checking ignition/engine related wiring without an engine

[69rangerman]

Electric dufus question alert! Is there anything I can do with a voltmeter or cont. tester while the engine is out to make sure all the engine related wires/ign. system is good before the motor gets done?

[Whoaaanelly]

Sure. Everything.




Oh, specifically? Yes, you can, but it may be a tough job to test it all. It's a lot of work to do this correctly.

I just pulled every wire harness out of my truck (it was out of necessity due to hack-jobs from previous owners) to do exactly what you're talking about. It has taken me all week to do every harness. With the help of the wiring diagrams found here, harnesses I pulled out of trucks in the local Pull-a-Part, and reading between the lines where the harnesses and diagrams didn't match, I've been able to rebuild every harness that had problems and now understand them as well. I traced every wire and checked and cleaned every wire and connection. I bought harness tape from Eastwood and rewrapped every harness like new.

There's no real need to "test" things, since as long as the wires go from point "a" to point "b" and are not broken in between, the thing they connect to would be the likely cause if they didn't work -- and you could just replace these (like starter solenoid, coil, etc.).

If everything looks really good as it is, then you can (with the help of a partner) check voltages at various points. Grab the diagram for your truck and ground the Black terminal of the DVM and probe the connection with key on and off, etc. If there's supposed to be voltage there, it'll show.

It's not easy to describe here, that's for sure.

[kid]

Sure it is to an electrician. Ask away 69rangerman. What was said aboe is right get the diagrams and get rid of the Mickey Mouse wiring fixes. I had a wife that painted the stripes on my replacement wires for me when I had my 68 SWB.

What else did she have to do but help load ammo, spot rabbits and coyotes, then make love until the sun come up. We lived in the Mojave Desert. Old trucks, Sand and miles of nothing.

[Jake11]

Just "jiggle" her wires a bit.

[69rangerman]

Thanks guys. Except for the horn everything was working so I guess I won't touch anything other than looking for breaks and maybe some re-wrapping.

Tom

[fordman]

the horn is probably behind the stering wheel problem. it usaully is.

[wildcard]

Mine was a bad connection at the horn itself.

[kid]

My last two horn problems were the horns themselves. Hey they are close to the battery so try a jumper from positive to the horn wiring terminal. If it HONKS the horn is good.

[69rangerman]

Yeah, I did the battery to horn deal and got about 5 seconds of something that sounded like a sick cow. She musta keeled over though cause it wouldn't sound after that. Looks like a new horn to go with the new engine, new tranny parts and new 0%credit card to pay for it all.

Thanks

[kid]

14.95 for a killer :twisted: horn at CarQuest .

My 69 did that exact same sound and died.