lost head light harness inside frame now what?
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 6,642
Likes: 48
From: Ogden, UT
Don't just push the slack under the seat, you need to pull at the same time from the neck, it will feed right out that way very easily. You may need an extra pair of hands so 1 of you can push while the other gently pulls.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,706
Likes: 14
From: Near Frankenmuth, MI
Pete,
Would a wire coat hanger, straighten out and with a small hook bent into the end, reach in the tube and hook onto the cable to aid in pulling it back up and through? Sort of like an electrician's "fish tape".
I've had the stupidest things slow down a project before too. My last challenge was a simple speedo cable installation. Had to lift the speedo assembly up to connect the cable to it. Discovered the trip odometer **** had a worn bolt head. I finally had to go to the hardware store and get a tiny #1 Philips to get a tiny bolt out it so it could be removed, and then the speedo would lift up to get to the cable connection. After getting that bolt out it had such bad head damage that it was another trip to the hardware store to find a tiny replacement bolt to go back in. A 20 minute tasked turned into several hours...Ugh!
Would a wire coat hanger, straighten out and with a small hook bent into the end, reach in the tube and hook onto the cable to aid in pulling it back up and through? Sort of like an electrician's "fish tape".
I've had the stupidest things slow down a project before too. My last challenge was a simple speedo cable installation. Had to lift the speedo assembly up to connect the cable to it. Discovered the trip odometer **** had a worn bolt head. I finally had to go to the hardware store and get a tiny #1 Philips to get a tiny bolt out it so it could be removed, and then the speedo would lift up to get to the cable connection. After getting that bolt out it had such bad head damage that it was another trip to the hardware store to find a tiny replacement bolt to go back in. A 20 minute tasked turned into several hours...Ugh!
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 6,642
Likes: 48
From: Ogden, UT
The whole harness is one unit in the frame, grab the wires that are sticking out and gently pull them while pushing the slack under the seat, don't try using a piece of steel with a hook on it, you run the risk of shorting another wire. This is VERY simple, push and pull.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 683
Likes: 3
From: Florida
Hmmm this is an interesting one. I've never seen that much tension on any of my wires to do this.
If you cannot locate it at all by fishing around with your fingers then I do as the previous replies said and loosen just the front tank bolt (if you don't already have a tank lift) and stuff a towel under the front of the tank enough to gain better access to the plastic gusset under the frame neck. Then just slowly pull the whole mess out until you can either see or feel the unconnected connector. (Don't raise the tank much or your crossover tube could be in the way to much to get the gusset out)
On mine there is no slack under the seat. My harness is dead tight turning into the frame backbone. But you should be able to find it in the neck.
Good luck with it.
If you cannot locate it at all by fishing around with your fingers then I do as the previous replies said and loosen just the front tank bolt (if you don't already have a tank lift) and stuff a towel under the front of the tank enough to gain better access to the plastic gusset under the frame neck. Then just slowly pull the whole mess out until you can either see or feel the unconnected connector. (Don't raise the tank much or your crossover tube could be in the way to much to get the gusset out)
On mine there is no slack under the seat. My harness is dead tight turning into the frame backbone. But you should be able to find it in the neck.
Good luck with it.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,927
Likes: 5
From: Midwest
Something I learned when hanging the outer fairing on a road glide without removing the headlights. When I get frustrated with something, I walk away for an hour or so. More often than not, when I go back to it everything goes right into place.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 525
Likes: 10
From: NJ
Hmmm this is an interesting one. I've never seen that much tension on any of my wires to do this.
If you cannot locate it at all by fishing around with your fingers then I do as the previous replies said and loosen just the front tank bolt (if you don't already have a tank lift) and stuff a towel under the front of the tank enough to gain better access to the plastic gusset under the frame neck. Then just slowly pull the whole mess out until you can either see or feel the unconnected connector. (Don't raise the tank much or your crossover tube could be in the way to much to get the gusset out)
On mine there is no slack under the seat. My harness is dead tight turning into the frame backbone. But you should be able to find it in the neck.
Good luck with it.
If you cannot locate it at all by fishing around with your fingers then I do as the previous replies said and loosen just the front tank bolt (if you don't already have a tank lift) and stuff a towel under the front of the tank enough to gain better access to the plastic gusset under the frame neck. Then just slowly pull the whole mess out until you can either see or feel the unconnected connector. (Don't raise the tank much or your crossover tube could be in the way to much to get the gusset out)
On mine there is no slack under the seat. My harness is dead tight turning into the frame backbone. But you should be able to find it in the neck.
Good luck with it.
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