Removing wire from headlight harness

[Bill]

A question for people FAR wiser than I…..

I have a Ford-based fiberfab.  I decided to do the “simple” upgrade of my headlight brackets to chrome (I know, I know….a few of you are smirking already).  I discovered that the wire that connects to the headlights runs through the bracket, necessitating pulling the wire out through the old bracket, and in through the new bracket.  This is rather difficult to do when there’s a HUGE 3-pin harness at the end of it.  I’ve been fussing with it, trying to figure out how to get the wires out without breaking the harness – or, of course, cutting the wires (which would be easy, but I REALLY would rather not). 

If any of you guys have any ideas, PLEASE pass them on before I get out the wire cutters…

thanks,
Bill

[edward ericson]

One side has the big 3-pin plug thingie, so that’s a no go.

 . . . but the other side? Should those not be going to your relays? Should be able to pull the blade ends from the connector on that side. If that fails just cut it and splice it back on when you’re done.

Or you could start all over with genuine Lucas bullet connectors. They are of unsurpassed reliability. Do not forget the “replacement smoke” kit, which is urgently necessary for any Lucas-related wire repair.

[Bill]

I’ll chase down the other end to see how difficult it looks.

thanks for the heads up on the replacement smoke kit! However, I also own a ’49 Hydra-Glide, which provides me an abundance of replacement smoke as needed (and then some).

[billnparts]

OK, Ive done this. At the connector that plugs into the headlamp bulb remove the three terminals
from the connector. Remove the wire from the terminal. Reroute your wires through the new bracket,
resolder the wires to the terminals, put the terminals back into the connector, plug the bulb back in.
Illuminating.

Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"

[Bill]

@Bill….exactly what I want to do.  The trouble is removing those three terminals inside the connector.

[Bill]

Figured it out….bottom line, connectors don’t fit through the retaining bolt, so it doesn’t matter…gotta do a cut.

[newkitman]

Can you do the cut on the end inside the headlight bucket? If you can that would allow you to change the bracket and splice the ends with bullet connectors and have them hidden and protected in the headlight bucket. Just a thought.

Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The Shack

[billnparts]

The terminals have a lock on them. A small flat screwdriver should get in there to release or

, to make it faster, cut the wires inside the bucket to hide them.

Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"

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