Engine Compartment Wire Connector Problem

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jimrob
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Joined: Wed Mar 22, 2017 5:21 pm

Engine Compartment Wire Connector Problem

Post by jimrob »

The wire connector in the engine compartment of my 1964 Monza has two rows of 4 connectors. All of the electrical diagrams that I find for 1964 'vairs show the connector to have two rows of 5 connectors. Therefore I cannot find a wiring diagram that matches my car. I need help from someone to make sure I am doing the wiring correctly. The generator has been removed and replaced with an alternator.
:think:
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bbodie52
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Re: Engine Compartment Wire Connector Problem

Post by bbodie52 »

CORVAIR COMBINED WIRING SCHEMATIC DIAGRAMS
:link: viewtopic.php?f=225&t=12968

The link above may be of some help to you. Several months ago I did some work to combine the Corvair schematics in each of the shop manuals and supplements into single diagrams for each model year. The diagrams allow you to trace circuits from end to end without having to change pages. To some extent this makes it easier to visualize an entire circuit without having to constantly flip back and forth between pages. I also created modified schematics for 1962, 1963, and 1964 Corvairs that depict the wiring modifications necessary when an alternator replaces the generator. These diagrams depict only the configuration needed when using an alternator with a separate external voltage regulator (as in the 1965 Corvair alternator configuration). I did not attempt to redraw the diagrams using alternators that contain integrated solid-state voltage regulators.

The 1964 diagram utilizes a 10 pin multi-connector, while the 1963 and 1962 diagrams utilize an eight pin multi-connector. For some reason it appears that your 1964 Corvair is utilizing a 1963 wiring harness configuration. It may be necessary for you to do some comparisons between the 1964 and 1963 schematics to see which one most closely matches your actual configuration. There are instances when production changes that are depicted in the shop manuals do not exactly follow actual production. For example, the distributor design utilized in 1960 and 1961 was changed in 1962. But some late 1961 Corvairs may have picked up the 1962 distributor during production. Similar transitions in Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) systems began to be phased in during the 1963 production year. Further changes were made in the 1964 production year, but the actual hardware that was installed in each car may not have tracked exactly from one model year to the changeover in the next model year. This may explain why your 1964 Corvair may possibly have left the production line with the 1963 wiring harness. There is also a possibility that a previous owner may have substituted in 1963 harness into your 1964. The term "Frankenstein" has often been applied to Corvairs as components migrate between the various model years. I can only suggest that you make use of the diagrams that I have posted to compare the actual wiring and color codes found in your car with the published diagrams for 1963 and 1964 vehicles to determine exactly what you are working with.

If your alternator installation makes use of an external voltage regulator, the diagrams I modified may be of help. If your alternator contains an integrated voltage regulator you will have to analyze the wiring to determine how the interface was made to eliminate the old generator and external voltage regulator while integrating into the original factory wiring harness.

If you have any questions that develop as you compare the diagrams with your actual car, please let us know here on the Corvair Forum what you discover.

If you can post close-up pictures of your VIN tag (driver side door frame) and Body Tag (attached to the engine compartment perimeter frame) I can decode them for you to try to determine more about the nature of your car's production. An overall picture of the engine compartment and perhaps a picture of your alternator wiring connections may also reveal some clues.
:dontknow:
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
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