[RocktimusPryme]

My 62 cat has intermittent tail lights. I’ve traced it back to the fuse block (pictured)

The terminal itself seems to have consistent power. But the wire is intermittent. I cut it back pretty far with a fresh wire spliced in, but it still works when it wants. So I think there is a break pretty much right at that circled terminal.

What are my options for repair here? Is that terminal replaceable? I can’t see how but that doesn’t mean it’s not.

Could I solder a fresh wire end onto the flat pad of that terminal? A bit butch but seems like it would work fine if there is no easy way to replace that terminal.

What say the group?

[Stuart]

Is the terminal itself clean and shiny? if it's corroded that could create an intermittent situation. Polishing it up with a pencil eraser may help, it's not abrasive enough to damage electrical connections and since a pencil is long and thin they''re good for reaching into tight locations. They can also lose their springiness so they don't make good contact, you could try bending the terminal a little. I'm not sure if there's a modern terminal replacement that will fit, hopefully someone else knows of one.

The 1961 Catalina I had when i was a kid had similar problems with intermittent connections, thankfully the fuse block in the Bonneville I have now is good.

[RocktimusPryme]

I went out last night and attacked that dude specifically with some contact cleaner. For now it’s working, but intermittent electrical issues are always tough. Time will tell if cleaning actually fixed anything or if that wire was just in the good zone at the time.

It has some more electrical gremlins but that was the last one important one as far as driving lights.

The wiper switch, literally shocked you when you turned it when I first got it. I picked up a switch at a swap meet and put it in. No longer shocks me, but it still doesn’t turn on the wipers. You can hear a click at the motor. Minor or wiper transmission may be frozen.

And the heater blower is wired inline to a separate under dash switch. Comes on when you pull it but if you switch the control to defrost it instantly blows the fuse. I can’t see any grounded wires under the dash so it may be an issue with the heater controls themselves.

[dataway]

The shocking from the wipers would be a rare one, I'm not a scientist but it sounds like some kind of inductance feeding back from the wiper motor .. which yes is probably locked up. 12v won't shock you ... but 12v though the coil windings of a motor might under the right circumstances.

Lots of mechanical bits in the HVAC controls that can contact a wire when you move the lever.

I sympathize ... so much work just to get an eyeball on a vehicle electrical system.

[RocktimusPryme]

Yeah the seat is out right now because I was putting in carpet. Wanted to get it all fixed while I had easy access but may not go my way. I would like to make the defroster work.

I actually pulled the cowl earlier to get a look at the wiper motor, but I’m not immediately clear how to remove it. It’s not as intuitive as the F body motor because it’s partially hidden under the firewall.

[RocktimusPryme]

It would appear the wiper motor is locked up. I noticed it looked like the nut that screwed onto the transmission looked loose. When I put a socked on it, it instantly snapped off. So likely this was a problem before and someone gave up when they felt the stud starting to go. left it there for me to find.

The screws are in less than good shape. Hopefully Im wrong, but I have a feeling the drill is going to get involved on this one. Assuming I can get it out, maybe Ill get lucky and the motor from my parts car will be good.

[mgarblik]

Before you test your parts car wiper motor, I suggest you open it up and inspect it. They pack those old assemblies with grease that is almost solid now after 50+ years. Just cleaning the poor thing out, getting all that nasty old grease out, cleaning the contact points on the switch work in the motor, making sure everything is free to move is all that's necessary most of the time to give you years and years of service. That's all I had to do on my 62 Catalina. The car didn't have a wiper motor when I bought it and I cleaned up a good core and it's perfect. Components were high quality and heavy duty back in those days. That wiper motor had a larger armature than a new Honda starter!

[RocktimusPryme]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

Before you test your parts car wiper motor, I suggest you open it up and inspect it. They pack those old assemblies with grease that is almost solid now after 50+ years. Just cleaning the poor thing out, getting all that nasty old grease out, cleaning the contact points on the switch work in the motor, making sure everything is free to move is all that's necessary most of the time to give you years and years of service. That's all I had to do on my 62 Catalina. The car didn't have a wiper motor when I bought it and I cleaned up a good core and it's perfect. Components were high quality and heavy duty back in those days. That wiper motor had a larger armature than a new Honda starter!

I actually opened up the frozen one last night (the one with the now broken off stud)

I managed to get it unfrozen with the use of a vice and my hands gently rotating it until it was all free. Just slid the worm gear back so the center section was free to move and shimmied it slowly until it had full range of motion.

I probably won't get to it until the weekend, but Im going to test that one. If I can make it work, I think Ill try to weld a good stud on and let the parts car keep its own motor. It didnt look overbad on the inside, the grease was all still gooey, but I did spray it all out with some electronics cleaner.

I did have to get the drill out on the screws, but countersunk phillips screws are about as easy to drill as it gets.

Im not sure how to keep the brush in place while I put the rotor/stator unit back into the housing. There is usually a slot on starter brushes where you use some mig wire or something.

[HWYSTR455]

Just to say, those Packard terminals are available, and you should not solder them. Solder actually can create a worse condition, that's why the factory crimped them.

Just use the PROPER crimper, and quality terminals, you will be fine.

For a quick overview, watch this Holley vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faLn-SjVfwY

I made all my own harnesses for the recent car, and have done many custom jobs for friends. I crimp everything, never had a problem. And yes, I have experience, training was in aircraft, and that's one industry you can't afford electrical gremlins.

The most common terminals are the Packard 56 series, search it, they are inexpensive and readily available.

Bummer is if there's actual damage to the fuse block itself. If that's a problem, your only option is to find a donor, unless of course you are OK with going to an aftermarket full harness.

The fuse blocks are available to my knowledge, but they usually have a minimum order of 1000 or more.

The aftermarket 'update' ones come with ATO blade fuses and are much better, but again, you have to terminate many of the wires, and shorten some if you want it to look 'good'.

If the car is a keeper, and you want to drive the tires off of it, a fresh harness is a wise investment.


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[RocktimusPryme]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

Just to say, those Packard terminals are available, and you should not solder them. Solder actually can create a worse condition, that's why the factory crimped them.

Just use the PROPER crimper, and quality terminals, you will be fine.

For a quick overview, watch this Holley vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faLn-SjVfwY

I made all my own harnesses for the recent car, and have done many custom jobs for friends. I crimp everything, never had a problem. And yes, I have experience, training was in aircraft, and that's one industry you can't afford electrical gremlins.

The most common terminals are the Packard 56 series, search it, they are inexpensive and readily available.

Bummer is if there's actual damage to the fuse block itself. If that's a problem, your only option is to find a donor, unless of course you are OK with going to an aftermarket full harness.

The fuse blocks are available to my knowledge, but they usually have a minimum order of 1000 or more.

The aftermarket 'update' ones come with ATO blade fuses and are much better, but again, you have to terminate many of the wires, and shorten some if you want it to look 'good'.

If the car is a keeper, and you want to drive the tires off of it, a fresh harness is a wise investment.


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Thank you for the video,

I dont think thats what the terminal in my case is though. Im open to being incorrect on this, but I think its a single terminal that operates as a fuse holder on one side and that packard terminal looking deal on the back.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/17150405376...waAvbrEALw_wcB

I think its one of these, which are labeled as for Ford, but it seems the same. Im just not sure if the method of install is the same. I dont want to break my fuse block, so I really want to see someone safely remove one. Other than that Im sure I could handle it.

[HWYSTR455]

The fuse clip/terminal is/was made by a company specifically to supply contract by spec to auto manufacturers, and some do cross over to multiple manufacturers. You could try the Ford ones and see if they work, only trying will tell.

I looked into those terminals a number of years ago, but they are only available in quantity, like 10,000 amounts. That's why I was saying to use a donor fuse block.

You can try Del Mar Wire, they may still have some, but they are only listing the 18-20g wire ones, not the 10-12g ones, so suspect they went thru whatever quantity they purchased:

https://delmarwire.com/home-2/o-e-m-...k-terminals-2/

The terminals are released from the block by the 2 side tabs, from the fuse side of the block. You and use a PICO release tool or a small screwdriver.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/p...SABEgL62_D_BwE

(The green one will work.).

When I was trying to source the terminals I called a number of the harness vendors hoping they could sell me a few, but most buy the quantity required for each block, believe it may be a 'kit' that is block & terminals, and they won't break them up.

If you get stuck, I have a good dash harness I could remove one from if you break one.

Back in the day I would trim an emery board to clean the fuse part of the terminals, but you can also use an 'ignition' wire brush.


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[HWYSTR455]

As another option, I remember there was a 'repair' kit for corvettes that included multiple types of terminals and the block, and a few of the terminals would work. Unfortunately, they are not cheap.


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[HWYSTR455]

I was mistaken, it's released from the backside of the block.

This pic shows:


Be careful, the fuse block plastic can be brittle and break.



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[HWYSTR455]

Ignition wire brushes are a good thing to have, here's an inexpensive one:

https://www.harborfreight.com/engine...ece-63732.html


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[RocktimusPryme]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

I was mistaken, it's released from the backside of the block.

This pic shows:


Be careful, the fuse block plastic can be brittle and break.



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Thats the part that scares me. I was wondering if there was a tool that slides over both at once rather than one side at a time.

I like that brush kit.

When I cleaned the fuse blades the other night I took a 10g copper wire, cut like a half inch off the insulation and just kinda frazzled the strands and used that to gently clean it. Along with some contact cleaner.

When I was first getting the other lights working and cleaning it all like 6 months ago I was a little more free with the contact cleaner and found out that it wipes the white lettering off the block. Which sucked. Lesson learned there.