Back up light wires for 3speed Hurst?

[Shimmy]

my back up lights have never worked. a few years ago i learned that my car was originally an auto converted to a 3speed on the floor hurst shifter. i'm finally getting around to installing the back up switch on the hurst shifter. since this bronco started as an auto, i could use some advice on what wires i need to connect, colors of wires and where.

 

[serial car restorer]

As far as I can tell, all Bronco backup light switches were in the engine compartment near the firewall at the base of the steering column where the shift linkage came out of the column. Not sure on wire colors for the '77, but earlier years had a pair of black with red tracers.

 

[Shimmy]

As far as I can tell, all Bronco backup light switches were in the engine compartment near the firewall at the base of the steering column where the shift linkage came out of the column. Not sure on wire colors for the '77, but earlier years had a pair of black with red tracers.

and then those wires connected to the neutral switch on the c4? i think that's where i'm stumped? trying to find what wires those are for a 77

 

[Oldtimer]

There should be a square 4 contact connector on firewall near drivers side head (I think). Two contacts are for neutral safety switch, and two are for reverse light switch.

 

[Oldtimer]

Connector C-222:

Looks like this:

Thanks Meddle

 

[Shimmy]

Thanks! so i just need to locate this 4 connector plug and connect with the reverse light wires on there? i dont recall seeing this plug... i'll go check this morning.

edit:
i'm not finding a 4pin connector of sorts but i do see this. the red wire is going to the rear tailights. the yellow with purple was just cut and bundled in the harness. the yellow with a lighter purplish/pink was previously used for the electric fuel selector valve (not using it anymore since i removed the aux tank).

 

[Shimmy]

since i can't find the 4pin plug, given this bronco has been like this for who knows how long... i should be now looking for two red/blue strip wires that are spliced together (NSS)? and trying the other two which would be for the reverse lights?

 

[serial car restorer]

Hard to say what someone may have done when the transmission was swapped. I'd look for the two black w/red stripe wires instead. Those should be your backup light wires. One should be hot with the ignition on, the other will go to the backup lights.

 

[Shimmy]

this gets better... i traced the BU wire back thru the firewall and still couldn't find the plug... get further and its spliced into the aftermarket radio the previous owner installed. WTH?

 

[serial car restorer]

Stuff happens over the 40-some years of the rig's life...

 

[DirtDonk]

Thanks! so i just need to locate this 4 connector plug and connect with the reverse light wires on there? i dont recall seeing this plug... i'll go check this morning.

You’re 77 should definitely have that plug. Most 77s had an automatic transmission to begin with, but even the ones with manual transmissions would’ve still had that plug. The harness was the same.
In theory…

i'm not finding a 4pin connector of sorts but i do see this.

Strange. I wouldn’t have expected to find that older style of a connector on a 77.
What month was yours built? By any chance was it very late?

the red wire is going to the rear tailights.

I’m guessing that’s not a factory wire.

the yellow with purple was just cut and bundled in the harness. the yellow with a lighter purplish/pink was previously used for the electric fuel selector valve (not using it anymore since i removed the aux tank).

Don’t recognize any of those colors. Possibly they’re faded or changed with age. I’ll have to look at a 77 diagram again just to refresh my memory.

 

[Shimmy]

You’re 77 should definitely have that plug. Most 77s had an automatic transmission to begin with, but even the ones with manual transmissions would’ve still had that plug. The harness was the same.
In theory…

Strange. I wouldn’t have expected to find that older style of a connector on a 77.
What month was yours built? By any chance was it very late?

I’m guessing that’s not a factory wire.

Don’t recognize any of those colors. Possibly they’re faded or changed with age. I’ll have to look at a 77 diagram again just to refresh my memory.

yah, i'm thinking it was cut when when the conversion happened?

built in June of 77.

The wiring was worn off in the pic I posted. they're purple with silver wires and then a black with red stripe that goes back to the rear tailight harness. the purple/silver wire is for the brake warning switch? I should trace that and see where it goes. i've noticed my brake warning light never illuminated.

 

[DirtDonk]

Might as well trace them all.
The brake warning lamp wire (should be two of them, unless they changed for '77) would run up to the switch on the frame mounted combination valve. It's mounted to a bracket on the frame, near the fender/fuel pump area, and should be readily visible by following the lines from the master cylinder directly down to the combination (proportioning) valve.

The Black w/red wire is the one we're interested in now. Follow it up as far as you can and find out where it terminates outside of the main harness. If it's been cut off, you can still utilize it by splicing more wire to it, and finding a good 12v ACC source that's ON with the key.
Tie the power to one side of your switch on the shifter, and the Black w/red wire to the other. Voila! Backup lamps!

Paul

 

[Shimmy]

Might as well trace them all.
The brake warning lamp wire (should be two of them, unless they changed for '77) would run up to the switch on the frame mounted combination valve. It's mounted to a bracket on the frame, near the fender/fuel pump area, and should be readily visible by following the lines from the master cylinder directly down to the combination (proportioning) valve.

The Black w/red wire is the one we're interested in now. Follow it up as far as you can and find out where it terminates outside of the main harness. If it's been cut off, you can still utilize it by splicing more wire to it, and finding a good 12v ACC source that's ON with the key.
Tie the power to one side of your switch on the shifter, and the Black w/red wire to the other. Voila! Backup lamps!

Paul

i'm at the point where i may wire a separate line for the reverse lights and tie them to aux lights i use for my awning. my plan was to replace the harness in a couple years, so i'd toss this all out then. i'm a bit meticulous so this weekend i'll dig into it further. some of these wires appear to be brittle and i dont want to move them around too much.

 

[Speedrdr]

If it’s a manual transmission there is a reverse light switch on the shift linkage on the column under the hood. At least that’s where it is on my 77 (built January of 77). Don’t know what the connection plug looks like though as it has gone the way of the Dodo. Lol

 

[Glass Pony]

Is the neutral safety switch still on the C-4 transmission? When I switched to an aftermarket shifter (Art Carr) I had to lose the stock NSS and rig up the back up lights and safety switch a different way.

 

[Shimmy]

If it’s a manual transmission there is a reverse light switch on the shift linkage on the column under the hood. At least that’s where it is on my 77 (built January of 77). Don’t know what the connection plug looks like though as it has gone the way of the Dodo. Lol

yah the plug is now where to be seen. i redid my entire steering last year and never saw it then either.

Is the neutral safety switch still on the C-4 transmission? When I switched to an aftermarket shifter (Art Carr) I had to lose the stock NSS and rig up the back up lights and safety switch a different way.

the c4 is long gone as i believe the original owner is the one who did the manual conversion.

i ended up wiring my own setup using a fog light wiring kit from amazon, then wiring it to a hurst back up switch. it'll work for now. i plan to replace this original wire harness in a year or so and i'll address it properly then. for now i have back up lights!