Wiring The 66 Beach Cruiser

Been replacing both sides of my engine harness in my 66 with new wires, same color and guage as original. Getting bigger Gauge size for some like the Ignition wire. Trying to upgrade that whole wiring area. It all started with a short. My horn blasting nonstop and me disconnecting it and my van dieing on me on the road when I finally got her started made me look for a short. Found it. It was the pink ignition wire. most of the part that melted was the dash side. It was never connected through the harness connection, but by being twisted with another wire and covered with black tape which then went to the R in the starter. Figured out there is originally supposed to be a resistor wire hidden some where. Well, the wire that was there wasn't the original, and hence mostlikely not a resistance wire. Looking at the diagram I followed how everythng should be. The only thing ommited from the diagram are the backup lights that are included also in the harness. After replacing the wires all that is left is the issue of the no more resistance wire. Did First Generations have a resistance wire at the engine? In the book it shows a resistance wire in the brown accessorie wire under the dash. Its funny that it doesn't show anything in the diagram. For the Ignition wire at the engine side, A ballast reisistor I bought is an option. After some help from some fellow vanners and studying I finally understand the voltage resistance needed to feed the coil and also the importance of bypassing the resistance for startups... Anyways, I found a 2nd generation at the Junk Yard and went through the engine harness to find the resistance wire and there it was. I took it completely. Will this wire be the same for the 1st generation? ( is it the same resistance necessary?). Is it better to use the resistance wire or ballast resistor? Now that I'm upgrading do I fuse anything differently on the dash or engine side? I was just going to replace the pink ignition wire but I ended up going back and forth replacing everything in the way.


The new wires are being routed before taping them up to look like a true harness


This is the ignition wire that shorted from the engine harness connection up to under the dash


This is how ugly it looked under there.

The first gens had a resistance wire that ran from the coil to that burned out harness connector your showing. the wire or the ballast will do the same job.
I cant think of any "resistance" wires under the dash. you can run directly from the ballast output to the coil. I dont know if there are any advantages to either way on the coil feed. The biggest heat maker through the harness should be the red dash feed. This is an area where Don has the best know how on fusible links and such. I just reccomend using relayed fused sub systems if you add high draw accessories.

I think I'm gonna go ahead and install that resistance wire into the harness then. Can't wait, to get the harness complete. I'ts weird, but its kind of exciting. I did go back to the junk yard again where the 2nd generation was and I did find the same brown with white stripe accessorie wire in that van that was also in my first generation. I also took that one complete as a spare. It wasn't covered in fabric type insulation like the engine resistance wire but if you look at the ends it is only a single silver type of wire coming out of it. Its different than the other wires in that it doesn't have several strands of copper wires coming out of it but just the one. In the diagram it doesnt show any of the resistance wires but earlier in the van supplement book it shows a resistance wire for the accessorie between the ignition switch and the gen light connection. It was either on igniton or starting systems section.

The GEN light and resistor is so that when you turn the engine off, it will turn off. Otherwise, the charging system will feed the ignition and the engine keeps running.

Hopefully I have time to put the resistance wire in today and fit everything in place. I do want to upgrade distributitor and get rid of points and upgrade to alternator but for now I'm leaving it stock till I get some money together. When I do, what did you mean by needing a resistor i the #1 terminal line if converting to a 3 wire internal regulator alternator? Terminal on where, the alternator? ...and when converting to upgraded Distributor and alternator what are the best choices and fit for our vans if you could post them?

Does anybody know how many Ohms of resistance the Gen Light needs to keep the engine from running on? Thanks!!!

Hey ChevyVanMan1, on the Chevy van shop manual Supplement under engine ellectrical it says that the field circuit resistance wire (connected to the ignition switch "ACC" terminal) is rated at 10 ohms, 6.25 watts minimum.

does anybody have a printable 64 wiring diagram, thanks

Hey Back to the woods, pm me your email addy and I can send you phone pics of my manual....its dated 1963, "chevy van shop manual supplement" must be fer 64

those are nice !!

Maybe this will help......

Dan

got it dan, thanks guys