Hi guys- Long time member, not much of a poster here…
I would like to replace the alternator harness on my standard 69 Cougar. I bought the new harness for my car from MU…The problem is that I’m not sure how to delete, or make a better repair to my wiring. The new harness does not have a connection for the fuseable link, and the old one does.
First question, did you get the correct harness? If it is for a Mustang with out a tach you may have the wrong one.
I made that mistake already, but this one is the correct one…How do we post pictures on this site? I could more easily explain my dilemma with a couple of pictures. I tried to drag and drop, but the file was too large…
Here you go: https://cccforum.discoursehosting.net/t/new-photo-gallery-plus-an-easier-way-to-add-images/7979/1
Thanks for the link- I now need to figure out how to resize my pictures, as they are 6+ megs, and only allowed 5…
So if this is working correctly for me, you can now see the “thick” black ground wire, in the molded rubber end of the harness, and also the fuseable link itself.
The big black wire is not a ground. I know being black it sure seems like it should be… That is actually the power output from the alternator to the battery. When you remove he big rubber insulator you should find some color coded plastic discs at each post location. See the two that are closest together? The one closest to the outside of the case is where the big black wire connects, the plastic disc is RED and the black wire may have a red cap that covers the terminal at the end. ( there may be a marking that says BATT) The stud next to this goes to the voltage regulator. It should have a white plastic disc, (it may be marked FLD) and in this case the white wire connects here. ( It should also have a white cap.) Since you have a standard, the third stud, should have a black plastic disc (it may be marked STA). This is the stator terminal ad the wire that connects here is White with a Black stripe. This is the wire that feeds the warning light on the dash. The small stud that is clearly attached to the case and not insulted is the ground. This may not be used as the real ground for the alternator is through the case. If it is used it will be a small black with red stripe wire that ends up going to a ground connection that is common with the voltage regulator. I don’t recall ever seeing a fusible link on our cars in stock form. You might be looking at a big fat connection that is buried in tape or it could have been added.
I should have asked, did you get the harness with individual connections with the rubber caps or did you get the one with the big molded rubber block with all three major connections in it? I was giving directions for the one with individual connections. If you have the big molded connection, then the only thing you have to do is put it on and then attache the little ring terminal to the case ground and the big ring terminal to the ground point on the block.
Fusible links were introduced in 1970, and only on the main power line from the starter solenoid to the passenger compartment for power.
I do not see a fusible link in this picture, but maybe I simply need to have it pointed out to me.
This shows a better angle…It makes perfect sense, that the fat wire is in fact the power wire,as it is attached to the B+ post on the solenoid.
I just am not sure what to do with said link, if I merely unplug the original harness…
I fail to see a fusible link anywhere in your pictures. Tell me where it is within the picture and I’ll be able to help you out.
I know the picture isn’t as clear on screen, as when I took the shot, and I took the picture! If you look towards the right on the alternator, you can see 3 “skinny” wires, and orange, and a white with blue stripe are easy to pick out. Anyway, there is a spot of tape, where you can see the skinny wires by the black plastic cover on the alternator…That “fat” wire, bends up and under the plastic plug, and heads up to the B+ terminal on the solenoid…Unless I’m mistaken, that is a fuseable link length of wire…Or at least that is what I’m getting hung up on…
Is this the replacement harness you are using?
If so, the small ring terminal goes to the ground stud on the back of the alternator, and the larger ring terminal goes to ground, usually the same bolt that holds the min battery ground on the block.
It looks like the big black wire coming out of the car side of you harness is missing he big blck wire so they bypassed the plug and spiced it to the wire going to the battery side of the solenoid.
Someone has spliced in a wire on you; whether it is fusible or not is questionable, but it is not stock. Take a look at the second picture you showed, with the plug with three wires going to it. Notice something unusual? Such as that is a 4 pin plug? The 4th pin, a thick sonofabitch, is missing!
The prior reply to this post has the correct alternator harness, and it mates with the plug in your first picture.
Yes, that is the replacement harness that I bought…So, then what do I do with the spliced in piece, as a replacement? Or do I not need to be worried about it? On my best days, wiring is my least favorite task…I get it conceptually, but in practice, not as much…
Today is supposed to be pretty fabulous here along the front range, I will dig back into the harness and see what else I can find…Thanks for the input!
OK- So I can now see, that my fat black wire, is supposed to go through the 4 pin connector, and I can see where the car side of the connector has also been cut and modified.
It would appear that unless I modify my same new harness, to be as messed up as the old one, that I have in fact just wasted the cost of the new harness, which I can not return, having been opened, and “installed”. I guess I will have to find a way to cut into the car side harness, and repair that bullet connector, so that I can go back to the original set up.
Any good idea’s on how to repair this bullet connector, through the rubber cover?
You are over thinking this. If you want it to look like stock, then drill out the female bullet in the old car side of the connector. Route the wire that goes up to the battery side of the solenoid through the connector. Put a female bullet connector on the end of the wire and then connect it to the appropriate male bullet on the new harness. Then plug the two harnesses together letting the wire slide back through the plug end on the engine side harness. In the end it will look like stock.
If you don’t care about looks then you just cut the big black wire on the new harness. Attach it to the wire from the old harness that goes to the battery side of the solenoid.
Bill gave some good advice. The four pin plug on the headlight side is a fairly rare piece and isn’t reproduced without buying the whole reproduction harness. For a quick/dirty non-concours fix, he’s right on the money.