Topic: Ford Wire Terminals & Connectors

[66SevenLitre]

I didn't see anything on this already, so I thought I'd start a thread on Ford wire terminals and connectors.  I'll start with the different connectors as listed by the 1965-72 Ford MPC.  I've attached pictures which show Types 1-64. 

Idea is to help fellow Ford friends identify the proper terminals and in time, identify which are being reproduced as well as techniques to restore current ones. 

[midlife]

There are others that are not listed, for example the brake switch connector and pins.  Type 64 is a real bear to remove pins (1970 ignition switch). 

[66SevenLitre]

Thanks for the input.  If you have more info on the connector types, please share.  Idea is to document for everyone and make this something of a reference thread. 

Here are pictures of single wire connectors taken from a 1966 Galaxie harness.  Ford used the same connectors all cars. 

[66SevenLitre]

Here are some more ...

[66SevenLitre]

Yet more ...

[66SevenLitre]

Here are single-wire connectors from wire harnesses

[krelboyne]

Midlife is correct, there are a lot more common male and female plugs and connectors not shown.
My company lists scores of used wiring pigtails and wiring plug connectors with specific plug and wire colors. Our listings are geared towards specific Cougar harness repairs, but they are just OEM factory Ford plugs and wires.

[66SevenLitre]

Thanks for the input.  If you want to share more about them, please post up.  Trying to create something of a repository here. 

Meanwhile, here are pictures of three different types of terminals.

[midlife]

Never seen heat shrinking at connectors from Ford; doesn't mean they don't exist, but they are certainly not common. 
Some observations: most ring connectors without molding on them are ground connectors.  Any spade connector that has exposed metal is a grounding connector. 
There are at least 2 sizes of bullet connectors: one of which is very common and is compatible with standard trailer connectors.  Somewhat smaller sized female and male bullet connectors seem to be associated with the green/yellow fused power and blue/black courtesy light power lines, particularly in the door jamb areas. 

Most pins are still available; I've yet to find a good source for the larger ignition plug pins (70 and up), the 90* female spade pins (e.g. the brake switch pins), and there's no source for the 3 pin left side door jamb socket (70 on up).  I finally found a source for the dash cluster pins (69 on up).  Single molded bullet plugs with correct wire colors and molding can only be harvested from OEM harnesses. 

It would take me a good week to catalog and picture every type of pin and socket I've run across...

[J_Speegle]

.............Ford used the same connectors all cars.

Would not assume that as a fact. Plus your statement covers allot of years

You'll find is exacting and specific here.... because we have to be 

[jwc66k]

Never seen heat shrinking at connectors from Ford; doesn't mean they don't exist, but they are certainly not common. 

Agree. I think shrink tubing appeared in 1962, 63 or 64. It was too new to be adopted by Ford in that time frame.

Any spade connector that has exposed metal is a grounding connector. 

I cannot remember any 65 or 66 Mustang with a spade lug. There are ring lugs with internal teeth used as grounds, the dash comes to mind.

There are at least 2 sizes of bullet connectors: one of which is very common and is compatible with standard trailer connectors. 

The two common sizes are 0.156 in dia and 0.187 in dia, the latter being very common on 65 and 66 Mustangs, and thru 73 on most connectors. It seems that the Ford standard was the 0.187 in dia, GM and Mopar cars of the era used the 0.156 dia pins. I base that on a GM heater blower motor that "appeared" in my junk pile.
A smaller pin, I estimate it at 0.050 in dia and being solid, seems to have been used on door jam switches after 1967.
Multi-pin connectors are an entirely different story. A smaller pin/socket was used to make the connector blocks themselves smaller.
Jim

[66SevenLitre]

Jeff - agree wholeheartedly on the mission here about being exact and specific.  Fully support that and hoping to add more knowledge and info.   

Assumptions are risky, I try to avoid those ... but it still happens.  In any case, here I was going off the Ford `65-72 MPC. 

 

[66SevenLitre]

Agree. I think shrink tubing appeared in 1962, 63 or 64. It was too new to be adopted by Ford in that time frame.I cannot remember any 65 or 66 Mustang with a spade lug.

Jim & MidLife - if it helps, the picture above with the shrink tube ring connector is from a 1966 Galaxie dash wiring harness.  I restored one of these cars (`66 7-Litre) from the ground up, nut & bolt and ran into a few of them.  In case it matters, the car placed 2nd in class at the 2017 Hillsborough Concours. 

But among the few details I didn't have right were the hard-shield terminals at the solenoid.  By chance, would either of you know if reproductions are available ... and/or a process to make those so that they look similar to the picture above?  I have good quality IWISS crimping tools but obviously they don't apply here. 

[J_Speegle]

Assumptions are risky, I try to avoid those ... but it still happens.  In any case, here I was going off the Ford `65-72 MPC.

Since your new would like to offer that we often are careful when using or posting info from the later MPCs since we realize that they normally were designed to represent what Ford had in inventory at the time of the printing not always what was used on the assembly lines. Single or production year MPC are a better source when available as well as unrestored cars and assembly manuals though each bring with it issues and possibilities of non-correct or matching.

When all of the resources come to the same conclusion its great   

Carry on

[66SevenLitre]

Jeff - good point.  I've run into exactly that.  Part numbers in the `65-72 MPC either didn't exist or had changed.  It was the same conclusion - get the current year MPC. 

I haven't found much documentation or the like out there on the wire terminals/connectors etc Ford was using back then ... so thought maybe this was a good place to start. 

Whatever else I find I'll post up here.  Idea is to help the community.