[John V.]

The NOS vs. Reproductions thread

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=845669

got me thinking about the battery cables in my '73 TA. Lots of butchered and missing stuff from the decades I didn't own it.

But I wondered if maybe the original cables were still in it so I took a look today.

The earlier thread says I should have:

8909818 - Positive Cable, Side Terminal, 45" long.

8907026 - Negative Cable, Side Terminal, 25" long.

Elsewhere, I find the 8907026 Negative Cable should also have a Fusible Link.

Quick check and I see the cables in the TA are Side Terminal style and Delco markings. That got feeling pretty good to start.

But then I saw the Fusible Link wire has been broken off right at the end of the terminal boot.

The cables are both quite dirty and in my quick check I didn't see any 7 digit p/ns but I did see they had some markings on the wire in addition to saying "Delco". I also didn't measure the cables yet so can't say if they match the original lengths yet.

My questions:

1. What p/ns or markings should be on the original '73 cables? Anybody have good pix of the markings on known original '73 cables?

2. What is the purpose of the Fusible Link and has anybody ever disassembled a Side Terminal cable and repaired/replaced the Fusible Link?

I have the Shop Manual and perhaps there is some useful info in there but doing the lazy thing here first to see if anybody has good info about the markings and if anybody has had real world experience repairing a side terminal cable.

I've checked to see if these p/n cables are reproduced but couldn't find any claiming to be correct with original markings and no used cables on eBay right now. But I'm doing this on a shoestring anyway so if the ones I have are original to my TA and if I can repair, clean, and reuse them, I'd be happy to save the dollars.

[Held for Ransom]

Don't remember them being stamped Delco, but may have been. They do have a PN and pick code.

1973 V8 negative - 8904967 BB
1973 V8 positive - 8904981 CA (excluding 455 and HD-battery (UA1) option)
1973 V8 positive - 8904982 CB (455 and/or UA1 options)

[John V.]

Mike, the use of a pick code on the original cable is no surprise but the p/ns you list are a big surprise.

Looks like the SR cable p/ns listed in the '73 MPC might never have been the same as the OE cable p/ns. Wonder why?

And I'm thinking the ones in my TA now are either replacements or maybe are original to the Olds 403 transplant that was installed by a PO.

When I get a chance I'll pull them out and see if I can identify them.

Looks like Lectric Limited has repros with the OE p/n stamped on them but I think lack the pick code from what I can tell in their pic of the negative cable.

Also, the negative cable seems to have an extra lug rather than a Fusible Link wire at the terminal end.

https://www.lectriclimited.com/batte...y-cable-141797

https://www.lectriclimited.com/batte...y-cable-141151

I'm gonna have to drag out the Shop Manual to see what I can make of the extra lug. And I think I'll see if I can come up with a good set of originals that somebody would let go of for cheap.

[Held for Ransom]

John, I'm listing the assembly manual page that shows PN (pick codes were from build sheets).

I don't know what you're trying to say about the fusible link. I don't remember any on mine.

Also, posting close up of PN/pick code from Letric. Both seem to be printed on them.

[John V.]

Mike, haven't got a full handle on the Battery Cables with Fusible Links but generally it looks like Fusible Links are often an extra wire from the Positive Battery Cable terminal that is connected to the Alternator so that in the event of a short, the output from the Alternator will be cut. I'm not an expert on electrical circuits so I'm not entirely clear how this works or why it is helpful.

But in the case of what I am seeing, the Negative Cable specified as the SR for the '73 F body 455 is p/n 8907026 and by description found in a GM MPC it includes a Fusible Link.

Obviously, this Cable is SR not OE. Why would GM specify this Cable when the OE Cable did not include a Fusible Link? I have no idea and really doesn't matter.

The Negative Cable in my TA has a Fusible Link wire, cut off. The markings show "DELCO 4SX 30".

See the pix. And then I'll continue in the next post with a pic of a NOS Delco 4SX 30 cable.

[John V.]

I didn't think to take a pic of it, but a short distance away from the cut off Fusible Link in my TA is a Fuse Holder that looks like might have been put in place to replace a blown Fusible Link.

Again, I'm sure none of this is original to my TA.

Here is a couple pix grabbed from eBay of an NOS 4SX 30 Cable.

My purpose for showing these is to show what the Negative Cable in my TA would have originally looked like and to give you some sense of what a Fusible Link included with the SR 8907026 Cable might have looked like.

[John V.]

The Positive Cable in my TA has no Fusible Link and is marked 12002892 LG.

Might be 10002892 LG, the 2nd digit was hard to read.

I'm guessing the LG was a pick code and the Cable was likely an OE Cable. But I could not find anything on either p/n so seems to be a dead end.

Net result, I'm adding the 8904967 and 8904982 p/ns to a long list of MIA parts that I need to procure.

Mike, thanks for the close ups of the Lectric Limited Cables showing the pick codes. Worse case, I can pay the piper for those repops but maybe will get lucky and find a good set of originals and save a few bucks.

And also the Assembly Manual page. I have added that to my collection!

[Tellyshavilli]

Originally Posted by Held for Ransom

Don't remember them being stamped Delco, but may have been. They do have a PN and pick code.

1973 V8 negative - 8904967 BB
1973 V8 positive - 8904981 CA (excluding 455 and HD-battery (UA1) option)
1973 V8 positive - 8904982 CB (455 and/or UA1 options)

That’s what I have also

[Transamric]

John,...I would say your cables are clearly AC Delco replacements which even by 1981 catalogs, were VERY universal fit. Your positive cable had the 2nd smaller wire with the fusible link because that was required for other cataloged non-Firebird applications. There was no need for a fusible link to protect the alternator since there was already a 30 amp inline glass fuse in the alt/engine harness.

Interesting what the '73 assembly manuals show, which differs from the March '73 MPC. It shows; 8907026 (25") for neg., and 8909818 (45") for positive. Could have already been listing supersessions by March? I suppose that's possible.

BTW, my '73 I bought in May of 1990, has similar Delco replacements.

[John V.]

Hey Ric, thanks for posting. I'm confident that the cable p/ns HFR and Telly indicate are the correct OE. Since my TA got a 403 engine transplant between my original ownership and my reacqusition and since the underhood wiring is a mess, not surprised that I don't have the originals.

But your mention of the 30A inline glass fuse was interesting. As I mentioned, I have a fuseholder in there that was cutoff on the battery side and not sure where it goes on the Alt side. But perhaps it is a vestige of the original?

I'll take a pic of it soon and post it to see if it looks like an original. Would need to be replaced anyway but I'm just curious what if anything of the wiring under the hood remains from the factory.

It was optioned with the Unitized Distributor (long gone) and my understanding is that the Unit Dist required a specific harness. I keep wondering if any of that wiring remains too.

[Held for Ransom]

As you can see, the MPC shows the PN being shared between A-, F- and X-bodies.
X-bodies had a splice for a separate line to ground on the fender. Didn't know it was a fusible link though.

30 Amp holder pictured here. Unitized had a different plug for connection and I'm sure that was the difference. Other than when it was built (had to do with a plug for emissions).
http://www.forums.maxperformanceinc....d.php?t=797041

[John V.]

Well looks like my 30 Amp Fuseholder is the original! Wire cutoff on at least the one end as seen in the attached pic, maybe I can restore it?

Didn't see where it goes on the other end or what condition that wire is in, it disappeared into a group of tape wrapped wires, see 2nd pic. No idea if that taped wire "bundle" is all original or homemade. Would be nice to discover that only the one end was cut.

Mike, thanks for the link to the earlier thread.

[formula kid]

M & H Electric Fabricators has the 73-74 455 and 350 400 HD as 8904982CB printed on positive cable

[Transamric]

Looks like you have a pretty good handle on the routing of the 30 amp alt fuse wire. Perhaps these pics will be of some help. The opposite wire end from the alt makes a quick loop back into the harness that lies on the inside edge of the valve cover, then running back towards the firewall.

[Pepi]

I have never seen a fusible link on the negative cable, just an extra wire that goes to fender on some cars to add a body ground. I think that is all that wire is, just spliced right there.

[John V.]

Pepi, could be. As far as the 8907026, as I mentioned, I was going by what I found in an MPC. Can't seem to find what I remember (8907026 "with Fusible Link" in the description) but found this one. Could be what I previously found but not how I recall it. Either way, by "Note A", 8907026 shows as Incl. Fusible Link. Could be somebody mis-described it and should have noted an Included extra Ground Wire.

Earlier I mentioned the extra lug seen on the Side Terminal of the Repro 8904967 Negative Cable.

Is that for the extra ground wire to the fender would be connected?

If so, is my '73 TA supposed to have that extra ground wire? What would be the p/n for that wire?

Any pictures showing the installation of it?

[Held for Ransom]

John,
You stated you have a Service Manual. Go to the Chassis Electrical Section and look at the X-Body pictures of battery cable routings.

[John V.]

Mike, I wondered why you would want me looking at the X Body Battery Cable routing until I went to the illustrations. Now I get it.

Only the X Body used the extra wire. You told me that in the earlier post but I missed that and/or it didn't sink in until I looked at the illustrations.

However, looking at the X Body Electrical Diagram, I see that extra wire which was made part of the Battery Cable is identified as a Fusible Link.

I don't see it mentioned in the Fusible Link section but the wiring diagram labels it as a "12 BLACK THERMO HW", meaning 12 gauge wire being used as a Fusible Link.

The '73 X Body also used a "14 DK. BROWN THERMO HW" as a Fusible Link integral to the Positive Cable. This 14 gauge Dark Brown wire was to protect the 10 gauge battery charging circuit and since the 14 gauge wire was an integral part of the positive cable, the Service Manual says servicing requires replacing the complete cable assembly.

Other Fusible Links were incorporated but could be serviced by soldering in a new Fusible Link (ie., a new piece of proper gauge wire, always 4 gauge sizes smaller than the circuit wire it is protecting)

Since the negative cable Fusible Link is not discussed, it is unclear to me what would happen if the wire attached to the fender melted (or broke) open. Would the battery lose ground connection?

What was unique about the '73 X body (especially as compared to the F Body) that caused PMD to provide this extra ground wire to the fender (on both V8 and 6 cyl models) and label it as if it was intended to act as a fusible link?

Since it is a 12 gauge wire, it suggests it was intended to protect a circuit with 8 gauge circuit wiring but I see no such 8 gauge wiring on the diagram.

Maybe the OE Negative Battery Cable used for the X Body was used as a Positive Cable in some other non-Pontiac application where the extra wire did protect a circuit whereas the Pontiac X Body simply used it as an extra ground wire while it was identified on the Diagram by its positive cable description?

I searched high and low in the Service Manual, only mention of the 30A inline fuse seems to be shown in the A/C wiring diagram illustrations. Seems weird since if I understand correctly, the inline fuse plays a role with or without A/C. With A/C, it is shown associated with the Hi Blower Relay.

Is the Hi Blower Relay in place with or without A/C? If not, what is the inline fuse associated with when not equipped with A/C?

[Transamric]

Yes John, 30 amp inline fuse regardless if A/C or std. heater.

[Held for Ransom]

Here was the fix for a melted fuse.