electrical harness removal question- help please

[wareaglescott]

1979 SC

pulling the complete electrical harness as I continue to tear down the car. This is my first 911 project so I am learning as I go.

I am pulling the engine compartment wiring through the tunnel so I can remove it from the car. Removed the 14 pin connector and have everything taped up nicely to fit through the hole in the body.
It does not appear there is any way to get these 3 plugs will go through the hole in the body at the end of the tunnel going into the engine compartment.
The larger plug has a larger diameter that the hole and the 2 smaller ones plus the wire they attach to will not fit through at the same time.

I have removed some of the tape around the plug base but I do not see how you can unwire them from the plug. On the two male plugs I can get the white plastic part out but get no further than that.

What do I need to do here. Do I have to cut the plugs out? Any tips or tricks are greatly appreciated.

Pulling this harness has not been very enjoyable! I am not sure how in the world I will ever get it back in!! Will worry about that when the time comes I guess.

Thanks for any suggestions. They are much appreciated.

[Evans, Marv]

The most knowledgeable guy would be Timmy2 (Dennis). He makes all kinds of high quality harnesses and looms & might have come across this or know somebody who has.

[NRHS]

Having lurked for some time and found so much incredible info from this forum, maybe I could offer something back.

Having done this task myself may I suggest you attack the problem from the other end.

The harness will split in the passenger compartment where there are two (in my case) white plastic connectors. This separates the front harness from the rear harness.

Remove the white plastic connector bodies, having noted colours and positions - photo maybe, and then bind the wire tightly with tape.

Remove the rear harness backwards through the tunnel and out via the engine bay.

Replacement is simple reversal using stiff wire (fence wire or the like) to post back through the tunnel conduit in order to fish a string line backwards. This line is then used to pull the harness back through the conduit for re-assembly.

Hope that helps

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by evans, marv

the most knowledgeable guy would be timmy2 (dennis). He makes all kinds of high quality harnesses and looms & might have come across this or know somebody who has.

+1

[seafeye]

I’m not sure how different the later harnesses are from the early ones. But I pulled mine from the front back. Disconnected each wire from the fuse panel. Taped them up. Then pulled from the back of the car.

[kevingross]

At the risk of stating the obvious, you need to remove the contacts (pins) from the connector shell. If you're really stuck, cannot figure out how to get the connector apart, consider ordering a new shell along with its pins ("bushes"), which should make figuring things out a bit easier. I've done this for a lot of models, but unfortunately not for the connectors in your picture. Good luck -- and it can be done!

[jpnovak]

NO. The harness pulls from front out the back of the tunnel. All of those plugs are overmolded.

The harness starts at the dash. There are three sections:
1. Under dash
2. Behind dash (Front of car)
3. Behind dash (Tunnel and back of car)

You start by disconnecting the gauges. Some of the wires from the guages go to the front of the car (lights, indicators, etc) and some go to the back of the car (engine sensors, tach, speed) through the tunnel harness.

The tunnel harness will exit the front of the tunnel and go across and behind the pedal cluster where it turns upwards through the bulkhead. After crossing the bulkhead it enters the front trunk underneath the fuel fill neck. The main harness then splits going forward to the fuse panel and rearward to the dash.

Once you start disconnecting these sections you can pull the wires forward against the loom and tape them off to make them small enough to pull through. Take your time, don't cut the wires. Its a PITA but easily doable. More helpful to have two sets of hands. One to pull and one to feed.

Also, the harness will go through the tunnel in a channel located in the upper passenger side corner of the tunnel.

So, pull from the engine compartment. Feed from the front of the car.

[svandamme]

why would you require to move the entire harnass if it still works???
You going to dip the car or something?? that much rust on an SC ??

[jpnovak]

Originally Posted by svandamme

why would you require to move the entire harnass if it still works??

I completely agree here. I would not pull the harness unless you have to replace or make major repairs. I can't imagine you need to do that much work on an SC.

[wareaglescott]

Thanks for the feedback. I have the harness mostly disconnected. I have been previously advised to pull the harness from the back and out the front. That seems to contradict what jpnovak offered. Another piece of advice I got outside of the forum is to very tightly tape the plugs to the harness and you can squeeze them thorough the tunnel. Done for today and will look at both options again tomorrow or next chance I get to work on it. Appreciate anyones else feedback on pulling front to back or back to front.
Jpnovak I appreciate you taking the time for the detailed response.

The reason I am pulling the harness is two fold.
1- I am doing a complete color change. The car previously had a color change from the original brown to red. I can't stand looking at the brown areas that were not sprayed because they only part way tore the car down on the last color change. It looks half a$$ to me and I desire a better finished product.
2 - My car hobby is as much about the build process and learning as the actual driving the end result. I have a couple other fun cars to just drive. I intend to take this car down to a bare shell and learn all about it as I go. I understand that is making a considerable amount more work for myself but that is how I like to learn. I take more satisfaction knowing I completely tore it apart and rebuilt it. The extra work and frustrating parts associated with it are fine by me. Feel fortunate to have a fine group on contributors on the forum to help with my sometimes stupid questions!

[timmy2]

Engine and transmission out, and everything comes out the back.
As jp described.
After 1968 that is what is required due to the way they are made.

[yelcab1]

Originally Posted by jpnovak

NO. The harness pulls from front out the back of the tunnel. All of those plugs are overmolded.

.

Wow, talk about over-engineered...
Why?

[wareaglescott]

Originally Posted by timmy2

Engine and transmission out, and everything comes out the back.
As jp described.
After 1968 that is what is required due to the way they are made.

Dang wish I would have posted this question before unwiring the 14 pin connector. lol
Live and learn I guess!

Thanks for the feedback.

[timmy2]

Originally Posted by kevingross

At the risk of stating the obvious, you need to remove the contacts (pins) from the connector shell. If you're really stuck, cannot figure out how to get the connector apart, consider ordering a new shell along with its pins ("bushes"), which should make figuring things out a bit easier. I've done this for a lot of models, but unfortunately not for the connectors in your picture. Good luck -- and it can be done!

Cannot be done as you described Kevin..(by most)
Not for the molded plugs in his photo. The pins are soldered to the wires and then they are cast in the solid rubber body.
I have made molds to reproduce them.

[wareaglescott]

Successfully got it out the back as instructed. I appreciate the input to the thread. Felt like I won a fight after getting that thing out! haha

[jpnovak]

Nice. Wait until you have to put it back in...

[wareaglescott]

Originally Posted by jpnovak

Nice. Wait until you have to put it back in...

I took a nap after working and already had my first nightmare about it! Haha

I did leave a guide wire in the tunnel to help me pull it back through.

[M491Cabriolet]

So, here’s my question: Where the harness has been removed from behind the dash, how do you get the rubber female plug back through the bulkhead holes so the under dash male plugs can be plugged in? There must be a trick to this. It’s a total bear!

[seafeye]

You need two people. One to push. And the other on the inside with a small flat screwdriver to pry the rubber. It also helps if you have vaseline or dielectric grease around the rubber. You may want to peel back the tape and see what colors are in each socket. Will make hooking up the correct mate easier.

[M491Cabriolet]

Ok. I’m on my lonesome, so I guess I’ll have to recruit a friend to help me. Vaseline is a good idea. Thanks!

By the way, since I have no idea what these are called, here is a picture I borrowed from some else’s post on the board.