Re: IML: Stupid mistake

Since you are buying a replacement cluster from Bob H. also ask him to include the wiring to it. This should be fairly easy for him and I am sure that will cover most of what was destroyed by your mistake. He should be able to locate a good harness in one of his parts cars. The wiring on the 1960 Imperial is not as susceptible to the damage from age that we have been discussing here lately. In addition to the better insulation, most of it is wrapped in tape and has been protected from serious deterioration. Repaired in this way, no one will ever be able to tell that this happened to your car. That is very important.

I also highly recommend that you plan to bypass the original voltage limiter in the replacement cluster with the external unit that has been discussed here many times before. If not, you will likely see your gauges fry or stop working altogether right before your eyes. The external unit will nearly guarantee that you will only have to do the job once. Installing it requires no changes to the original wiring, and only the addition of a small jumper between it and the first gauge in the sequence.

....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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