bulkhead connecter

[larry tappen]

Hey fellow bird lovers my 64 bird bulkhead connecter on the right (passenger side) was melted and the previous owner removed and spliced the wires together with solder and shrink wrap. Looks to be ok (maybe) but the heaviest wire is wire nutted together with a household wire nut. Planely not right. What I'm wondering is, could all these wires be spliced to a rubber type trailer plug that has the same amount of male and female inserts? Thanks, Larry.

[paulr]

I'm gonna guess the wire you mention is black with a yellow line; that's the alternator wire. It carries full voltage through the charging circuit so however you want to connect up at the firewall, just make sure it's a clean, solid, insulated connection. Wire nuts wouldn't be my choice; proper gauge Ford-type bullet connectors are made. Solder them in and then you can check and clean them as necessary. That wire, by the way, is the guilty party for the connector meltdown you talked about. It's not uncommon. Something for you to inspect periodically if you're running a '64 stock system.

As for all the other accessory wires, connect however. One function of the factory bulkhead plugs was a cabin seal from engine bay fumes/grease/moisture/sound/etc. Probably want to figure in grommets, silicone, or something.

[larry tappen]

Paul, thanks for the reply. The wire I was talking about was the black/with yellow stripe. I am aware of the fire hazard by reading others on this forum. Now to find large enough bullet plugs for this wire. Thanks again, Larry.

[larry tappen]

Paul, I was wondering why Ford didn't have a "recall" about this hazard? When I worked at Wixom in 1966/67 I didn't hear of any recalls as I worked as a receiving inspector in the quality control area of the plant riding a bike around the plant checking parts to blueprints, great job by the way. Thanks again, Paul, Larry.

[paulr]

That kinda detail about company recall literature is stuff I know little about but find interesting. If Wally or Fuz catch this thread, those are the guys who are up on that stuff. Or Alan Tast or Jim Mills maybe.

[Alan H. Tast]

That kinda detail about company recall literature is stuff I know little about but find interesting. If Wally or Fuz catch this thread, those are the guys who are up on that stuff. Or Alan Tast or Jim Mills maybe.

We had a feature article on the '64's electrical issues in the Club's "Thunderbird Scoop" magazine last year, complete with references to Technical Service Bulletins and photos showing how the wiring melted, along with schematics. Another reason for people to join and maintain their paid membership in VTCI.