Topic: 66 rally pac...smoke, wont start

[mike]

So i had a new rally pac installed in my 289. The wires from the pacgo down on the side of the steering column covered by a black metal bracket. I loosen the pac from the steering column because it was rubbing against the gage cluster and making a little rattle. I moved it up a bit, and got it tight on the column. This was on weds...this morning i go to start the car to come to work, and i got nothing when turning the key. Int. lights were on, checked batt. terminals, cleaned them up, measured voltage...11.98. try to start, no sound. So i gave it a jump, and it does as if it is going to start but immediatly shuts of. I also noticed smoke coming from around steering column...I checked and i noticed what appeared to be some of the cables from the pac cought in between the steering column and the bracket, as oposed to inside the bracket. It was 6 in the morning with a small flash light. I also noticed what appeared to be some of the cables somewhat burn. I had to leave cuz i started running late...So would those wires pinned against metal have created a short...go home check wires, could this have possibly damaged anything internally other than just shorting out...pac, or distributer??? I plan to remove bracket, check wires, see how bad they are...tape or replace, and get inside as oposed to against bracket.
Also, did notice when i jumped the bat. that every time i turn the key the RPM's needle would jump half way and then back down.

[66GTKFB]

So i had a new rally pac installed in my 289. The wires from the pacgo down on the side of the steering column covered by a black metal bracket. I loosen the pac from the steering column because it was rubbing against the gage cluster and making a little rattle. I moved it up a bit, and got it tight on the column. This was on weds...this morning i go to start the car to come to work, and i got nothing when turning the key. Int. lights were on, checked batt. terminals, cleaned them up, measured voltage...11.98. try to start, no sound. So i gave it a jump, and it does as if it is going to start but immediatly shuts of. I also noticed smoke coming from around steering column...I checked and i noticed what appeared to be some of the cables from the pac cought in between the steering column and the bracket, as oposed to inside the bracket. It was 6 in the morning with a small flash light. I also noticed what appeared to be some of the cables somewhat burn. I had to leave cuz i started running late...So would those wires pinned against metal have created a short...go home check wires, could this have possibly damaged anything internally other than just shorting out...pac, or distributer??? I plan to remove bracket, check wires, see how bad they are...tape or replace, and get inside as oposed to against bracket.
Also, did notice when i jumped the bat. that every time i turn the key the RPM's needle would jump half way and then back down.

It happens, a cable assembly get pinched by a cover or a screw gets driven into an indivual wire. A piece of black electrical tape is usually the fix. If the wire is cut or badly damaged, a replacement cable assembly is available from National Parts Depot www.npdlinks.com for $25. If this is an original Ford Rally Pac or a reproduction, the tac's leads are in series with the resistance wire to the coil. The tac's needle has tendency to bounce when you start because of the full 12 V hitting the coil and the inherant nature of the collapsing magnetic field in a coil.
Jim

[mike]

Ok, so yes, black wire from the tac was damaged where it bends down the steering column. (Just the wire casing) the coper was intact.I taped, started the car with no problems. Clock works fine, but not the tac. I get nothing out of the tac other than every other time i start the car the needle pegs all the way at 6000 and back to o when the car is off. I started following the cable up the steering column and behind the gage cluster. (it appears there is some bare wire up there to). I loose the cable...what are these connected to. from all the cables out of the tac only the black seems to be damaged (is this a ground???) can i cut what i see and ground somewhere else?? clock black?? I didn't connect this so i don't know what these lines connect to???
Thanks

[mike]

the light in the tac works.

[mike]

removed instrument gauge cluster. was able to follow wires. they were all raped together with electrical tape from factory. that tape is almost all burned. not the cables hough. There is a red cable that attaches to another cable that comes out of the ignition switch. (the cable rom the ignition switch to the red cable is pretty much all burned. it is all shrunk. maybe that?? I don't have the installation instructions, so other than grounds,constant power for the clock and so, i don't know where the tac gets its rpm readings from???

[66GTKFB]

There are two types of tach's used in Rally Pacs. The Ford original and the latest aftermarket ones hook in series with the pink resistance wire to the coil behind the instrument cluster under the dash. There is a red with a green stripe wire that comes from the back of the ignition switch to a bullet connector that goes to the pink resistance wire. The first aftermarket ones had a single wire hooked up to the coil that needed to be routed thru the firewall, usually a new hole but I've seen them go thru the hole for the heater hose. You need to go to the FAQ section and look up 66 wiring.
Jim

[mike]

ok, the red with some colored wire from behind the ignition switch is fryed. the wire connected to a red wire from the tac. The tacs wiring did not burn. Im trying to get behind the ignition switch in order to see how i can remove that wire. I cant see back there. How can i removed the ignition switch???how is that wire attached to the ignition switch???nut? i am trying by touch to follow the wire behind the ignition but i cant tell...Just when i thought i had my car running how i wanted it. i removed the tac from the steering column to change the bulbs because the ones that came with it did not light up enough.

[mike]

mustangmonthly.com  search rally pac has description and pictures. it mentions the back of the ignition with a black wire with a nut?? i also found the link to ignition removal, turn to acc and paper clip. Then what, i am shaking this thing and it dosn't move

[mike]

Ok, i need a crash course on 66 ignition removal so i can see how this cable that is burned is attached to it??. I've tryied getting a mirrow back there, but no luck. Is that the only place where this tac hooks up too??? Once i remove or get the burned wire, can i connect the wire from the tac directly to the ignition switch??
Ignition switch removal for dummies!

[mike]

somewhat got to see the back of the ignition switch with a mirrow. the wire that is burned (red with a green stripe) goes into rear of ig. switch not held with a nut or plug, it looks loke it just goes into a black cover. Also running out of the same black cover where that red and green wire is, is a blue and red wire that goes into a bundle of a bench of wires??? are these to the connected to where maybe i can wire the tac to that red and blue???
 

[66GTKFB]

Go to the FAQ section and look up the wiring.
Jim

[mike]

thanks jim, i did, it's russian to me. my solid red wire frm the tac to the ignition switch is connected to nothing now. because of that wire being loose, when i turn the key the car does as if it is going to start but shuts off automatically. this is the same that happend before i patched up the wire that was cought against the steering column. i need to remove the ignition so i can get to the red and green wire thats burned from the ignition. this wire is just open. i've tried turning to acc, paper clip in, turn counterclock to 9 o'clock, pull, nothing, is there a trick here?? Whats creating the open circuit, the red wire from the rally or the burned red and green from the ignition??

[Soaring]

To get to the wiring behind the dash, take the gauge cluster out.  You can also get to the ignition switch wiring this way too.