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And than there was none! Help!!

ltatro

Jr. Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Messages
129
Loc.
Michigan
I'm in the process of pulling my motor out of the 73 ranger. I have everything off the motor and was removing one of the trans cooling lines when it sparked against the frame??? Now the battery is still connected (so I can listen to the radio) but the key was not on (ignition). It was a small spark but I'm wondering what I srewed up. Now nothing works, no radio, no lights, etc. Turn the key on ACC or On and nothing. I checked fuses OK, battery is fully charged, I'm totally lost. Starter is out but battery still grounded to block. I need some tech help!! Any help would be GREATLY APPRECIATED, I'm no electrican. Did I fry something?
 

El Jefe

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 20, 2002
Messages
1,166
checked your fusible links? voltage regulator? that's where i'd start - and i'm no electrician either!!
 
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ltatro

Jr. Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Messages
129
Loc.
Michigan
guessing game begins

I'll start tomorrow with the voltage regulator. My problem is I don't know how to check something like that other than to replace it with a new one. Everything worked earlier tonight, I was listening to the CD player etc. The only things I did was remove the exhaust manifolds, motor mount bolts, trans lines, etc. The only thing electrical I even came close to was the neutral safety switch which I think doesn't even work. Its still attached to the trans, but I removed the kickdown shaft, etc. Could that switch have shorted? Thanks for the reply
 

El Jefe

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 20, 2002
Messages
1,166
beats me. Althought i'll say one thing: Step #1 in almost any repair procedure calls for disconnecting the battery!! now you know why!!

p.s. get a boom box once you find the electrical gremlin!
 

390

New Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2003
Messages
29
Loc.
Charleston, SC
Is your body still grounded to the block? You said that you removed bolts from the motor mounts. Was there a ground under one of them? Maybe it was somewhere else laying against metal on one end and you moved it when you were working. Not sure if this helps. I'll keep thinking about it.
 

Bronconut

Full Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2002
Messages
278
Sounds to me like you lost your ground when you took out the motor mount bolts. Think about it... Battery grounded to engine block; remove bolts from mounts(connection to frame for ground) because rear of tranny is isolated with bushings. Now the link for ground from battery through engine/tranny to frame has become your tranny cooler lines.

Sounds like you may not have/ have a bad ground from battery to frame except for engine ground. Try running a wire from battery negative to a good spot on the body sheetmetal. This may find your problem.

If all this fails you may have blown your fusible link (part of the wire from battery to fuse block up near the starter solenoid)..

Sorry so long, but these things are hard to explain in words..
 
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ltatro

Jr. Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Messages
129
Loc.
Michigan
makes sense

I thought about the motor mount bolts also, that would make some since. I suprised that there was no gounding strap on the motor to the body. The mounting bolts were the last things I did for the evening and it was shortly after that my problem occurred. So the attached trans line (driveshafts removed) acted as the ground when it touched the front crossover. Man I hope that's it, maybe I'll put the bolts back on the mounts and see what happens. Thanks for the help, I'll let you know what happens.
 
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ltatro

Jr. Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Messages
129
Loc.
Michigan
gertting closer

I reattached the motor mount bolts, still nothing, but I'm pretty sure that's what it was. Where do I look for this fusable link? Do I have to replace a wire? Are you talking about the starter relay located next to the battery? Sorry for so many questions, any help is much appreciated. Thanks, and I promise to disconnect the battery from now on!!
 

Skuzzlebutt

PhD, Dr. of Broncology
Joined
May 26, 2001
Messages
4,393
Loc.
Honeymoon Bay
A fusable link is a stretch of wire the burns out like a fuse, and then needs to be replaced. You might not have one. I don't know what year they started using them on Broncos, it wasn't in the '60s.
It does sound like your problem tho. I'm guessing you bumped the BAT wire on the alternator with the cooler line. Just making or breaking the ground wouldn't cause a noticable spark if nothing was turned on.

Have you tried using a piec of wire from the neg bat post to the body for a temporary ground? A foot of 14ga would be enough to test if that's the problem, just for testing the radio.
 

390

New Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2003
Messages
29
Loc.
Charleston, SC
Wire diagram...

Hi Itatro, I suggested that ground issue because it has caused me problems on more than one vehicle. I remembered seeing these diagrams when looking through the links http://www.bronco.com/graphics/diagrams/7374wd1.gif
you should recognize a fusible link because it unplugs from a length of wire for what looks like no reason. It shows one between the starter relay and the volt reg, maybe black w/red stripe. Let me know. Happy Holidays, Scott.
ps you can't always tell by looking if it burned out. If you test it with a length of wire be careful that the problem that caused the link to fail is cured or you could burn out whatever component the link is there to protect... ie the VR. It is best to test the Link with an ohmeter. SSL just this is important.
 

BoltBuster

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jun 5, 2002
Messages
2,051
Sounds like a fuse-able link(looks like a wire but its not) most likely

Sometimes connected at the alternator most times in the connections next to the battery on the positive and only checked with a meter because you cant tell its blown because the insulation is still there.

Start at the battery and see if you have your 12 to 13v then move to the next connection.
 
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ltatro

Jr. Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Messages
129
Loc.
Michigan
gremlins

Thanks for all the advice, had to go X-mas shopping with the wife today, will start checking wires tomorrow, will let you know, thanks for all the help!!! This website is awesome.
 
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ltatro

Jr. Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Messages
129
Loc.
Michigan
can't wait

heck I can't wait until tomorrow, I won't sleep. Now mind you , I'm not an electrician. I found the fuse link. I have 12 volts at the battery, 12 volts at the starter relay. I pulled the tape off the wires back along the line to where the fuse link is connected to all the other wires by means of some kind of plastic block. How and where do I check the fuse link at that connection without cutting into the wires?
 
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ltatro

Jr. Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Messages
129
Loc.
Michigan
progress a a snails pace

Will, I think I'm making some headway, at least eliminating some things. I checked the fuse link for continuity from the starter relay to the Voltage Regulator and it appears to be OK, I checked the slot on the voltage regulator where it looks like the solid yellow wire is attached. Any ideas on how to check from the VR to the fuse box? I think that's the next step. Also Bronconut and Skuzzlebutt, I tried the ground from the battery (neg) to the body, still nothing, Thanks, Tater
 
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ltatro

Jr. Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Messages
129
Loc.
Michigan
One for the books

OK, Here's one for the books!! I was still poking around when I decided to check ground between engine and front frame cross over. When I touched the meter to the crank snout and then to the front crossover it about jumped out of my hands!! WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON! I have power running everywhere! Nothing touching anywhere as I isolated all the electrical leads, taped them, etc. I decided to backtrack. I put my front driveshaft back on, connected the battery, and what do ya know, I had lights, radio, etc. I still show a small current between the crank snout and frame but I figure once the rest of the drive train is assembled it will be totally grounded. Must be that the drivetrain acts as the ground? Does this make any sense? Anyways, I'M DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY until I'm done with the new motor and installation, I'm asking Santa for a "boombox" (gotta have AC/DC blaring in the garage). Thanks for everyones help and support, I owe you guys! Thanks, Tater
 

BoltBuster

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jun 5, 2002
Messages
2,051
You have a bad ground some where or one that needs to be cleaned or added.Since you were completing the circuit through a drive shaft.

Make sure you have a ground from body to engine Block and Block to Battery. Alot of times you will see a Flat Braided or Insulated wire at the rear of the block on top to the fire wall for the body to engine ground and the battery to the bottom of the engine block

Make sure the surfaces are unpainted where the connection is being made and clean and tight within reason, Not Gov.Arnold tight.

My Dad rebuilt a VW Tranny, painted and put it back into the bug, it wouldn't start and drove him crazy. I came over wire brushed a 1/4 inch spot under the connection to the ground and it started right up. I told dad hes 2 days from assisted living =D
 
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ltatro

Jr. Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Messages
129
Loc.
Michigan
one to add

There was no motor to body ground, just battery to engine block. I will add the ground strap from the 5.0 motor, attached at back of block to the firewall, does that sound OK for the second ground? Thanks, Tater
 

Skuzzlebutt

PhD, Dr. of Broncology
Joined
May 26, 2001
Messages
4,393
Loc.
Honeymoon Bay
That's how they came from the factory, with just one ground to the block and then thru the drivetrain to the frame and body. Alot of people add a second or third ground strap but it usually isn't necessary.
 
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ltatro

Jr. Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Messages
129
Loc.
Michigan
Thanks

Thanks for the help Skuzzelbutt, I was sure relieved to get things back the way they were, you always think the worse.
 
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