Early wiring harness

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 7:54 pm

I guess I'm confused. When I'm looking at TM9-804 early wiring
harness diagrams on Wes' pages I see the two plug switch,
and the rear light harness attached to the smaller six pin
connector. At the rear I see the trailer connector hard wired into
this harness.

However, down a few photos are frame and wiring photos
of an early M38 with both a rear harness and a trailer harness
exiting the firewall and going along the frame to the rear.
Granted the trailer harness in these photos looks new.

Can someone help clarify the discrepancies for me?

Thanks.

Post by **wesk** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 12:33 am

Early setup has two separate harnesses, one for the front lighting and one for all the rear lighting & trailer receptacle. The early m38 setup had a firewall harness plate with two large holes. One for each harness. The front harness goes through one hole to the front lamps and dimmer and the rear harness goes through the other hole.

Makes no difference late or early at the rear as they are the same layout.

Fig 57 (lighting circuits) & 63 (auxilliary plug circuits) from the old TM 804 show the harnesses segregated. Look at the entire wiring harness illustration Fig 68. Fig 63 has confused many a troop over the years.

Early M38 firewall with the main front lighting harness exiting from the left hole and the rear lighting harness exiting from the right hole.

This is the late setup showing the two harness tape wrapped together until they exit the firewall through the single hole harness panel. Once out in the engine compartment the two harnesses are split with the same 4 wires going rear that went rear from the early setup.

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:53 am

Hello Wes,
Your description is as I understood it.

However, there are photos under your photo pages that lead to my confusion.

Here is one:

Thanks,

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:59 am

And another:

Post by **wesk** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 11:37 am

Sorry about that. They were only meant to illustrate clip positions. I have corrected the terminology on all 6 photos.

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 12:16 pm

Not a problem Wes.

With the amount of information we have today, and the total lack of a factory or even period motor pool untouched vehicle to rely on, it seems easy to muddy the waters.

I appreciate you clarifying for me.

Wonder why the Goomba didn't just use the harness already at the rear of the vehicle?

Take care,