[bossbirdta]

My 71 T/A has both its original inner front fenders; on the bottom of the drivers side up front there is an existing hole where it looks like it could have possibly maybe originally had a clip of some sort to help attach the battery cable to the inner fender. in looking at the 1971 Service Manual drawing, it shows this possible attachment point. My interpretation is that the battery routing clip is mounted under the washer bottle and not to the washer bottle bracket itself as previously pictured.
I took the liberty to mock up the cable and clip to see what it looks like and the Me it almost make sense and could have possibly maybe originally been done this way and may explain why there is a hole there to begin with....its just a thought.....
I guess the question is, is My inner fender correct? any other 71/72 H.O. cars have a thru hole down low between the washer bottle and battery tray like the one pictured?
btw, the 72 Serv. Man. uses the same drawing as 1971 but makes no reference to 455 H.O. only.....

[Bentwheelbob]

From the 1972 Assembly Manual.

[68bird400HO]

Interesting that the 72 manual shows what looks like the metal clip on BWBobs car, but the 71 manual shows what appears to be one of those black plastic straps. IIRC that is what I found on mine during disassembly and is what I put back on for the resto.

[Mace1971]

'72's should have the carb mounted ground strap for the shaker. My '71 assembly manual shows the original strap to the firewall setup as well as the carb mounted one so it appears to be a mid-year change. I suppose the two setups could be a variation between the factories but it's not annotated that way as are a couple of other variations.

Edit: sorry for the detour, I was just referring back to a small part of a previous post.

[bossbirdta]

so it sounds and looks like 71 was/is different then 72's??.....

[Mace1971]

I checked my '71 and it does have the hole at the bottom of the fender liner but I can't swear it's the original fender liner. The car was restored in the '90's later 455 engine and the compartment was completely stripped and painted (gloss black sadly enough) so it's hard to tell. That said, I see nothing in the pictures that came with the car that indicated the liners were changed so I suspect they're original. When it was put together they used the same cable tube that started the conversation here, possibly just because the later year engine came with the tube.

Bentwheel Bob; your engine compartment photo of the + cable shows a smaller cable "zip tied" to it. What cable is that and where does it go (it doees't show on the assembly manual diagrams)? Looks like directly to the alternator?

[carnut4life]

FWIW, my 72 TA does not have the extra hole in the inner fender under the washer fluid jug so I think bossbirdta is right, just another difference between 71 and 72 to keep track of

[Bentwheelbob]

Originally Posted by Mace1971

Bentwheel Bob; your engine compartment photo of the + cable shows a smaller cable "zip tied" to it. What cable is that and where does it go (it doees't show on the assembly manual diagrams)? Looks like directly to the alternator?

It does go directly to the alternator. Not sure if it is correct or original???

[transam1972]

I will check for a hole on my 72...weird the 71 assy manual says 455 H.O. only and the 72 does not...I see BWB had the cable routed correct thru the metal tube on the steering unit, something I never picked up on...that and the clip, that clip is repopped (same as used on the firewall for the engine harness) would be more than enough for the cable routing...1973 would start using that tube on the front of the block...I wonder what a 73,74 etc. steering unit looks like as that bent pipe was definitely for securing/routing the positive cable...my repop cable was a perfect length (for 72 H.O.), without the sheathing.....but I see one vendor sells it with the early style sheathing..(details!?)....guessing that ended in 73 with the use of the tube...still some cables around 75 had a pigtail ground (NJSTEVES grammas Firebird)...thanks for the shaker ground info. MACE 1971...I have the firewall ground setup (same groundstrap as used on the engine)....are you saying that the cars have either or?..in other words if you have a firewall ground strap, no carb. ground and vice versa? thanks

[njsteve]

Originally Posted by Bentwheelbob

It does go directly to the alternator. Not sure if it is correct or original???

The 80 amp alternator setup had a direct feed heavy gauge line that accompanied the pos cable. That line ran directly from the pos terminal of the battery to the power lug on the back of the alternator. Some of them seemed to go right from the battery across to the alternator (like on my '75) and some were fed into the harness back along the inner fender and then down along the valve cover to the alternator.

[Mace1971]

Originally Posted by transam1972

I have the firewall ground setup (same groundstrap as used on the engine)....are you saying that the cars have either or?..in other words if you have a firewall ground strap, no carb. ground and vice versa? thanks

Yeah, it's one or the other. No need to have both.

[Mace1971]

Originally Posted by njsteve

The 80 amp alternator setup had a direct feed heavy gauge line that accompanied the pos cable. That line ran directly from the pos terminal of the battery to the power lug on the back of the alternator. Some of them seemed to go right from the battery across to the alternator (like on my '75) and some were fed into the harness back along the inner fender and then down along the valve cover to the alternator.

Thanks, that helps. Mine has been bastardized. The extra 10/12gauge lead from the positive battery terminal is being used to power the high speed fan circuit. I plan on routing that back to the alternator and then repair the correct high speed fan circuit that comes from the alternator instead of the battery.

[johnta1]

Bob, do you have page 12A-4?

[Bentwheelbob]

Originally Posted by johnta1

Bob, do you have page 12A-4?

See post 16 of this thread.

[transam1972]

in 1985 when I got my car the cables had been replaced...the special head bolt with the threaded bolt for the negative cable was snapped off..so the negative cable was located incorrectly..the positive cable had a pigtail and was not routed properly...both were GM parts most likely in stock at the time of service...so confusion can definitely occur over the years with replacement parts..I have done everything to get back to factory stock as possible with repo parts but now having the positive cable routed thru the steering gearbox tube its finally right! and glad to know I do not need that ground clip! thanks again

[transam1972]

I just noticed that in the drawing it does not show the cable routing through the kinked tube on the steering unit...that's what I went by...so would that be a mistake in the assembly manual?..I think so...also notice the negative battery cable attatchment..I have mine installed the opposite of what is shown (as do others)...real life vs. drawings

[Mace1971]

I'd guess that some young man on the production line figured out that the cable stayed where it needed to stay by looping it under the p/s line. It sure doesn't look like the solution an engineer would have come up with.

[transam1972]

drawing on 12A-4 is even more confusing!!?? ...I actually think the kink was designed to secure the cable...since 1973 saw the addition of the front block battery mounted tube...and the internals of the steering unit would change.for even quicker lock to lock..how different looking is a lets say 1977 unit...if it does not have a kinked hose its because the cable is no longer secured there...just a thought...Firebirds remind me of Volkswagens...the parts & cars all look alike till you go to swap parts and there are all the subtle changes..I am just happy to have my cable making sense routing away from the block after all these years!!