a set! Looks like someone shortened things up quite a bit! Connectors do need to be dealt with however!

Thanks!
Steve
OK, after spending a good day (cumulative) of chasing wires, toning out cut wires, and rearranging things, this is what I ended up with! Oh plus just plain staring at stuff, and cleaning up the ground connections too!

I found a simple terminal block at the local electronics recycler with 6 connections, 3 tied to a mate. Since all of these are to be the same point function wise (+12V switched), I fab'd up two jumpers and made them all one!

I also rewired the MSD, Tach Adapter, and Pertronix leads as needed to either hide them better, terminate them properly, OR get rid of excess!

This is what I ended up with. I still would like to fab a simple cover but this is a lot better than having the wires hanging in the breeze!!!

Steve

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Only one thing I couldn't trace out or figure out the drawings.

There are two large blue wires in the bundle which had all of the regulator wires in it, two pic's up, just to the right of the black coil wire. Violet wire from the tach adapter connects to one of these large blue wires. The other one is unused....and I have no idea where it goes!

Any ideas????? (I would like to know...)

A lesser issue....
I believe that the orange wire from the "I" terminal of the starter solenoid back to the junction block can be eliminated. I am not yet sure, if at the ignition switch, if "start" and "run" are at the same potential in both positions, where the "I" terminal only get's voltage at start. (solenoid enerqized) We'll see what happens when I connect the battery back up and can start the car! ....trans to neutral!!!! I also wonder if I can disconnect the resistor wire (lite blue) since nothing uses it (with MSD box).... again, back to that "start" and "run" question....where I believe +12V is present in both positions.

DuraSpark II would use the "I" terminal to provide voltage for cranking (and to retard the advance curve in the box for easier starting).

Steve

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