Wiring issues...

[Framer_guru]

Hey all! Yeah, it's me again, with one of my stupid questions once more. Ok, a couple of weeks ago I started running the new wiring for my Bird. Ran all the wires in the engine bay, hooked up the lights and blinkers, then ran the wiring in the body for the tail lights and dome lights. I then started installing the wires under the dash including hooking up all the gauges. Now, the problem I am running into is hooking up the wires from the steering wheel which includes the horn, blinkers, and also hooking up to the lights for the tail lights and brakes. I got one of the harnesses from Macs Antique Parts, and the rest (I believe!) from Larry's Tbird. The engine harness has the hook ups for the air conditioning, but I don't think that the under-dash one does. Hooking up to the steering wheel is a bit of a pain. According to the wiring diagram included with the new wires, it looks like there might be an extra wire or two that is supposed to go somewhere but I'm not sure where. I will scan my diagrams in tonight and post them on my photobucket account for you all to see. Some of the wires from old and new just don't seem to jive together. I could hook up my horn to the wrong wire then honk at someone when I step on the brakes or signal for a left turn. Has anyone recently rewired their Birds? ANy help would be appreciated!

[57ford/60thunderbird]

do you have the electrical assembly service manual with the factory schematics? that would be a good thing to have to make sure that blowing your horn when you step on the brakes type thing wouldnt happen ive only had my bird for 2 weeks tomorrow so i havent dont much rewiring to it but ive donr other cars and i allways make sure i have a thorough and correct diagram to work off of Im not a big fan of wiring so i want it done right the first time

[Framer_guru]

Yeah, I've got the shop manual but there isn't a wiring diagram in it. I did find one online a while back, so that might come in handy.

[Coral]

I dunno...a little toot here and there would make the car more "seen"...wouldn't have to worry about anyone smacking into you ....

I would think everyone has this link:
http://www.tbirdranch.com/diagrams/diagrams.html

[simplyconnected]

I have four sheets I tape together to make one big one. I have one hanging in my garage and refer to it all the time.
Here's my links:

http://home.comcast.net/~dldare/55Ford/ElectricalSch55_LowerLH.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~dldare/55Ford/ElectricalSch55_TopLH.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~dldare/55Ford/ElectricalSch55_LowerRH.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~dldare/55Ford/ElectricalSch55_TopLH.jpg

Hope this helps. - Dave

[GTE427]

do you have the electrical assembly service manual with the factory schematics?

As Keith suggested, get the assembly manuals. They are a gold mine of information. There are schematics available from many sources, the shop manual, service letters and on-line resources... however the most complete and accurate diagrams available are offered by Jim Osborn Reproductions. They are about 20-25 dollars and contain schemes, harness routings and component locations, the one for the 60 TBird is part# AM0060. These manuals contain the original Ford Drawings used during assembly.

Osborn also offers a wiring manual for about 7.50, would not buy this as it's a summary of the diagrams already in the shop manual, kind of dedundant if you have the shop manual.

You won't be disappointed with the Obsorn Manual, also available thru most TBird Suppliers.

[Framer_guru]

Hey all! Ok, I have a question for all you wiring experts out there. LIke some of you know, I recently started rewiring my 60 HT. I bought the harnesses from 2 places, Macs Antique Auto and Larry's T-Birds. I can't remember which one I bought from where. Now, I have pretty much everything in place but have ran into a couple of problems. The harness under the dash didn't have a wire coming from the headlight switch to the rear harness for the domelight. The body harness that goes for the rear light actually doesn't have the wire for the brake lights!!! I have the wiring diagram for the entire car, and I've traced the wires around but I was wondering if anyone else has ran into this problem? Thanks for any help!

[Coral]

Hi Jimmy, personally I would check the harnesses for a part/model number and check to make sure the correct one was ordered/received for your '60.

[Framer_guru]

Thanks Coral. Already did that and yeah, they are the correct harnesses. Oh well, guess I'll just run my own wiring through in addition to the regular harness... Again, thanks!

[Petrolhead]

Hey all! Ok, I have a question for all you wiring experts out there. LIke some of you know, The body harness that goes for the rear light actually doesn't have the wire for the brake lights!!! I have the wiring diagram for the entire car, and I've traced the wires around but I was wondering if anyone else has ran into this problem? Thanks for any help!

Hi!
My memory's a little bit hazy on this, and your 60 may be different to my '62, but from what I recall when fiddling around with my wiring is that the same wire does the brake light and indicator on each side. This is because the tailights are a separate feed, but the brake lights also blink to act as indicators. Now, I'm not 100% sure and perhaps one of our more knowledgeable wiring people might correct me, but the wiring juncton is at the bottom of steering column, where the indicator switch wiring exits the column?
Simplyconnected on this forum is a whiz with wiring issues, I'm sure he'll confirm or correct me on this.
Cheers
Alistair

[DKheld]

Jimmy - hate to hear the wiring issue is slowing down the progress on your restoration - but glad your still hammering (or splicing) away.

I haven't had to do any wiring except finding a brake light wiring short on the two green wires going to the brake light switch a few years back so I'm no help.
Any pictures of the progress????? Love to see it.

My Tbird motor rebuild took a back seat to a $200 Jag XJS V12 that supposedly needed only a battery and water pump - bought it sight unseen. Was hoping to do a quick turn around and make a few bucks to put toward my Tbird but looks more like it's going the other way. Overflow tank, smog pump, belts, and a new water pump turns out to be more than I paid for the car. I've had 10+ British cars and should have learned my lesson but I was a sucker for the V12 @ $200 - Oh well - having fun learning anyway.

Good luck with the with wiring issue.

Eric
Registry 5347

[simplyconnected]

...The harness under the dash didn't have a wire coming from the headlight switch to the rear harness for the domelight. The body harness that goes for the rear light actually doesn't have the wire for the brake lights!!! I have the wiring diagram for the entire car, and I've traced the wires around...

Alistair, I hope I can help after that build-up. Thanks.

Ford hasn't changed schematics between their car lines through so many decades. Basically, they all work the same. Some have fancier details, like the '60 Bird. My schematic shows you have two brake lights that stay on with the pedal, and the other two are interrupted by the turn signals.

Petrolhead is so right about the power for your brake lights. The turn signals most always interrupt the brake lights. If you look at the print, for the '60 Bird, brake lights are powered from two different sources: Power comes from the Key Switch (A), through a Fuse, a Flasher Unit, a Junction Block, and into your steering column to the Turn Signal Switch, and out to your Bulbs.

The other source is from the Headlight Switch (A), to the Brake Switch. That power doesn't get interrupted. It immediately powers both L & R brake lights. So, you have two brake lights on each side (total of four), but only one on each side gets interrupted by the turn signal, (that way, Ford used the common 'two-bulb' Flasher Unit).



Alexander's '60 Thunderbird

Ok, to directly answer your question, for ‘trunk’ wiring, you need one brake light wire, two turn signal wires, and one tail light wire. Backup lights get a wire too, so does the fuel tank sending unit. SIX total for a stock setup.

When doing this kind of wiring, I ALWAYS include an extra hot wire in the trunk harness (at least #12AWG stranded copper fused at the battery for 20-amps). You can use it to power a trunk light through a mercury switch. If you need power for a trailer, I use relays and draw the outgoing power from that extra wire. That way you won't put any extra load on your steering column wiring and the flasher unit won’t change speed. Want an inverter? Use #10AWG and fuse at 30-amps. (Don't forget speaker wires, back-up camera, rear deck lid alarm, or whatever you like.) Those aftermarket harnesses are only half the story, and commonly miss a few conductors for specific applications like your '60 Thunderbird.

Throw in an extra ground wire! Sheet metal grounds commonly fail. I installed an extra ground on all of my lamp housings by screwing on a crimp-on ring terminal (out of sight, of course). I can’t tell you how many gas sending units miraculously 'healed' themselves upon restoring a copper ground on the fuel tank.

DOME LIGHT power from the headlight switch: You certainly need one wire that directly operates your dome light. Two other wires feed your door switches. THREE wires total from your headlight switch to your dome light and both door switches.

I hope this helps. - Dave

[Framer_guru]

WOW! And suspension question...

Thanks to all of you for your input to my wiring woes! Hahahaha! Anyway, still hammering away at it, but the going has slowed a bit due to pretty weather and an urge to ride my Fatboy... Had to take a break, I guess. Now, last weekend I finally installed the engine I rebuilt. Tried to take pictures to share with all of you but my Canon decided to give up the ghost. I know some of you had been asking about my progress on the engine. I rebuilt it earlier this year, and had just been waiting to install it after I cleaned up the engine bay and finished the front disc conversion and build-up. Got that all done. So, last weekend I hooked up the engine and tranny, borrowed my buddy's cherry picker and threw it all in. Like a glove, but that starter took a bit of wiggling to install. Should have put it on before I threw the engine in. Oh well...

Now, found another issue... Like I said before, I just finished a disc brake conversion that I bought from Drop 'N Stop. Everything fit like a glove. The new spindles dropped the front end about 1-1 1/2 inches. With the engine in, the front end hasn't really dropped any, she's still high in the air. Do I need to install shorter coil springs as well, or can I still use the original ones with the dropped spindles? That is the only thing I can think of that would affect ride height. All this weight in it and it's still sitting high like it is... Weird... Thanks again for ALL of your help to EVERYONE!!! I really REALLY appreciate it!