Rear Wiring Harness Install

[m75]

While running down an electrical bugaboo, I found that many places throughout the rear harness showed broken insulation, bare wires, etc. It was time to replace the rear harness.

I followed the TM guidance to remove the harness, including the essential "mechanics wire" tied to the end of the old harness. Pulled the old harness out, which confirmed the sad shape of the harness. Here is where my challenge began.

After securing the wire to the new harness, I saw that the loose connections at the front of the harness (the first part of the harness to be pulled forwards towards the dash). Feeling that these doubled-over leads might bind in the chassis rail while being pulled forward, I secured them to the main cable using regular electrical vinyl tape. I then started gently pulling the wire from the transmission tunnel end.

Started off well enough, but after about half-way, the harness stopped. I tried leveraging the wire to multiply the pull to get past whatever stoppage was happening, but nothing. I was able to to pull the harness back out and checked the harness and wire, but saw nothing out of place.

Question: I used the tape to head-off snags or clogs due to the loose ends working their way back along the harness while being pulled forward. Is it possible the tape itself is adding drag to the process? Something needs to change, as the amount of force on the wire is enough to not only break the pull wire, but possible damage to the new harness.

[kmam]

I've never done this but have done similar jobs and you may wish to tape the connectors so that they are one behind the other rather than side-by-side. Of course, you may already have tried that but just in case...

[Refit1701]

I always heard it was better to pull it front to back. There is a lube they use for pulling electrical cable that might help. Look for it on Amazon.

[Mark]

As a lineman we used poly water on the electric cables when pulling thru underground pipes(URD)

[rickf]

The harness is usually pulled front to back after removing the connectors from the ends of the wires to make the end much smaller. The only thing left on the wire is the crimped on connector on the wire but the boot and washer and clip are all removed. Then you tape it and it is a much smaller bundle to pull through. Once pulled through the ends just reassemble as they came apart. no crimping needed.

[m75]

Welcome to November already. I had success yesterday. After removing the harness back through the rear channel opening, I found the the taped-together "loose ends" had curled under during the install process, becoming wedged in the channel. I removed my tape, re-arranged the two loose wires (one is for the fuel sending unit, I think the other is a dash ground) so they didn't bind the taped-together segment, and was able to gently pull the front of the harness up and out of the chassis rail opening.

Today it will be the reattachment of the various connections, rear and dash, and new grommets to replace the ancient originals that were crumbling apart. The old harness really showed a lot of worn insulation, brittle wrapping and connectors. In spite of all that, the rear lights usually worked pretty well. This work will carry it forward another 50 or so years.

Just remembered, there was a plastic oval=shaped "grommet" that was protecting the harness from the edges of the rear chassis rail opening. Today is trash day, and I have to beat the trash truck to the old harness and rescue that item.

[m75]

Roseann Rosanna Danna: "I tell you Jane, it's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another".

After the last update, with the old harness in the trash and at the curb waiting pickup, I worked the dash end of the harness. This is when I noticed that there were four leads that had the proper connectors, but no rubber shell to slide over the connection with the female end. Hmmm, is that the sound of the trash truck dumping my old harness (with the needed shells still on the leads) into oblivion? Mannnnnnnnn........

Hello, TNJ? Guess it will be a week before I get going on this again. Sure, I could make the connections and use electrical tape to insulate them, but c'mon, this is supposed to be a restoration, not a quick-fix to get me home.

[Refit1701]

Yeah, always see what can be salvaged from old harnesses. I even keep the metals ends and drill them out for reuse.