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Small Electrical Fire, No Bueno...

MD69Boss

Suspected Troll
So....on my way to the Knotts show, about 20 miles from home, I heard what I thought, at the time, was the heater blower motor come on, only it sounded really loud. It was hard to discern , as the sound of the Boss motor turning at 3k rpms kinda masked the sound, making it difficult to determine exactly what the sound actually was with any certainty. In hind sight, the sound was not the heater, rather I believe it was the starter spinning. I also catch a faint smell of something burning and as I slow to catch the upcoming exit. I then see faint smoke coming from underhood, immediately following the engine dies, but the starter is still spinning like crazy, really loud! Luckily I was able to coast to a stop in a park and ride lot just off the freeway.
The sound I had initially thought was the fan blower, I now am almost certain it was the starter spinning but the engagement piston to turn the fly wheel wasn't engaged!
So I grab a wrench from the trunk and take off the neg battery cable and listen to the fan starter slow itself to a stop. From just in front of the passenger headlight bucket, I look down and see where a small fire has partially consumed the junction where the alt wiring harness meets the main headlamp harness, (see photo below). I couldn't have been more bummed as over the previous week I had put about 100 miles on the Boss in anticipation of this weekend trip.
Anyhow, I ended up carpooling with my brother in his 67 GT 390 fastback to the Knotts show after flat bedding the Boss back home.
Tomorrow evening I am going to begin investigating, in earnest, the cause of the issue, so I can address that first, before replacing the wiring harnesses...
Right now, in talking through the scenario with my brother over the course of a round trip run to LA, I am thinking that the starter solenoid may have shorted... but why??
Was it the 20 minutes idling in stopped traffic 15 min before things went south?
Was it the very recently replaced voltage regulator? I had about 75 'test' miles on it after installing... hmmm, again, no bueno...

imageele.jpg
 
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:hide
You were good to realize, not pull over and limit the damage "only" this point.
How scary ..
:hide

Your electrical system was new? OEM?
 
The only new component is the voltage regulator, but I have driven the car between 75 and 100 miles before the trip with the new v/r and had no issues.
The rest of the wiring harnesses and elec system are OEM, 'cept for the starter which I replaced a couple of years ago...
 
Sounds like a stuck solenoid. Make sure there is not a problem in the ignition switch/wiring that commanded the starter on as well.
 
"Sluggo" said:
Sounds like a stuck solenoid. Make sure there is not a problem in the ignition switch/wiring that commanded the starter on as well.

Not sure... did the solenoid short because of a short in the headlamp wiring loom, or vice versa...
I am trying to get into it tonight, but right now I am thinking one of those components, solenoid, alt or starter may have caused the short.
As the loom in question is OEM, (READ: 45 years old), it may be that the short was just inevitable, and exacerbated by the extended idling period...
 
Sounds like a freshly smoked Salmon get together session while trying to figure this out, may be in order. Just sayin'
 
So, as an update, I have removed almost all of the under hood wiring from the car, as well as starter, alternator and starter relay.
The solenoid and starter both bench tested fine, I am taking the alt to be tested this week too, (looking for recommendations on a quality chrome alternator too, btw).
All teh teeth on the starter bendix have been sheered off by the flywheel ring gear, but the ring gear is fine!
As such have ordered an NOS bendix drive and will be swapping later this week as well.

img0848xhb.jpg


Waiting on a source for an NOS 69 headlamp and alternator wiring harness as well...

I figured since I am poking around underhood I might as well replace the intake manifold with the one I have on the bench to address a coolant leak, and remove all front end accessories so that I can repaint the stained front of the block, stained from the leaking thermostat housing to manifold leak...
 
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Ahhh...the "while I'm at its"...

On the good side it happened relatively close to home. Nice to meet you and your brother at Knotts.....now get that 69 back together so we can go on some cruises. :thu
 
"KBMWRS" said:
Ahhh...the "while I'm at its"...

On the good side it happened relatively close to home. Nice to meet you and your brother at Knotts.....now get that 69 back together so we can go on some cruises. :thu

This hobby is predicated on the 'while I'm at it mentality, no?
Was great meeting you too, Mike, if my brother had slightly better short term memory, we'd have joined you for the photo on Sunday!
 
you are lucky that the wiring didn't caught fire !!!

just take electrical issius very seriously !!! :no :no

check and double check everything because next time could be dissastrious.
 
"B67FSTB" said:
you are lucky that the wiring didn't caught fire !!!

just take electrical issius very seriously !!! :no :no

check and double check everything because next time could be dissastrious.

Indeed, and thanks...
 
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