Slow Progress & a number of questions

[Wayne64]

I'm about 2 months behind on my cab tub swap and have taken a different route on the job. I built up and made a wheeled stand for the tub so I could trailer it to the media blaster and then move it around the garage. At present the truck is in the street, less fenders and head lamps. The tub is painted and I started to move things off the old rotten tub onto the replacement. I need to keep the M37 moveable as long as possible as I'm dealing with little room to work here on the ant hill. I will list the questions and the answers will help me a great deal.
1. Am I right in that the complete harness removes into the cab?
2. If I left the battery cables till last, and ran a temporary wire for the coil could I remove the harness and still start it? The reason being is It is a lot easier for me to dress out the tub in the garage. BTW I'm running a one wire alternator
3. Are the two nuts that hold the front fender support weld nuts? Or do I need to use a hold back?
Thanks Much, Wayne

[M37UK]

Wayne,
All you need to start and run the engine is a hot wire from battery + straight to starter and hot wire from battery + to distributor, preferably with a switch or you wont be able to turn the engine off.

And of course the negative ground cable from battery - to frame/engine block.

If you want the battery to charge while the engine is running you will need the 1 wire from alternator to the + on the starter also.

MAKE SURE NO OTHER OLD WIRES ARE CONNECTED TO THE BATTERY !!

Hope this helps

[Cal_Gary]

Hi Wayne,
I know the "stalled" feeling too-finally got out today to repair my fording exhaust mount (didn't feel like stripping more paint-perhaps tomorrow).
Anyway, for #3, the front fender braces sit on two bolts that attach to 2 well nuts. Three nuts and bolts attach the front of each fender to the braces.

Sorry I can't answer your harness question.
Gary

[majorhitt]

I hope I'm on the right track. When you say " Am I right in that the complete harness removes into the cab?" That all the wiring could be pulled back into the cab. I guess you could do that, Not easy! You maybe better off disconnecting the wiring in the cab and put the front harness in the engine compartment, and the rear harness, tuck it up under the frame. It would be a lot less wire ends sticking out all over. Take lots of pictures and notes prior to removing the harness.

[rixm37]

The Chassis harness should be able to be separated by connectors on the pass side fender well . They should all have little number tags on them to keep them in order . If the harness is old and brittle it could be hard to get the connectors apart with out damaging them and the wire ends. I don't know how old your harness is, if it is from the 50's the wire insulation may just crumble off in that case it is not worth your time to try to save it. an old harness is just asking for lots of trouble.

[M37UK]

The Chassis harness should be able to be separated by connectors on the pass side fender well . They should all have little number tags on them to keep them in order . If the harness is old and brittle it could be hard to get the connectors apart with out damaging them and the wire ends. I don't know how old your harness is, if it is from the 50's the wire insulation may just crumble off in that case it is not worth your time to try to save it. an old harness is just asking for lots of trouble.

I totally agree about asking for trouble with 50's wiring and is the reason I am in the process of re-wiring my entire truck.

[rixm37]

Stu, how is yours coming along ? Are you making it from scratch?
I used one of Sid Becks and then added the blinker harness wires to it and made my own head light harness. Lots of work but totally worth the effort. I saved most of the connectors from the original harness and re used them as needed. You can drill out the tips and solder them to new wires.

[M37UK]

Stu, how is yours coming along ? Are you making it from scratch?
I used one of Sid Becks and then added the blinker harness wires to it and made my own head light harness. Lots of work but totally worth the effort. I saved most of the connectors from the original harness and re used them as needed. You can drill out the tips and solder them to new wires.

Well, I have made up all the wire runs myself from scratch and have created a new fuse panel inside my glovebox.
I have replaced every single cable and re-soldered the lamps, light switch, trailer socket, brake light switch and sender connections and only using the Douglass connectors in the engine bay. All other connectors are modern and hidden away. All the stuff i pulled out was in a real mess, with the insulation falling to pieces in my hands.It was just a matter of time before something serious happened. I finally got rid of all the wire that was wrapped in that awful electrical insulation tape and have used convoluted tubing instead.


Cheers

[rixm37]

Sounds great Stu. A true labor of love.

Sorry Wayne I didn't mean to hijack the thread.

Any way I hope you are able to get the harness apart from the frame and cab.

[Wayne64]

Maybe the early M37s are different, but on my M37B1 there is no way the wiring could be disconnected in cab and pulled out to the engine bay. Where I am now is I have brought both right and left sides into the cab and removed. The harness is now installed in my rolling cab tub. In a few rain free days I should get the old tub off and start the slow job of replacing everything. Much cleaning and painting is still in my future. I'll post some pictures soon.

[M37UK]

Maybe the early M37s are different, but on my M37B1 there is no way the wiring could be disconnected in cab and pulled out to the engine bay. Where I am now is I have brought both right and left sides into the cab and removed. The harness is now installed in my rolling cab tub. In a few rain free days I should get the old tub off and start the slow job of replacing everything. Much cleaning and painting is still in my future. I'll post some pictures soon.

Thats what I did, bring both sides into the cab and then into the glovebox. All my connections are in there.