Front light wiring harness routing problem

[DAVEN1256]

I am installing a new front light wiring harness on my '68. It as an American Auto Wire Factory Fit harness that I purchased from Ecklers way back in 2008.

I am trying to figure where the wires going to the voltage regulator and horn relay are supposed to be routed. I don't know if they are supposed to go over or under the windshield washer jar.

When I look at the photo I took of my orignal harness when I was taking the car apart (unfortunately without the washer jar in place) it seems they went under the jar and than ran upwards to the voltage regulator and horn relay.......With this new harness, after I attach the mounting clips to the fender and core support, the wires are not long enough to go under the jar. Setting them on top of the jar doesn't seem right either.

Look at the clip that faces the firewall protruding the new wiring harness wrap. I have a green arrow pointing to it. What is that clip supposed to attach to?  There is no clip in that location on my original harness and there's no way I can rotate the harness 180 degrees to try to put that clip in a hole in the firewall.

I am a little mystified right now.

Thanks.....Dave

[L78 steve]

The harness runs above the container and the hole in the rad support is there just forward of the mystery clip.

[L78 steve]

I can take a pic. tomorrow eve unless someone beats me to it.

[DAVEN1256]

Steve, Thanks for the reply.

After a pic sent to me over on TC, looking closer in the AIM, and Googling images of 1968 Camaro voltage regulators....I see how the wiring should go over the top of the washer fluid jar and how and how it clips to the hole in the core support. I am still mystified as to why the "mystery" clip is facing the wrong direction. It seems with all the other clips in place, the "mystery clip" should be facing the core support.

So what I did to test all of this was mount my old voltage regulator and horn relay on the core support and see if could make all of the connections. First off, I had to take the harness and twist it 180 degrees to get the clip to face the core support. After doing clipping the harness in place, I managed to make all the connections but they did not go on all that easy. I really had to really manipulate the wires and jam them in the small space between the washer fluid jar and the voltage regulator.

Here are a couple pics of how it looked when I was done. Hopefully someone can comment if this is the way it should look or if I have something wrong.

Thanks....Dave

[Mike S]

Here is a picture from my (very dusty) unrestored '67 if this helps.
As a side note, the lid on the washer tank still shows a white X on the top.

Mike

[DAVEN1256]

Mike, thank you for the pic.

After looking at yours, I am thinking my whole problem is the location of that clip on my harness. Besides it having faced the wrong way, it looks like it is too far back on the harness, thus pushing all the wires that go down to the horn relay into the side of the voltage regulator.

I am tempted to unwind the wrapping and reposition the clip. But I don't know if the wrap would stick again afterwards.

Dave

[Mike S]

Hi Dave,

  It may wrap fine being the tape doesn't have an adhesive. I recommend to try not to touch the tape that is unwrapped (if you decide to unwrap it a little) and have clean hands so as not to get any skin oils on the unwrapped tape surface.

Mike

[L78 steve]

You may have to use some 3M 33+ Stick tape. Looks like one of your clips already pulled out. The clips should have long tabs to hold under the tape.

[z28z11]

I've got an NOS '68 front harness (in the box) if you need a comparison shot - be glad to dig it out if you need another pic for comparison to the Autowire - 

Regards,
Steve

[big iron]

Just route your wires like they are in Mike's picture and I think it will solve your problem. Looks like all the wires are in the correct position coming out of the harness compared to Mike's wiring. I just pulled the tape covering back on one of my old harnesses about an 1" with no problem. Just work the last 6 or 7" of the tape backwards with a slight twisting. back and forth  motion.
Bob

[L78 steve]

You may have to use some 3M 33+ Stick tape. Looks like one of your clips already pulled out. The clips should have long tabs to hold under the tape.

My mistake the clip I see is the back side.

[DAVEN1256]

I know it will work OK in the end. It just that the old "I have to take something brand new, and mess with it to gt it to fit" gets pretty old after a while. I know I am not alone there.

Steve....if you could take that picture of the NOS harness showing where the branch going to the voltage regulator and horn relay breaks off the main harness and then which way the "mystery clip" faces on that branch of the harness, that would be very much appreciated.

I already sent a note to American Auto Wire with the same pictures here and their first response is that I may not have the harness routed correctly from the beginning. I used the AIM for the correct routing and every other part of the harness fits fine so I don't think it is a routing problem.

Dave

[big iron]

Dave,
Look at post 4, notice how far the clip hangs out from the tape on the end? Look where the red wires come out from under the tape. The wires are bending down at  the clip not an 1'+ like your harness.
The clip on Mike's harness looks as if it is of a different design that only needs to be taped on one end. If you have your old harness use the old clip. Push the barbed end under the tape on the new harness then pull back the tape like explained above, insert old clip where the new clip is , then pull tape back to clip. Now you can bend the wires at the clip like they should be.
Bob

[68camaroz28]

I know it will work OK in the end. It just that the old "I have to take something brand new, and mess with it to gt it to fit" gets pretty old after a while. I know I am not alone there.

Steve....if you could take that picture of the NOS harness showing where the branch going to the voltage regulator and horn relay breaks off the main harness and then which way the "mystery clip" faces on that branch of the harness, that would be very much appreciated.

I already sent a note to American Auto Wire with the same pictures here and their first response is that I may not have the harness routed correctly from the beginning. I used the AIM for the correct routing and every other part of the harness fits fine so I don't think it is a routing problem.

Dave

Dave, something to keep in mind while at Spring Carlisle (yelled Hi to ya) is speak to an American Auto Wire representative while there, or maybe you did? They were at Spring Carlisle and its worthwhile as it assists with setting up a contact also. They told me they use GM prints as I reviewed why the 68 back up switch harness is so short. I could barely make it work!

[big iron]

Is Spring Carlisle different than GM Nationals?
Bob