Lowrider wiring harness replacement

Socket Connectors

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Eb74UL
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Lowrider wiring harness replacement

#1

Post by Eb74UL »

I am planning to install a new aftermarket factory replacement wiring harness on a 1977 FXE lowrider. I am doing this from scratch, nothing left on the bike, so I need to order the plastic socket connectors to hook the harnesses together. Looking at the wiring diagram, it looks like I need four 12 pin sockets and two 6 six pin sockets. Could anyone explain where they go? I look at the diagram and it is a bit confusing which connections are made under the dash and which are in the headlight bucket. There is a big wide dotted line that seem to represent the headlight bucket and on the left of that section, I see connections for the tach which is under the dash and connections for the turn signal, oil and neutral lights, which are not under the dash... in that section its like those wire go straignt to the dash... Anybody done this before?
nifty
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Re: Lowrider wiring harness replacement

#2

Post by nifty »

Are you doing a stock build?
Yes, the schematic dotted lines represent areas such as headlight
There may be some connectors alongside frame
There may be "spare" connectors only used for accessories you don't have
Trawl through all the photos in relevant service manuals, often a pic with text about something else will show detail such as you seek.
It will pay to run the harness exactly as OE, not just to be pedantic, but folks at the MoCo probably spent a a lot of time with positioning the harness so it fitted, looked ok and functioned reliably for a long time, use their experience (or maybe spend days re-routing harness several times yourself)
If you are sure harness correct for your bike, just start installing it, thereby eliminating connections as you go, the position, length and color of stray wires should give you an idea of where they go, see what's left.
Post photos

Nifty
Eb74UL
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Re: Lowrider wiring harness replacement

#3

Post by Eb74UL »

Yes, stock rebuild.
I started to make my own harness but I though since somebody went through the trouble of producing those factory reproduction harnesses why not try to use one. I just wish they would include better instructions like wire harness routing and connections... and why don't they include the plastic socket male and female connector? They include the terminals... why not the sockets? a few dollars more perhaps... About 25 years ago I redid the whole wiring on my 1974 superglide from scratch, using male and female bullet connectors in the headlight bucket. It works, but it looks like a spaghetti and is a pain to put back in the bucket if I have to remove the headlight. Last year I did a new wiring on my UL and this time I installed a terminal block in the headlight bucket, much easier to work on and much cleaner. So I thought why not use a factory reproduction wire loom with socket connectors this time... I will try it but it will be time consuming to find the proper routing and connector locations. Somebody somewhere knows exactly how to do this for sure... Yeah I will post picts once done, hopefully I won't then get replies pointing what I did wrong!
nifty
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Re: Lowrider wiring harness replacement

#4

Post by nifty »

Hopefully someone else with a stock 77 Lowrider will read your post and post some pics and advice.

Nifty
RooDog
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Re: Lowrider wiring harness replacement

#5

Post by RooDog »

I build to satisfy no one but myself. I have used this style terminal strip on several of my builds. This one is on my '68 Shovelhead....
...RooDog....
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Eb74UL
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Re: Lowrider wiring harness replacement

#6

Post by Eb74UL »

Hey RooDog, exactly what I have done on my UL and my panhead (I should have used shrink tubing instead of the plastic cover). In my UL I installed an 8 post terminal in the headlight bucket (not original) and on my panhead I have a two 5 post terminal blocks at the same place as yours, (under gas tank, between frame tubes, one on each side). And I agree there's no need to please others... As I said, on this Lowrider build, I thought why not install factory replacement since it's available... however, it does not look like it is going to be easier... even though it should!
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hogboy52
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Re: Lowrider wiring harness replacement

#7

Post by hogboy52 »

I did my wiring under the gas tank using an early V.W. style plastic terminal strip. They are very simple, with holes in the side where bare stripped and soldered wire ends are inserted. In the top are screws that when turned down crush the wire ends together. Adding, removing, rearranging cannot be easier.
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