An annoying little problem in my '62...

[Edward Kenny]

Does anyone know the best way to repair a broken wire to the right turn signal indicator on the hood of a 62? If I'm lying down looking up into the front of the wheel well, I can see both wires that need to be reconnected, but I have neither room nor enough wire from the indicator to work with in such an awkward space.

Thanks in advance for the due diligence.

[76eldo]

Without seeing what you are up against, it's hard to say.  Maybe pull the wheel, add a length of same gauge wire.

Cut back a bit and slip some black shrink wrap back, away from the splice.  Do a neat twist, solder the connections, and keep the shrink wrap away from the heat.  When you are done, clip off any sharp edges on the soldered area and slide the shrink wrap over the spliced areas.  A little heat from a heat gun or even a lighter will shrink the tubing and you are all fixed.

Brian

[62droptop]

i did that repair on my 62
i removed the light assembly from the fender after removing the wheel  and supporting car on stand, did it almost 8 yrs ago and cannot totally remember how much a pain it was
i dont recall any problems and remember it being straight forward
i have a spare light off a parts car if you want to see how it attaches with out the fender in the way,i can snap a photo

a hoist would be awesome as you can stand up to do it,either way not tons of room
thought about teaching my 4 yr old how to wrench for getting in those tight spots ,that would be awesome!

to remove the light, you may  need a universal joint on a socket and maybe a wrench on the front one
i suggest lots of penetrating oil as i believe the studs are cast metal and are brittle

once the light socket has been removed ,you can repair the wire in any manor you choose ,then drop light back in and reconnect the other end to the plug
you may be able to get steal enough extra wire from the plug end by the rad cradle by rerouting the wire slightly
either that or just strip the wire you can see ,working in the confined space of the fender and solder or crimp connect back together and heat shrink tubing to seal it up
i have some neat wire strippers that work automatically and can be done with one hand without holding the wire,they work great for places i cannot get 2 hands


there is also a product called liquid electrical tape i use quite alot after the repair is made
it comes in different colours and is like a liquid rubber to seal up connections and replace the missing insulation on wires
stuff works great
good luck and let us know how you make out

[Edward Kenny]

Rebuilding the circuit with new wire would be the best way to go I think. How would I remove the socket and fixture to access the soldering points? I take it that there's a plug at the other end of the wire that plugs into the electrical system of the car. What does it look like and is it easily available?

Also, Mr. Lee, the pictures you mentioned would be great... Thank you.

[quadfins]

It can be done without a lift or removing the wheel.

Turn the wheels so that you have enough room to crawl and work within the fender area.

There is a metal plate with a rubber seal that fits at the top front of the inside of the fender. It's purpose is to prevent water from accumulating at the very front of the fender (pointy part above the headlights). It is held on by 3 1/2 " bolts (sometimes, this part has been removed and never replaced).

Having removed the plate, you will see the small nuts and the socket of the light assembly (follow the wire and it will go into the socket). On my '61, one nut holds the cover of the light assembly, and the other 2 hold the bottom, with the socket. Loosen the nuts, and the assembly will pop off of the top of the fender. Now you can work on it, replace the wire, etc on your workbench.  See page 12-34 of the shop manual, first column, letter "h".

This is the same procedure for replacing a bulb - do that now, while it is apart.

The most difficult part will be during reassembly -holding the thing in place, getting the nut started, and tightening it. Normally it requires 3 arms. Overall, though, on a scale of 1 - 10, this is a 4 curse job.

I am home today (wife at work) and most days this coming week. Call if you need pics or a talk-through.

Merry Christmas!

Jim

[62droptop]

here is a couple pics
you do not need to remove complete assembly
there is a 5/16 head screw in between the mount studs that can be accessed once the inner shield is removed
remove screw and top cover comes off
inside housing a phillips screw removes lens housing
remove bulb and socket pops up with wire attached

[62droptop]

2nd pic

[62droptop]

3rd pic

[Edward Kenny]

Thank you Jim and Mr. Lee!!! Thank you both very much indeed!!