Author Topic: Is a 1982 & 1986 front light wiring harness interchangable?  (Read 2906 times)

Offline rdhack

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Is a 1982 & 1986 front light wiring harness interchangable?
« on: April 09, 2016, 07:12:11 AM »
Just recently put a 1986 4 light system front end on a 1982 cab that had a 2 light system. Will the 1986 harness simply plug into the 1982 cab? and work?

Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: Is a 1982 & 1986 front light wiring harness interchangable?
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2016, 07:35:57 AM »
i know when i went to put a 84 wire harness in my 91 the plug was different. i searched and searched for a wire diagram or info on when they switched styles but i could never find one. i do think that it wasnt till 87 with the ecm did they switch the style plugs but this is just what i think and i have no evidence.
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Offline rdhack

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Re: Is a 1982 & 1986 front light wiring harness interchangable?
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2016, 08:20:44 AM »
Thanks but Im hoping that since they did not really change the trucks a lot until 1988 that it may work. Just thought I would ask before plugging it in.....Physically it is the same male plug in....but electrically????

Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: Is a 1982 & 1986 front light wiring harness interchangable?
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2016, 08:33:45 AM »
should be the same. i know the colors stay the same
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

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Offline Greybeard

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Re: Is a 1982 & 1986 front light wiring harness interchangable?
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2016, 11:57:31 AM »
If you have the old harness just do a comparison check. If for instance a blue wire goes to the same spots in both connectors it will work, then go on to the next wire marking each as you go. If one coming from the lights goes to a different spot in the connector mark it until you find one that also goes to a different spot. Now you can compare the two and figure out which ones go where and simply move them to where they belong. You really don't even need to worry about wire color really because that may have changed over the years just to screw with the general population. I have robbed many wiring harnesses from different year trucks to make my own for my current truck. I still try to keep with the wiring diagrams though. The wiring itself is time consuming, but it is not all that complicated as long as you mark every wire with painters tape and an explanation of where it comes from and where it goes to and any color changes it might go through between those two spots. Good Luck! Just take your time. 
« Last Edit: April 09, 2016, 11:06:07 PM by Greybeard »
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Offline rdhack

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Re: Is a 1982 & 1986 front light wiring harness interchangable?
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2016, 11:59:57 AM »
Thank you......That was what I had intended to do anyway. Just someone to back me up helps a great deal.

Offline hatzie

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Re: Is a 1982 & 1986 front light wiring harness interchangable?
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2016, 02:06:21 PM »
Thank you......That was what I had intended to do anyway. Just someone to back me up helps a great deal.
The GM wiring diagrams for 1986 are on this board in the tech section. 
I scanned a set of 1982 GM light truck wiring diagrams recently.  Look in my signature they'll be in my mediafire bucket as are the 1986 diagrams. 
I don't think irish_alley has updated the tech section with my recent 1982 diagrams.



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Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: Is a 1982 & 1986 front light wiring harness interchangable?
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2016, 02:45:51 PM »
i cant "update" the tech section with out capt downloading the files then i can update the tech section.
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

Offline hatzie

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Re: Is a 1982 & 1986 front light wiring harness interchangable?
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2016, 05:36:37 PM »
i cant "update" the tech section with out capt downloading the files then i can update the tech section.

Didn't know how that worked...  They're in my Mediafire bucket.
SVC & wiring mans --> Here http://tinyurl.com/7387BRD-SVCMAN or My Bucket @ http://tinyurl.com/SQ-SVCMAN
Parts & Illustr Books -->http://tinyurl.com/SqParts
GMSTG Textbooks-->http://tinyurl.com/STG-TEXTBK
Radio Manuals-->http://tinyurl.com/DELCORADSVC

Offline rdhack

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Re: Is a 1982 & 1986 front light wiring harness interchangable?
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2016, 07:40:11 PM »
It does work perfectly. Only difference was that the 1986 has the windshield washer pump in this harness. The 1982 has the washer pump in the outer right harness since the wiper motor/pump is the same unit.  THANKS to all who replied.