Two Unrelated Questions

[Threehz]

First question is about my alternator, I have no clue if it works, the car is a 77 sat for 8 years I have the alternator off and have cleaned the outside, but I'm wondering while it is off should I take it apart and clean the entire thing?

Second question which is totally unrelated but none the less electrical in nature. I have almost everything out of my engine bay right now in preparation for being painted. The main thing that is left is the wiring harness.. Is there anyway to "easily" remove this? I see cars that have just been painted without it so I know it can be done but how exactly do you remove it?

Along with that I only want to remove the wiring harness from the engine bay if possible, as in it enters from one side of the firewall and goes back into the other side wrapping itself around the entire engine bay.

Thanks!

[5thhorsemann]

Take the alt to an auto parts store and have it tested, I wouldnt take it apart, just blow it out with high pressure air.

As for the harness, I pull the gromets back into the cabin and bag and mask the harness and suspend the bag between the strut towers and paint around it, just my 2 cents.

[Threehz]

So you're saying pull the whole harness back into the cabin through the firewall as much as possible? That sounds like a good idea to me. As for the alternator I thought I remembered a local auto store doing alt tests and was wondering if they could test it out of the car, but if so then I will definitely do that, thanks again!

[Willoughby Z]

So you're saying pull the whole harness back into the cabin through the firewall as much as possible?

No,'5th' said: "As for the harness, I pull the gromets back into the cabin and bag and mask the harness and suspend the bag between the strut towers and paint around it, just my 2 cents."

By pushing/pulling grommets so that they are inside the cabin, the firewall can be painted 100% around the edges that would have been covered by rubber. Mask and suspend the harness/wires in the center of every hole-a little bit of puppetry- I've used a very stiff, thin rod across strut tower, as 5th said, with strings supporting/tugging/suspending the masked/taped wires and harness.

BTW, I find masking wires with painters tape works a lot better if you run the tape along the length-don't spiral!. Takes forever to remove!

Edited August 4, 2011 by Arne
Quote cleanup

[FastWoman]

If you get paint on the harness, just re-wrap it. Black electrical tape. Go crazy!

[Threehz]

Yeah I don't mind painting the harness too much haha just wanted to get it as much out of the way as possible. Masking tape on the hardness lengthwise sounds like a good plan, and I was planning on taking it down to maaco or some cheap shop like that to have it painted, think I should just talk to them about how they want it prepared?

[Arne]

To me, the engine harness on a 240Z isn't that hard to remove completely. It all just unplugs from the dash and body harnesses inside the car, under the glovebox. The hardest part is marking all the connectors and wires so that you can get them plugged back into the correct connectors when you reassemble. And even that isn't all that bad, the major connections are only one of a type to make it harder to mis-connect.

[alternativez]

Side note: Hockey stick tape is also great for wrapping wiring because it is cloth, black, wide, strong, cheap, flexible, easy to find, and matches most auto wiring tape really closely.

[Arne]

Side note: Hockey stick tape is also great for wrapping wiring because it is cloth, black, wide, strong, cheap, flexible, easy to find, and matches most auto wiring tape really closely.

Hockey? In Oregon? Whuzzat?

[Threehz]

Yeah I was thinking that once I take the dash off I could just unplug the wiring harness and remove it, my only concern was it wrapping around and connecting to the back of the vehicle as well because I would not want to pull the entire thing out, just from the engine bay.

[Arne]

Engine bay part is totally separate from the dash and rear harnesses. Can be removed separately. Just be sure you mark what goes where.

[Threehz]

Well that is exactly what I've been wanting to know thank you! I have everything disconnected and labeled on the engine bay end, just need to pull the dash now and jump from the frying pan into the fire

...And, took the alternator to the auto store across the street to have it tested, works like a charm! These Z's are some strong little monsters!