Ignition switch harness busted

[Devin]

Well, my heater core replacement ended prematurely in disaster. The guide I was sort of following said to remove the ignition switch harness. I went to take off the 7mm bolt and just got some crunching noises and the bolt fell out of the harness connector ringed by some now-destroyed plastic. So now I'm guessing I need another one, and I'll have to rein it from the donor harness to mine.

Before I do that though, it thought of trying to epoxy the ring of plastic back into the harness connector. Anyone have to do something similar? I'm all ears for suggestions.

 

[NoSlo]

Here's your heater core guide with pictures, BTW:

https://web.archive.org/web/2013101...ophoenixproject.com/heatercore/heatercore.htm

The bolt should be like those in the CCRM and ECU harness, it stays in the harness connector but spins freely, and unbolting it may help pull the connector out for you, but you should also be wiggling and pulling the connector a bit at a time yourself as you undo or refasten the bolt.

It looks like the harness plastic broke instead of doing all the work for you. Now you've got to pry the connector out with a couple screwdrivers or chisels.

Does the bolt spin freely in the black plastic that's in the picture? Nobody else tried to glue it and glued the bolt solid? That's going to be your challenge, to glue the plastic back into the harness connector without getting glue on the bolt or on the plug mating surface also.

Best repair method would be JB-Weld plastic, or epoxy for plastic. Remove the retaining clip and the bolt from the plastic you've got, apply a bit of epoxy to the middle of the piece you've got in your hand, and also the inside of the connector with a small screwdriver, and push or clamp the piece back in to the harness connector in the same orientation as it broke. Quickly clean any excess glue from the bolt and retainer surfaces, and allow to dry for the days this project will take.


You can also just not use the bolt as a backup if the harness is near impossible to unplug anyway.

 

[Devin]

The retaining ring is what did it. The thing was immobile in the plastic until I cut off the ring. I think it migrated from the channel directly above the threads and lodged against the plastic body making the bolt immobile. Thus the damage. I'm going to see if this can be JB'd.

 

[Devin]

Nope. The entire harness is junk.

 

[NoSlo]

Fortunately, they make a pigtail repair kit for the plug; you don't even need to hit a junkyard.

Aftermarket: Standard Motor Products S-713:
https://www.amazon.com/Standard-Motor-Products-S713-Pigtail/dp/B000C7ZVCS

OEM:
Motorcraft WPT475 Ignition Switch Connector
3U2Z-14S411-NJA


better:
OEM (pick out or break out the individual pins and swap to new plastic housing): $3.07 from fordpartsgiant

ebay pic below, F2AZ-14489-W:

 

[Devin]

That's great. Just ordered one from Rock Auto.