IML: Stupid mistake

["Donn Reese" <DReese@xxxxxxxx>]

....nearly caused a casualty.

I replaced the valve cover gaskets tonight along with the main vacuum hoses powering the power brake booster.  I started hurrying a little as the mild sprinkle I'd been subjected to was turning into full rain.

I cinched everything up tight again and started the car to let it warm up a few minutes while I cleaned up, planning a little drive down the highway after dinner.  I shut it all down, went inside and about ten minutes later our neighbor rang the doorbell saying the car was smoking.  Sure enough, there was an electrical fire under the dash, smoke pouring out, black marks on the inside of the windshield.  You could have fried bacon on top of the dash at that spot.  A couple of quick fire extinguisher squirts and it was out.  I disconnected the battery and everthing cleared out.

It was after dinner during my damage inspection that I found the culprit.  The stupid human let the main wiring from the alternator get trapped under the right valve cover.  When I tightened it up, it must have cut through the insulation and the heat from the head did more damage.  Nearly all the insulation was melted off the alternator wire and several wires under the dash.  The ammeter is toast - literally.  So now I have several days of tracing wires and trying to match up gauge/color and such.  Ugh.

The fortunate thing is a previous owner replaced the right hand instrument pod containing all the gauges with some cludged-together modern set of off-the-shelf gauges.  So at least I was saved burning up anything original.  Bob H. has a replacement cluster ready to send, I just haven't gotten my money act together yet.  I guess I'll need to now.

I'm sure others have had to rewire their cars, what am I getting into in rewiring the underdash stuff?  How much of the dash will I have to take apart?  This time it will be slow and methodical, which I usually am (stupid rain).

-Feeling very foolish

Donn Reese
1960 Custom 4dr HDTP


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