The engine I’m about to install in my ’76 F-150 will replace the standard Ford alternator with a one wire unit. So, in preparing the engine bay, I began to wonder what I should do with those parts of the wiring harness that will no longer have a function in life.



So removing the alternator and voltage regulator requires disconnecting four wires that emerge from the larger engine bay wiring harness on the passenger side.



Once the alternator and voltage regulator and associated wires are removed, we are left with these three connectors. So what is best practice in this situation? Leave them hanging? Plug them up in some way? Amputate and cauterize them?

 

In part it depends how deep you want to go in changing the OE harness. From the pics, it may be fragile and not like much massaging. Also, it is easy to cut out the wrong wire or splice. There have been several posts where the truck would not run after charge harness modification for one wire.

I would suggest clean up and tape off the connectors. Minimum disturbance to the OE harness in your situation. FWIW that's what I did when I installed a one wire.

If you do open the harness up, suggest you work from a factory wiring diagram and trace and check every circuit before cutting anything. Also check power to the coil with key on after modifications.

 

Put an insulated female connector on the exposed one and leave the others as is. Install the alternator and roll on down the road. I put a one wire 100A unit in mine and have been very pleased. Just remember to have large enough wire and a some sort of circuit protection between the alternator and battery.

 

Looks like maintaining a fall back option is a good one - at least until the new setup is proven A-OK. Here's a pic of the removed items. This will go a long way towards a neater engine bay and lots of headroom for additional electric powered devices.

 

One other item I did was to install a two post battery(side and top mounts). This made attachment much easier.