Rear license plate light wire removal

[D-Maxx]

I am doing the disassembly on a 1972 Mach 1. I have removed the rear bumper (Ugh. 42 years of rust) and the rear license plate light housing is next. Obviously the wire must be removed to release the light housing. The wire goes into the socket on one end and into the rear trunk harness on the other. It passes through the rear panel in its routing. I have attached a pic with blue arrows showing the body penetration on both sides.

What is the proper way to remove this wiring? One would think there is a quick connect or spade terminal somewhere that will pass though the body penetration. In the trunk, just before the wire goes into the harness (contained in a split plastic conduit?), there is what appears to be a shrink tube encased butt splice but I am not sure. It feels hard and brittle but that could be from age. How should I approach this given a new harness is not available to my knowledge.

 

[jeff8877]

Try heating the rubber bushing up with a hair dryer and then push through with screw driver or small punch. They get hard over the years and the heat seems to soften them enough to push through. Good luck!

 

[MechEng]

There is definitely a disconnect right there in the harness (at least there was on my 73) I just pulled this apart a few weeks ago. I'll try and snap a picture when I get home this evening

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[D-Maxx]

Try heating the rubber bushing up with a hair dryer and then push through with screw driver or small punch. They get hard over the years and the heat seems to soften them enough to push through. Good luck!

I am not struggling with getting the body grommet out. I can see how I may have misled you. I just want to remove an electrical connection so I can pull the wire and grommet out together. It looks like the wire is soldered to the lamp assembly so the lamp assembly will not fit through the hole. Something has to be removable on the wire side that will fit through the hole in the body (where the grommet is now). Otherwise, you would have to cut the wire to get it out.

 

[jeff8877]

Yes, there is a disconnect for it. You can just pull the plastic harness protector apart to get at it. Then push through tail light panel like I said.

Jeff

There is definitely a disconnect right there in the harness (at least there was on my 73) I just pulled this apart a few weeks ago. I'll try and snap a picture when I get home this evening

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[OLE PONY]

Seems like I recall spraying silicone on both sides of the grommet and pushed around the edge of the grommet with the blunt end of a chop stick.

 

[midlife]

Definitely a bullet disconnect on the interior side of the grommet. Check in and around the fuel inlet line; perhaps behind the support bracket.

 

[imusa76]

there should be a bullet type connector and then pop out the rubber grommet, if its soldered you might have to cut the wire then when you reinstall it add a connector.

 

[D-Maxx]

Definitely a bullet disconnect on the interior side of the grommet. Check in and around the fuel inlet line; perhaps behind the support bracket.

Sorry Midlife, I was momentarily distracted by pic in your signature. Lol. Aha! Got it everyone. What I thought was a butt splice or 40 year old pice of brittle pice of shrink tubing was indeed a "bullet" connector. I found one of these in the quarter recess of the trunk and it snapped and turned to powder when I pulled on it so I did not think it was a connector. The license plate lamp connector came apart just fine.

I am so glad I can laugh at myself guys. As an electronics engineer and someone who has wrenched his whole life - I have never run into one of these. The more I learn the more I realize I know so little. Thanks everyone for the help.

This is why I came to this site. Booya! Thank you Jeff, Mech, Ole Pony, Midlife and Imusa.