How to remove a 73's front turn signal in less than 8 hours?

[rlane]

OK...I admit to being dense.
That said I am unable to find an easy way to remove my passenger side turn/signal units electrical connection. I posted earlier and the advice was that the plug is in the front trunk. It is indeed but is a plug that includes the headlight power. Surely there must be a way to just remove the turn sinal without cutting the wires?

[Jim Sims]

You do not have to cut wires! (1) The female socket side of the plug that mounts in the trunk wall may be pushed outward and released from the hole in the sheet metal. It is retained in the sheet metal wall of the trunk side by a goove molded into the the OD of the plug. Push firmly outward; if the rubber is old and hard this may require some force. (2) Remove the headlight trim ring, head lamp securing ring and remove the headlamp (unplug from the headlamp socket). Mark the wires (should be three of them) going into the headlamp socket and note where they go in the headlamp socket. Then release the female connectors from the plastic socket; there is a little metal spring tab that retains the connector. Carefully use a small screwdriver blade to push the tab back while you pull out the connector. Carefully; the plastic of the socket is 30 years old and can be brittle! Next disconnect any ground wire in the bucket bottom. (3) You will see the wires you just released going into a rubber grommet in the bottom of the head lamp bucket. Push this grommet downward through the hole (again this may require some force if the rubber is old and hard) and feed the wires after it down through the hole. You should now be able to pull the turn signal assembly outward with the wiring harness. Take this opportunity to clean up the connector contact surfaces and reinstall with silicone dielectric grease. Also clean up the rubber grommets and treat them to some type of rubber restorative compound. Jim

[Randy Webb]

I'll bet that on a '73, it is time to replace the grommets. Be careful as the wire insulation could crack too.

Also, it helps when reaching an impasse, to say to youself: "this car was designed by Germans, they are bound to have designed in a way to do this." Here, this is disconnecting the wires. The cars are all very logical, have design overkill, etc. The only exception is the lack of fuses...

[Jim Sims]

For 1973 the plug and grommets are integral to the wiring harness. One may be able to replace the female plug and solder on a new one but the grommet for the headlight bucket appears to be molded around the wiring. The entire wiring harness should still be available for a princely sum. Jim

[rlane]

Thanks Jim, good info. If my intent is to leave the sidemarker/turn signal assembly off (to get more air to my fender mounted cooler) do the wires inside the side marker/turn signal assembly also release like the headlight ones do?

[Jim Sims]

Yes, another grommet plus the ground is attached inside the housing with a screw. I recall a rivet inside that retained a bit of insulating phenolic laminate but all the wires should release. Jim