An Electrical Storm!

I really do not know why, but for whatever reason, I haven't been able to accomplish a whole lot on the Rustbucket Resto lately.  Whenever the opportunity arises, I have been slowly plodding along getting the wiring harness installed.

Alhough the jeep is fairly basic in design, there still is quite the maze of wires that criss-cross back and forth behind the dash board.  I'm sure that I will discover that I have gotten something backwards, and hopefully the result isn't a fire!  That reason in itself is probably part of the answer to why I have been slowly plodding along...lots of checking, rechecking and double checking before and after installing!

The directions:  follow this color-coded diagram and find the pot-o-gold at the end of the rainbow.

All roads seem to lead to the push-pull light switch (hanging to the left of the steering column). 
And note that the Fuel and Amp gauge are boldly in place. 
Yes, that is the wrong foot pedal!

The one fun repair I got to make was inside the Blackout Light switch. 
The problem:  the lever would not pull out and engage the connection.

Internally, the gauge is very similiar in design (except smaller) to the push-pull light switch.

The fix:  soaked it briefly with penetrating oil.
 It was then placed in a vice and then gently tapped with a hammer to loosen it.

Light switch assembled and then checked for continuity.  This is the off (closed) position.

This would be the on (open) position and if the light was hooked up, it would be on!

All foot pedals installed and most of the wiring is completed under the dash.  I just have yet to get around to screwing all of the knobs and such in place.  Three of the five gauges are in, but my oil gauge is crooked (lower, left).
 Add that to the punch list.  Don't fret about the different greens not matching.  I have plans to go back over over everything with another coat of paint once it is all together.

The other items that have been done (and completed very slowly!) were drilling out a couple of broken bolts that were inadvertently left in the tub.  It would have been easier to drill them out BEFORE I slapped the tub on the frame, but I was so excited to get the two together that I had forgotten about them.  Once drilled out, I could then get all of the bolts (14,  I think) in place to mount the tub to the frame.

Next up, I have one gas line ready to install.  This is the one that will travel behind the generator and across the front of the engine.  I am jonesing to get the grill and fenders mounted, but I do need to remember to do a few items (like that gas line!) before mounting.  By golly, it is easier if you do everything in a specific order!


And lastly, I have been battling the choke and throttle cables for three or four days now.  I finally won the struggle, too.  They seemed to have been rusted in place and were practically impossibe to pull the lever out of the housing.  A day or two with penetrating oil freed the throttle, but did nothing for the choke.  The choke was a combination of oil, hammering, and fire.  I finally freed it up, but in I melted the glue holding the knob in place and it slid off.  So, technically speaking, I broke it in order to fix it.  However, the throttle cable is about 3 inches short (Bubba must have broken it) and I am currently trying to think of feasible ideas to grow it longer.  Nothing feasible has been thought of at this point in time.

Choke lever fixed...kind of.  The cable now slides freely up and down, but I need to mount the knob on the top!

Next up will be to finish off the wiring in the engine compartment AND THEN HERE COME THE FENDERS AND GRILL!  At that point, it will look like Towmater since I haven't cleaned up the hood...but not as rusty.