ConcoursMustang Forums
1st Generation 1964 1/2 - 1973 - Questions & general discussions that apply to a specific year => 1970 Boss => Topic started by: midlife on October 13, 2021, 10:55:39 PM
-
I had someone call me today about missing bullet connectors on the gang of plugs past the firewall. One of them was a green wire, which I have run across before some time ago.
Now I know Bosses didn't come with A/C, but some (all???) came with A/C wiring but with a twist. The large female bullet connector out in the engine compartment didn't go to one of the AC switches, but was factory spliced into the ignition RUN-only wire. The rest of the AC wiring was simply ignored and not hooked up to anything.
My question is this: what was this wire used for? It was a green wire with a green large female molded plug. I know it wasn't used for the carb anti-stall line (that's a blue wire with a white plug), nor for a rev limiter. Was it for an electric choke, perhaps?
Thanks in advance.
-
Not sure about the green plug, but all BOSS 302s were manual chokes, so it wasn?t for that.
-
Period Ford products of the time didn't use electrical chokes.
As for the green female plug. Guessing form the description its visible inside the engine compartment. Will see if it shows up in any of my pictures
-
This unusual green plug could be in 1969/70 Shelby's (I'd have to check my notes as I was going by memory), but the customer was adamant that his 1970 B2 did NOT have AC. That makes me suspicious that his harness may not be original. There would be no good reason for the factory to install an AC configured harness in a car that didn't have AC, as the heater box connections are different lengths due to AC and non-AC heater box configurations.
The customer asked specifically for the bullet connector for a green wire, which I explained to him was for AC. At that point, he said he didn't have AC. That's when I glommed onto the unusual use for the AC wiring hooked up to the RUN-only wire, which was either in the BOSS or Shelby series.
-
This unusual green plug could be in 1969/70 Shelby's (I'd have to check my notes as I was going by memory),.....................
So your reporting that the "green plug" is found in 69 wiring looms also?
First few 70's I pulled up has a bright green wire but no green boot yet
-
I believe the trend was to make more multi-use harnesses over the years. By 1969, there was no separate "air conditioning" harness. By 1969 all the main, under dash harnesses had the ac leads regardless of the options on the car.
-
That statement is true for 1968 as well. The 1968 cars with A/C have unused wiring for the non - A/C heater blower motor. The opposite is true if the car has the heater / defroster with no A/C.
I believe the trend was to make more multi-use harnesses over the years. By 1969, there was no separate "air conditioning" harness. By 1969 all the main, under dash harnesses had the ac leads regardless of the options on the car.
-
So your reporting that the "green plug" is found in 69 wiring looms also?
First few 70's I pulled up has a bright green wire but no green boot yet
I wasn't entirely clear. If it was a Shelby that had the unusual AC wiring (and not a Boss), then the 69 wiring is identical to the 70. What the customer described was a true 70 wiring harness with the unique blue wire with white plug.
-
I believe the trend was to make more multi-use harnesses over the years. By 1969, there was no separate "air conditioning" harness. By 1969 all the main, under dash harnesses had the ac leads regardless of the options on the car.
I hate to disagree with you, but it wasn't until 1972 that AC wiring became standard in Mustang underdash harnesses. I have multiple examples of 69, 70 and 71 underdash harnesses without AC wiring. In 1969, however, the AC wiring was integrated into the underdash harness; perhaps that was what you meant.
-
Looked through my pictures of 70's (both Boss and neutral) as well as 69 Shelby's and could not come up with a green female boot in any of my pictures connected to wires coming out of that lower center hole where the neutral safety and other plugs is grouped.
If its a really dark green boot guess the real dirty ones may look black but have some originals that are not dirty - have been cleaned.
Small sampling - Top two from 70 Boss 302's. Bottom twos 69/70 Shelby's
(https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/gallery/16/6-181021165108-162322421.jpeg)
-
Black boot it is. So...I thought Boss's didn't come with AC, yet you show examples of the AC wiring past the firewall. I think that answers my basic question:apparently Ford used AC underdash harnesses (at times) for Boss cars, despite not using the integral AC wiring.
Thanks, all, for an informative discussion.
-
Ran across another harness with the AC clutch line tied to the RUN-only wire coming from the ignition (this time, a 1969). I've asked the customer if there was anything unusual about this car/harness and what its history is.
I'm still puzzled about the purpose of the green wire with black boot beyond the firewall. Is it needed for rev limiters?
-
NO
-
My customer said he found a green wire attached to the carb. It's either an electric choke or an anti-stall solenoid, which are the only 2 electric signals I can think of that attaches to the carb.
My question is: did any 69 or 70 Bosses come with an electric choke? I now have examples of both a 69 and 70 B2 wiring that has a RUN-only line spliced into what is normally the clutch AC line. I can see one year where maybe Ford ran out of non-AC harnesses, but 2 years, and both B2?
Very puzzling...
-
My customer said he found a green wire attached to the carb. It's either an electric choke or an anti-stall solenoid, which are the only 2 electric signals I can think of that attaches to the carb.
Anti-stall solenoid were used on the 70 Boss 302. Blue colored with between the solenoid and where ever it attaches to.
Wonder in the pictures I have if I have an unrestored example with the air cleaner off and a good view to see if I can find any 70 Mustang with something attached to the green wire I found unused/unattached in the pictures I posted of the Boss 302 examples.
My question is: did any 69 or 70 Bosses come with an electric choke? I now have examples of both a 69 and 70 B2 wiring that has a RUN-only line spliced into what is normally the clutch AC line. I can see one year where maybe Ford ran out of non-AC harnesses, but 2 years, and both B2?
Very puzzling...
Nope all production Boss 302's used manual choke
-
You will find that plug used on all 69 and 70 Mustangs with AC, as that is the lead for the AC clutch. The question is: what was it used for, if at all, for non-AC cars? I have two examples from B2's, one of which I know is late 69 production.
-
You will find that plug used on all 69 and 70 Mustangs with AC, as that is the lead for the AC clutch. The question is: what was it used for, if at all, for non-AC cars? I have two examples from B2's, one of which I know is late 69 production.
Yes in looking on non-Boss applications I also found it as a AC connection. At this point I don't think it was used at all for the Boss 302 just like other options when not purchased on other cars the support wiring was included in the standard wire loom and just not connected to anything. Saved on making individual different main looms for all the different possible combinations
-
Yes in looking on non-Boss applications I also found it as a AC connection. At this point I don't think it was used at all for the Boss 302 just like other options when not purchased on other cars the support wiring was included in the standard wire loom and just not connected to anything. Saved on making individual different main looms for all the different possible combinations
I almost agree with you. Two things stand out: it WAS connected to something: the RUN-only ignition line instead of the standard AC switch. In addition, since the heater box was for a non-AC system, the heater extension harness was different than the AC version (the heater boxes differ in where the resistor pack is). This suggests that Ford knew that there was a reason for using a modified AC underdash harness for Boss cars by having the wiring manufacturer cut the AC line, splice the outgoing line to the ignition switch line, and providing a non-AC heater box extension harness.
The only other thing I can think of would be a hood-mounted tach that would use the RUN-only line to power it. I don't think B2's ever came from the factory with a hood-mounted tach, though...
-
Today, while attending Marcus Anghel's open house, there was a concours-level 69 B2, and I talked with the owner. Sure enough, there was the green wire/black boot normally associated with AC clutch. I got the owner to show me where that lead went to: the carb anti-stall solenoid. On a manual transmission car? Yes! I didn't think that was possible, but it was. Of course, an anti-stall solenoid would need a RUN-only line to power it. So...Ford decided to use an AC harness, cutting the line to the AC clutch and routing it to the ignition switch.
In fact, the MPC shows a 69 underdash harness specifically for the B302 with suffixes BC and DC for the underdash harness less tach and BB and BD with tach (mid-year changes). No listings for B2 specific harnesses for 1970, as all 1970's came with leads for the anti-stall solenoid as standard equipment. But...the green wire is still there on 70 B2's, as evidenced in the top 2 photos that Jeff displayed.
Very interesting...
-
There was a wire plug used on auto trans cars single wire that lighted up the shifter bezel PRN123 selector.
-
There was a wire plug used on auto trans cars single wire that lighted up the shifter bezel PRN123 selector.
I was under the impression that no Boss 302's came with automatic transmissions. Is this incorrect?
-
your impression is correct.....auto would defeat the performance style/image.
-
same wiring harness ford never made auto and manual separate wiring harness as the 4 post square plug is the same but the plug in wiring harness to trans are different but auto uses a separate single wire that plugs into 1 of them plugs that routes to auto shifter bezel bulb to light it up.