Wiring harness installation on a 1923 car with wood firewall

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Wiring harness installation on a 1923 car with wood firewall
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By V.Milke on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 12:39 pm:

Hi: I am working on rewiring my T and a have a few doubts so I am requesting for some experts help.

My car is a late 1922 or early 1923 (wooden firewall, but already slanted windshield) which had a home made harness installed. I already got a correct wiring harness but I have a few doubts. First one is how the harness should come out of the interior through the firewall.

I tried to follow the pics in:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/257047/326756.html?1355246780

But those are referred to a 1924 model, with a stamped metal firewall. In my case, the car has the wooden firewall. So, question is: is the routing the same for stamped firewall cars than for wooden firewall cars? I am referring mainly to the big hole that allows the car interior harness go through the firewall to connect to the connection block. My car doesn't show the hole (apparently a home made firewall, so it might not be fully identical). Should I make the hole it in the same place than the stamped firewall’s hole, directly over the connection block?

I guess all my doubts could be solved if someone can show a pic of a correct wooden firewall car.

Thanks!
Victor


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 12:47 pm:

This thread talks about a 1920, but I have to believe that yours would be similar if not nearly identical:

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/372657.html?1373246850


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By V.Milke on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 01:04 pm:

Thanks a lot Mark! Incredibly useful information. For the moment, just one question comes to mind: When did Ford started using the 6 terminal block?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 01:37 pm:

This thread implies that the 6 terminal block didn't start until late 1921:

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/372291.html

By the way, when I search for something on the forum, I don't use the forum search function, I use Google and put "MTFCA" in the search keywords. For instance, to find the thread above, I typed,

"terminal block history MTFCA" into the Google search.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jason DeGooyer on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 01:41 pm:

That's a question I've had for a while: Was it the end of 1923 that Ford did away with the wood firewall? And was that with all Ts including the TTs?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By V.Milke on Thursday, October 30, 2014 - 09:17 pm:

Thanks a lot Mark! Again, very useful information, no only knowing that I need the 6 terminal block but also on how to search for things!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Friday, October 31, 2014 - 11:02 am:

Wood firewall ended by early Mar of 1923. I have a February 1923 Touring car which has wood firewall and slanted W/S.

Victor: - contact me offline and I can probably fix you up with missing holes and dimensions.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By V.Milke on Friday, October 31, 2014 - 11:20 am:

John:

So, your car and mine should be pretty much the same, as mine is also a Touring car with wood firewall and slanted windshield.

Thanks! I will contact you off line.

v


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By V.Milke on Friday, October 31, 2014 - 12:06 pm:

And while at wiring harness questions:

I bought a pair of rubber grommets to allow the wiring harness to pass through the metal panel between the Hood and the chassis, but I can't figure how it goes.

Can anybody enlighten me?

Thanks!
victor


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Smith on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 10:56 am:

The setup above is not for a T. The bushing pictured above is correct, of course it would be helpful to know the year of your car.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By V.Milke on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 11:39 am:

Thanks Larry. It is a late 1922 or early 1923 model.

The car has a home made adapted electrical system and while I am changing it to a correct harness, I want to correct what is not right. CUrrently, these stainless flexible tubes come out of the headlight reflector rear and come to where you see in the pic, to the panel at the side of the Hood, held by those small stainless clips.

Questions, would be:

Is these stainless tube supposed to be there?

How or where should the harness be fastened at that place and how to use the rubber grommets that are theoretically for that use.

Thanks,
Victor


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Gregush Portland Oregon on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 12:16 pm:

The carriage bolt just to the outside of the clip holing the conduit should not be there. The hole it goes through is where the head light wires come up out of. If you take it out you may find that the hole is too small to accept the part you are holding in your hand. There should be a 1/4 20 carriage bolt about and 1 1/4 or so to the rear of the hood hold down that goes through the frame to hold the wood block and sill to the frame. The wires go under the sill from the engine compartment up through the hole to the head lights.
The original hole for the wire has a beaded edge to protect the wires. The conduit is not original. The reproduction sills use the part you are holding in your hand. This part came out later in the 20's and was used as an update/replacement which is how the current replacement sill for 1917 to 1923 and 1924 up are made.
Unless you have an early low radiator and shroud, the mounting hard wear is wrong for 22. You should have the two springs and a pair of thimbles on both sides if you have the large holes, if you have the small holes your setup will work.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By V.Milke on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 01:02 pm:

Thanks Mark. Since I am not a native english speaker, I have a few doubts, but I will check on the car on the coming week and then I am sure I will understand perfectly.

For the time being, a couple of questions come to mind:

So, there was no conduit... should the harness loom that comes to the socket be exposed?

The sill, which I assume is the cover that hides the chassis at the engine sides, between fenders and engine area, should hide the harness underneath from the firewall to the headlights?

Thanks,
Victor


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Gregush Portland Oregon on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 01:32 pm:

The harness is exposed when it runs between the sill and headlight. The headlight wire(s) just runs along the frame rail, between it and the engine not under the sill till it tucks under and up through the hole. Take the bolt out and you will see the hole.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By V.Milke on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 01:52 pm:

Thanks a lot!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dewey, N. California on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 02:30 pm:

Nobody mentioned that the two screws, and their frame holes, that hold the clip on are not original to the car either. yes, the harness wire up to the headlight is exposed. Originally it went into a Bakelite thimble that fits into the back of the headlight socket. Someone have some pictures they could post here of the arrangement?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Gregush Portland Oregon on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 04:22 pm:

The Bakelite thimble came later in production. The 1928 parts book does not list it's years. My 21 with it's original sills had the beaded hole that was just big enough for the two wires to go through. Which is what he may find when he removes the bolt.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Smith on Saturday, November 01, 2014 - 05:28 pm:

It appears the carriage bolt in question is in where the bushing goes. We make the bushings for all the vendors, and the one you have may be one of ours. You have to pretty much remove the hood sill to get it in, and be sure to feed the wire into it before you tighten the bolts. If the wood blocks are bad, this would be a good time to replace them.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By V.Milke on Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 01:20 am:

Thanks! I'll take a good look and try to get it correct, but from what I understand from one of the earlier posts, I shouldn't need the bushing. I hope to do it this week.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 09:05 am:

Victor:

If I can get it loaded right - here is the drawing info you were seeking for your wiring hole. The small hole that I also located is the horn wire hole which might also be missing.

1923 wiring hole

1919drl-Model.jpg


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 09:07 am:

Let try again

1923 Dash wiring hole


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By V.Milke on Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 10:48 pm:

John:

Thanks a lot!! The drawing will be incredible help! I really appreciate it!

victor


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By V.Milke on Thursday, November 06, 2014 - 07:37 pm:

Hi guys:

I still have one basic doubt. I have the wiring harness routed and presented into place... but I am sorry to say that my lack of english makes me still have a doubt on something: the wiring harness, when going to the front of the car to the headlights, is supposed to go under the sill (that is between the chassis and the sill), or is it under that area but on the face of the chassis facing down? If down in the chassis, is it to be held or fastened with clamps, perhaps to the carriage bolts coming down from the sills?


One other thing, while at installing the wiring harness, I am detailing a bit the engine compartment. One basic question: all the nuts and bolts for the firewall and sills, generally speaking, should be parkerized (or whatever the name is for the black metal finish) and not painted black?

Thanks,
victor


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By V.Milke on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 - 12:24 am:

Trying my luck again... Thanks for any help


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 - 06:50 am:

The other club - MTFCI - does judging of cars at their meets, so they have a book with Judging Guidelines for sale:
http://www.sportproducts.org/MT%20International/MTIntl2a.html#Lit.

Maybe specific info on nuts and bolts treatment for the various years can be found there?
I've read about young boys at the factory touching up nuts and bolts with paint after assembly - but maybe that only applied to certain years, much differed in the practices at the various assembly plants during the almost 19 years of production.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Les Sumner lapeer mi on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 - 07:23 am:

Victor, I have sent you a private message thru the forum site offering instructions as how the wire harness is installed. Les Sumner


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