How do I remove an old wire harness from a 83 cutlass that is chopped up and replace it with a donor harness from another car? what are the steps? what colors go where?
engine harness replacement
- Thread starter MWA
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Disconnect all the wires, and unplug from the firewall.
In one of the v6 to 350 stickys, there is a list of colors and where they go.
In one of the v6 to 350 stickys, there is a list of colors and where they go.
It is plug and play. Unplug the bulkhead connector from the donor's firewall (use a 1/4 in socket to loosen it), and then just unclip or unplug the harness as you go. Using range of motion once you set the harness in place will let you know where the wires plug in to. Just be sure to pull a harness from a car with the same engine family that you have now, and preferably the same year.
you'll want to remove the windshield wiper motor to access the terminal. Just remove the two top bolts of the wiper motor and slide the unit out of the bottom bolt ....
So what do you mean by same engine family? What if I am going from v6 to v8? How can I tell the difference from the two harness? Which one should I get?
By engine family I mean exactly that. if it is a V6, is it a Chevy (200,229, 4.3) or Buick (3.8 or 4.1)? If it's a V8, is it a Chevy (267, 305, or any swapped in variant of the same), Pontiac (265 or 301) or Oldsmobile (260,307 gas, 350 Diesel)? If converting, the harness is the same except for the length and position of the wires as it relates to the accessory, alternator and starter positions in the car. Get a harness that matches the type of engine your car has and it will go in pretty easily (A 267 or 305 harness is what you would use in a Chevy 350 or 400 swapped car, Pontiac with Pontiac, Olds with Olds, etc.). Diesel harnesses will not easily work in gas cars, and vice versa. This is because the ignition circuits are fundamentally different between the two types of engines. However, diesels are very rare today as they did not survive in large numbers. Also, 4.3 V6 cars use TBI fuel injection and the harness will not work on any other stock engine in these cars.
Beyond this, I can't break it down any simpler for you. If you don't understand, it is advisable that you do not attempt this on your own and that you either seek out a knowledgeable person to assist you, or that you take it to a reputable shop to do the work for you.
Beyond this, I can't break it down any simpler for you. If you don't understand, it is advisable that you do not attempt this on your own and that you either seek out a knowledgeable person to assist you, or that you take it to a reputable shop to do the work for you.
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