Re: Starting problem

[Bob <64ragtop@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob, you nailed it with the phrase: "dead ringer for a bad ballast 
resistor."  I'm not sure about the frayed wire, though.  Is it just the 
insulation frayed, or is the copper part damaged?  If some of the copper 
strands are broken, the current carrying ability of the wire could be 
lessened, but if it's just the insulation something has been rubbing and 
there is a potential short or maybe an intermittent one.  the wire out 
of its socket makes me think that the bulkhead connector was forced with 
the contact pins misaligned, which pushed the pin back out of its socket 
and into the interior. I would want to have a better look at the 
condition of the female (interior) part of the bulkhead connector to see 
if other pins are similarly out of place and just waiting to cause you 
more grief.  It means pulling the interior part of the bulkhead 
connector far enough back to get a good look and thoroughly nspect the 
little catches that are designed to hold the pins in place in the 
connector body. Better to do it in the time and location of your choice 
(and maybe with a cold beverage at hand - perhaps with a helper present) 
rather than just trusting to luck that no other failures will occur at 
an inconvenient time or place.  Call me paranoid.  My response to that 
is "am I paranoid enough??".

I replaced both the engine compartment and dash wiring harnesses and 
checked the new ones for proper insertion, then packed both sides with 
dielectric grease.  I'm pretty sure any further problems with the 
bulkhead connector will be on the NEXT owner.

BC  (Bob from Texas)


on 7/18/2014 1:09 PM, Bob Faunce wrote:
> Hi - it looks like I finally got everything resolved (I hope but who really knows?).  I cleaned and packed the bulkhead connector on the engine side and checked the ballast resistor.  No improvement.  Looking under the dash, I found the wire to the starter terminal on the ignition switch badly frayed where it entered the bulkhead connector.  I also found the wire to the ignition terminal on the ignition switch out of its socket on the bulkhead connector.  I repaired the frayed wire and replaced the terminal on the other and presto, the car started and ran.
>
> This would explain the reoccurring and coincident problems I had and why they were so hard to diagnose. Sometimes the engine would start but not run, probably due to the frayed wire to the starter terminal.  Other times the engine would start but not run, probably due to the wire from the ignition terminal being very loose in its socket.
>
> One valuable lesson was that the loose ignition terminal wire created a condition that was a dead ringer for a bad ballast resistor.  Of course, tomorrow morning I could go out to start the car and find the problem was not solved .....
>
> BTW, thanks again for all the good advice.  Bob from Maine
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Bob
> Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2014 7:04 PM
> To: 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Starting problem
>
> I would guess that most of out cars would benefit from this sort of bulkhead connector reconditioning.  Ma MOPAR wasn't thinking about possible problems popping up 40 years (and more) down the road.
>
> BC
>
>
>
> On 7/16/2014 9:23 PM, Gary H. wrote:
> > Yup. Cleaning and greasing the bulkhead connector is a good thing to do anyway.
> >
> > Gary H.
> >
> > >    -------Original Message-------
> >    
> >    ...
> > >    You might get lucky and not have to get under the dash if you just
> > >    disconnect the engine compartment side of the bulkhead connector and  spray
> > >    both sides with WD-40, then plug and unplug it several times.   Then load
> > >    the connector up with dielectric grease and plug it in.
> > >    
> > >    Good luck!
> > >    
> > >    BC
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Please address private email -- email of interest to only one person -- directly to that person. That is, email your parts/car transactions and negotiations, as well as other personal messages, only to the intended recipient. Do not just press "reply" and send your email to everyone using the general '62-'65 Clubhouse public email address. This practice will protect your privacy, reduce the total volume of mail and fine-tune the content signal to Mopar topic. Thanks!

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