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I'm in the process of LS7/Tremec T56 Magnum F swapping my original 350/700R4 IROC. The engine compartment is mostly empty at this point with just a few more items to be removed before I'm going to prep the engine bay for paint. Here is a picture of how it looks right now:
Disregard the wood blocks on the frame rails. I'll remove the fuel lines, brake lines and steering shaft.
There is one wiring bundle that I'm having problems with. It's the one pictured below:
This picture was taken before the black HVAC box and transmission were removed but it shows the HVAC blower motor wire bundle that I need to disconnect.
I want to remove this wire bundle so that I can degrease and sand down the engine bay and shoot the paint. I've taken a quick look under the dash but I can't really see where this wire bundle goes. If I knew where it went, maybe I can find the connector(s) and disconnect it so that I can remove this bundle. If someone can help, it would be much appreciated! Thank you!
The HVAC harness runs behind the dash and under/inside the center console to the HVAC controller.
This picture shows my GTA's interior when stripped when I converted it to a T5,.... the GREEN circle shows where the HVAC harness enters the cockpit from the engine bay. Notice the RED circle,... the HVAC harness is run under this "clip" that's spot welded to the body so you can't really just pull it out from under the console. ( sometimes you can get lucky and the "clip" will break off when you pull the harness - but that has only happened for me once ! ) You'll have to remove the center console, remove the HVAC duct inside the console, & then you should be able to remove the harness.
I've painted a couple cars and honestly,.... it's soooo much easier to mask/hang that harness out of the way while painting rather than stripping the entire console. It's one thing if the console HAS to come out anyway, but if not, save yourself the time and energy and just bag it / tape it & then spray around that harness.
John, thank you! Thank you! Thank you for your picture and posted information!!!! I would've never known about that clip.
Currently, my center console is out because I'm replacing the 700R4 with a brand new Tremec T56 Magnum F. Here is a picture of my removed console:
I'm thinking that I'm going to have to remove more stuff just forward of the hanging HVAC controls to find that welded clip and the wire harness. Are the plastic connectors for the harness close to the welded clip?
I was originally thinking that if I couldn't figure out how to remove that wire harness, I'd just wrap it up in plastic and tape and paint around it. However, I'd prefer to remove it completly.
Having the center console out makes handling the HVAC harness a LOT easier !!
If I remember right there are just 2 screws that hold the center console HVAC vent in place. Once that HVAC vent is out of the way you should have pretty good access to the clip and harness. ( might have to *fight* with the carpet a little ) once you disconnect the harness from the HVAC controller (You don't have to remove the vacuum lines) you should be able to "snake" the harness thru that hole in the firewall and into the engine bay.
P.S. When cutting the hole in your floor for the Manual shifter you'll have to cut off some of the auto shifter mounting bracket. Don't cut the ENTIRE mounting bracket off,.. you'll want to leave the rear of the bracket in place so that you still have a mounting point for the center console. The manual cars used a small 90 degree bend bracket at these holes to secure the center console. ( no pic of the little bracket, but you get the idea ! ) Also; if you don't already have a plug,.. you can slice the rubber 'plug' from the auto shifter cable and use that as a plug for the auto shifters cable hole. Just stuff some type of 'filler' in the small hole in the rubber where the cable would have been.
John, your information and pictures are so valuable! I can't thank you enough for posting all of that.
I purchased a manual transmission shifter hole cutout template off of eBay. I'm pretty sure it's going to help me in cutting the proper hole. I'll keep in mind that I need some of the auto shifter's bracket for the center console to bolt to (circled in red.)
In my picture in post #3, you can see that my auto shifter cable is still in place. I've since removed it. I'll be sure to keep the rubber grommet to fill the hole that you have circled in green (picture 2.)
) once you disconnect the harness from the HVAC controller (You don't have to remove the vacuum lines) you should be able to "snake" the harness thru that hole in the firewall and into the engine bay.
