New factory wiring plugs/connectors

[pound41]

Is there any place that sells the bulkhead plugs for the outside harness or the round plugs for the tail light harness. I am wanting to make a new harness but can't find new plugs. Thanks

[ray_mcavoy]

What year truck? I think 73-74 used a different bulkhead connector than 75-up.

The 75-up connector uses part numbers 8917253 (engine), 8917233 (front lights), and 8917234 (rear lights) on the under-hood half. The first two part numbers are still available from sites such as https://www.customconnectorkits.com/ The 8917234 for the rear lights seems (based on a quick search) to be a bit harder to find in stock.

As far as I know, the round connectors for the tail lights are molded onto the harness and not available separately. However, GM did change over to using weatherpack connectors in this location sometime around 1984 and those are still readily available. I believe they used the 4-way square version #12015024 and #12015798.

[pound41]

1975 is what I am working on. thanks for the help

[Getter-Done]

I can not help with the Bulkhead.

I have started buying the Weather Pack connectors for other connections.



They work and look good.

[pound41]

ok thanks do you know what gauge wire the harness for the rear lights would be

[Getter-Done]

I would use 14 to 16 gauge.

The wire you buy now a days is not like it used to be.


Here is an Interesting Read in the link below.

Link: http://www.how-to-build-hotrods.com/...am%20below.%29

[DPowers]

possibly-
wiringharness.com

[87chevy.com]

Originally Posted by Getter-Done

I would use 14 to 16 gauge.

The wire you buy now a days is not like it used to be.


Here is an Interesting Read in the link below.

Link: http://www.how-to-build-hotrods.com/...am%20below.%29

wow, 12ga for headlights... what does that guy use for electric fan on LS swap

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by 87chevy.com

wow, 12ga for headlights... what does that guy use for electric fan on LS swap

Probably something like this

[pound41]

Does anyone know what metal connectors go into the plugs at the bulkhead thanks

[ray_mcavoy]

Originally Posted by pound41

Does anyone know what metal connectors go into the plugs at the bulkhead thanks

The majority are Packard/Delphi (now Aptiv) 56-series terminals. I think a few of the locations might use the similar looking, but wider 59-series terminals.

The plugs on the under-hood side use male terminals while the portion that mounts to the firewall (in under the fuse panel) takes female terminals.

Be sure to get terminals that are appropriate for the gauge of the wire they'll be crimped onto. And you'll also need a crimping tool (or dies) designed to crimp these "open barrel" style terminals. They have 2 sets of "wings" ... one that crimps around the wire conductor and another that crimps around the wire insulation.

[chris989]

Originally Posted by pound41

Is there any place that sells the bulkhead plugs for the outside harness or the round plugs for the tail light harness. I am wanting to make a new harness but can't find new plugs. Thanks

Do you need the wire end crimp? Or the plastic plug?

This is a long shot but when I repinned the bulkhead plug in my 67 Camaro I found the factory OE crimp from Clarks Corvair Parts. I will look for the catalog to confirm..

Anyway They had the ends that matched my 67. It is possible the 75 is still the same?

can you take a picture? I may have some

Chris

[hatzie]

You can de-pin the connectors and re-pin them with the new wires. The Packard 56/59 bulkhead plugs on these trucks are usually not brittle like newer connector families. I think they're High Density Polyethylene.

Don't use the General Purpose PolyVinylChloride jacketed wire you find in the local parts stores. It gets brittle and fails.
GM was using SXL Crosslink Polyethylene wire in these trucks. You can get 100ft spools ot SXL, TXL, & GXL jacketed wire from Waytek, Del City, and a couple others or 25ft coils from The Wire Barn on evilbay. There's another supplier that has remnant spools smaller than 100ft but the name escapes me at the moment.

There's a discussion about wiring crimpers and strippers in this thread.https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/....php?p=8971206

Since you'll be working with Packard 59 and likely double wire terminals you'll need a couple crimp tools that aren't in my list from that thread. I have these in my wiring tackle box but I don't use them nearly as often as the Delphi 12085270 & 12085271 tools or my Daniels AF8 & AFM8 tools.
Delphi OEM GM Unsealed Double Terminal Crimper 12040070
Delphi 12085115 for Packard 56, 58, & 59, and Unsealed Metripak 480 & Unsealed Metripak 630

[pound41]

My plugs seem in decent shape. the 4 wires for the rear lights at least the section from the connector diving down by the firewall are not 4 individual separate wires. They are for lack of a better term a ribbon 4 color coded wires like a ribbon. Anyway in striping the firewall I hit it and nicked 2 of the wires. Since I have to fix it. I thought I would make a new one. I have looked at some of the replacement harness online. They are individual wires and $180 so I thought if I could get the parts I would build one. Thanks for your help much appreciated

[hatzie]

Sounds like someone used trailer wire ribbon for the tail lamps. It wouldn't happen to be White, Brown, Yellow, and Green would it?

There are only four wires running back on the frame to the lamps in back. Parking, Backup, Left turn/brake, Right turn/brake. These should be 14ga. GM used 16ga.
If you have Brake and trailer breakaway battery wiring it's six. I usually use 12ga SXL Blue and Orange for those.
At the tail lamps pigtail I replace the round molded rubber Packard 56 connector GM used from '67-'82 with the four terminal square Weatherpak GM used '83-'91. 12015798 & 12015024 shells, Green Weatherpak seals, and 16-14ga Weatherpak terminals.