Harness through metal Question

[LTb1ow]

Since I listened to internet people, I need to cut a access hole to allow the trans plug to fit here.

This is from under the car, the connector needs to be able to have a harness plug into it.
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad86/lts1ow/photobucket-44960-1361837457994_zps92f0a006.jpg?t=1361837459

So, my idea is to cut a square out from the inside, see dashed lines below
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad86/lts1ow/photobucket-34177-1363045501274_zpsd18d2d57.jpg?t=1363045503

Then weld a plate over the inside with a grommet riveted to it, similar to below
http://ls1tech.com/forums/attachments/conversions-hybrids/91481d1174993070-where-get-grommet-1-5-inch-hole-grommet.jpg

Thoughts? I am not a welding/body etc kinda persons so wanna get some opinions before I cut away. The hole was from a pilot drill, was gonna try a hole saw, but that was not a good plan. Measured out decent though, found it first pilot hole/

[BonzoHansen]

why a square hole? and those seals don't require welding do they?

[LTb1ow]

why a square hole? and those seals don't require welding do they?

Because the surface is curved, which is why I abandoned the hole saw idea, it would be ugly and not work.

A square would be easy to cut, then mold a plate to the curve, weld it, and have a grommet bolted/riveted etc to the plate.

[BonzoHansen]

You can cut a round hole with a dremel. either cutoff discs or maybe a spiral saw blade (I think they make those for metal)

is the underside flat or equally curved

[LTb1ow]

You can cut a round hole with a dremel. either cutoff discs or maybe a spiral saw blade (I think they make those for metal)

is the underside flat or equally curved

This is frame steel, a dremel or similar tool would take me a month and a few hundred disks.

Both sides are curved, and I just was under the impression a piece of 1/8 steel molded over the square cut then welded down was less hack than attempting a circle cut.

But, again, I am not a body guy

[transmaro93]

how curved is that area? those grommets are pretty cool. id say cut it with a holesaw put the grommet in and just bang it into place and screw it in with the supplied holes. If its not going to be seen you can squirt a little seam seal around it to ensure its air tight... the ring around the seal is metal right?

[LTb1ow]

how curved is that area? those grommets are pretty cool. id say cut it with a holesaw put the grommet in and just bang it into place and screw it in with the supplied holes. If its not going to be seen you can squirt a little seam seal around it to ensure its air tight... the ring around the seal is metal right?


look on your driver side seat area, trans tunnel, thats the area in question

[BonzoHansen]

is is just a harness or do you have to clearance for the connector too? i know it is a tight fit

[LTb1ow]

is is just a harness or do you have to clearance for the connector too? i know it is a tight fit

The trans connector needs to fit though, well, I could depin it and then feed harness though a small hole, but thats not well thought out.

[transmaro93]

lol i know thats where it is but its hard to tell in pic how curved it is. i dont see why you can just cut a nice hole with a hole saw and use those grommets. if that ring is metal you can bang it into any shape you want so curved area shouldnt really matter to much. only thing is you will have either rivits or screws showing under the car in the tunnel. if you can live with that i think it would work. another thing to think about is if you have to pass a connector through it you may want to cut your holes and everything and maybe cut the wires and just pass the thin wires through the grommet connect it into the trans and then solder the wires inside the car. otherwise your gonna have a bigger hole cut inthe rubber grommet and its not gonna be air/water tight

[transmaro93]

if you wanna cut and weld a plate or somthing that is doable to. i can help ya with that if you want to go that route. but your car is at your house and not drivable. assuming you dont have a welder and prob dont have same plug for 220 i have on mine. so i dont know how we could make that happen unless you tow it here

[LTb1ow]

if you wanna cut and weld a plate or somthing that is doable to. i can help ya with that if you want to go that route. but your car is at your house and not drivable. assuming you dont have a welder and prob dont have same plug for 220 i have on mine. so i dont know how we could make that happen unless you tow it here

Towing it is a viable option, would not mind doing it at all.

I just do not think a hole saw is gonna be a clean way of doing it, just imagining it grabbing and what not

[sweetbmxrider]

I'm assuming the problem here is the unibody structure that is seen in the first pic.

[LTb1ow]

http://home.koping.net/u3243a/tillfalliga/DSC02272.JPG

Thats kinda what i had in mind, then weld a plate on the inside, goop up the outside with a plate to seal out debris

[WildBillyT]

More hack than a hole saw imo.

[Dudbird113]

Why not just cut the hole, make a plate up and silicone it on with some self tapping screws since u dont have a welder.

[LTb1ow]

More hack than a hole saw imo.

Ok, guess the consensus is to attempt the hole saw.

Why not just cut the hole, make a plate up and silicone it on with some self tapping screws since u dont have a welder.

Making a very concerted effort to avoid any and all hacking, self tappers are way up on the half ass list.

[Stevoone]

Do you have an air compressor? I bought a Carbide Burr (http://buy.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?search=true&item_ID=646323&PartNo=VWB800C&group_id=675894&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all) set from the Snap-on guy and they work great. Something like that may be easier to work with in that area.

[V]

Have you looked to see if anyone does or can make a custom connector? like 90°, then you can run the harness back a little . not a simple mod but shouldn't be impossible. only like 12 pins or something like that right?

[WildBillyT]

Ok, guess the consensus is to attempt the hole saw.



Making a very concerted effort to avoid any and all hacking, self tappers are way up on the half ass list.

The way I see it, if the hole saw looks half assed and h@x0r then no biggie. You were going to cut the section out anyway.

[LTb1ow]

Have you looked to see if anyone does or can make a custom connector? like 90°, then you can run the harness back a little . not a simple mod but shouldn't be impossible. only like 12 pins or something like that right?

The trans connector is not made aftermarket yet AFAIK.

Would def use that option if I could, believe the truck connectors are right angles but again, its too tight.

[BonzoHansen]

saw this earlier, thought of you
First off the repair pieces were purchased from NPD. Lay your repair pieces over top of existing hole and draw a line around the outer edge.
http://media.use.com/images/s_2/e10aff4e30ad710bd772.jpg (http://www.use.com/e10aff4e30ad710bd772)
Next i will show you how to cut a round hole with a cut off wheel. This works better if your cut off wheel has a little wear on it and it is not full size. You need to make a bunch of cuts from the inside and stop right before the line that was transfered. See the pic below.
http://media.use.com/images/s_2/3276bfd747a0b7cb254f.jpg (http://www.use.com/3276bfd747a0b7cb254f)
When your done slicing it will look like this.
http://media.use.com/images/s_2/596eba6f1c32cee0ceb7.jpg (http://www.use.com/596eba6f1c32cee0ceb7)
Now use the cutoff wheel and cut out the rest stopping before the line. Once you have removed all of the slivers of metal turn the cutoff wheel upright and clean up the edge of the hole without grinding past your line.
http://media.use.com/images/s_2/cb384c095410dcd4e3b2.jpg (http://www.use.com/cb384c095410dcd4e3b2)
Now switch out the cut off wheel for a deburring tip (shown in the next pick) And carefully trim the outer edge of your hole until your repair piece fits nice and snug like shown.
http://media.use.com/images/s_2/ceecc6f962bfd3264702.jpg (http://www.use.com/ceecc6f962bfd3264702)
http://media.use.com/images/s_2/40179ad08d9377c6c0c9.jpg (http://www.use.com/40179ad08d9377c6c0c9)

[Blackbirdws6]

I was thinking he would just punch a hole through the tunnel.

[sweetbmxrider]

That is neat!

[transmaro93]

was thinking more about this... is there an actual clearance issue on the trans half of the connector or just a clearance issue when the harness end is plugged in? was thinking today to do it (imo) really clean would be hole saw what you need in that unibody frame brace to clear the connector then from inside the car get a smaller rubber grommet and cut a hole in the actual tunnel itself to what ever size the grommet is poke a small hole in the grommet and depin the harness and punch the wires through the hole made in the grommet (this will now be pretty tight fit for air/water) and repin the connector. loom the portion of the wire that is on the outside of the tunnel for any sharp metal made by the holesaw. to me this is a clean way of doin it with minimal work. tell me what you think. dont forget to etch prime and paint any bare metal.

[LTb1ow]

was thinking more about this... is there an actual clearance issue on the trans half of the connector or just a clearance issue when the harness end is plugged in? was thinking today to do it (imo) really clean would be hole saw what you need in that unibody frame brace to clear the connector then from inside the car get a smaller rubber grommet and cut a hole in the actual tunnel itself to what ever size the grommet is poke a small hole in the grommet and depin the harness and punch the wires through the hole made in the grommet (this will now be pretty tight fit for air/water) and repin the connector. loom the portion of the wire that is on the outside of the tunnel for any sharp metal made by the holesaw. to me this is a clean way of doin it with minimal work. tell me what you think. dont forget to etch prime and paint any bare metal.


Yea, you cannot plug the connector in as is, the frame prevents it. I could do what you are suggesting, but it boxes me into have to depin the harness every time I wanna pull the trans out.

Want a easy, simple way to have the trans be plugged in and out.

[V]

do this... open up trans, remove the connector, extend the wires, close up trans and run harness in a different place.

[BonzoHansen]

Yea, you cannot plug the connector in as is, the frame prevents it. I could do what you are suggesting, but it boxes me into have to depin the harness every time I wanna pull the trans out.

Want a easy, simple way to have the trans be plugged in and out.

how many wires in harness?

[LTb1ow]

how many wires in harness?

Around 12 wires give or two, at least two cannot be unpinned. They are hard connections to PCM hot/ground common leads.

[transmaro93]

ok even with a decent sized hole cut in that frame peice you wont be able to sneak your fingers in there to attach and detach the harness from under the car? ... if this is so what if you "notch" that frame peice? cut a section of it out and creat a "c" channel with some 3/16 steel or somthing then will the harness be able to run on the outside of vehicle like factory? catch my drift? lotta ?'s in there sorry just trying to help you figure this thing out without actually seeing the car in person

[LTb1ow]

ok even with a decent sized hole cut in that frame peice you wont be able to sneak your fingers in there to attach and detach the harness from under the car? ... if this is so what if you "notch" that frame peice? cut a section of it out and creat a "c" channel with some 3/16 steel or somthing then will the harness be able to run on the outside of vehicle like factory? catch my drift? lotta ?'s in there sorry just trying to help you figure this thing out without actually seeing the car in person

I have thought of doing that my issues are..

A) Do not want to remove the trans again
B) Figure if I am drilling/cutting, I might as well make it to the harness comes into the car, PCM will be in it anyways
C) Drilling a hole and sealing it with seam-sealer is something I can do, welding in metal is something I cannot

[transmaro93]

ok.. but is it not a bigger pain the in the ass to remove interior every time you have to disconnect that plug. if your looking in the long run to make life easier should the trans have to come out and not remove carpets and such (i forget how shifters in the autos hook up, didnt know if you have to take out console or not). take time now and do it clean and nice. up to you though. i think iv exhausted all my option for doing this. what ever you decide good luck with and if you need me to weld something or help with that let me know

[sweetbmxrider]

You wouldn't have to remove the interior, the wiring would go down with the trans and be unplugged later. I think a big hammer clearance wouldn't be a bad choice.

[transmaro93]

lol... so why cant he do what i said yesterday and just cut a small hole from the inside and a larger on in that frame peice... if it can be unplugged once trans is lowered a little... chances are is that once this wire is passed through the tunnel it should never have to be removed... i cant see why it would be..

[sweetbmxrider]

Hahaha I dono maybe I'm wrong but I am assuming that structure has to be removed period and the floor pan is curved where he wants to put the grommet so its making using a hole saw difficult.

[WildBillyT]

You putting in a roll bar?

[LTb1ow]

You putting in a roll bar?

Not at the moment. I know, I know no need for soap box.

[V]

a hole saw on curved metal is actually not that hard. use a decent pilot drill bit to make the center hole, then use a duller bit that fits in. that way it will be less likely to "walk" or open up the pilot hole to an oblong shape. Then just hold the drill with both hands and start it slowly and adjust speed while holding the drill in the same angle the whole time.

[LTb1ow]

a hole saw on curved metal is actually not that hard. use a decent pilot drill bit to make the center hole, then use a duller bit that fits in. that way it will be less likely to "walk" or open up the pilot hole to an oblong shape. Then just hold the drill with both hands and start it slowly and adjust speed while holding the drill in the same angle the whole time.

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad86/lts1ow/photobucket-28886-1367453065234_zpsc930e091.jpg?t=1367453067

Metal cutting hole saw FTW :rofl:

[greenformula92]

well that should work lol

[sweetbmxrider]

I see the connector! It looks lower?

[LTb1ow]

I see the connector! It looks lower?

Angle of pic and curve of metal surface are playing tricks with ya.

[Blackbirdws6]

You should keep swiss cheesing the car.

[LTb1ow]

You should keep swiss cheesing the car.

Why, it will weigh what it needs to.

[Blackbirdws6]

Why, it will weigh what it needs to.

Do it for the lulz? Every little bit will be needed against the elusive pewter catfish.

[LTb1ow]

Do it for the lulz? Every little bit will be needed against the elusive pewter catfish.

F that thing, I just wanna run Adam's car and see if we can both shift out of first.

[V]

Matt, now put a piece of cardboard inside the trans tunnel(to cover the trans, and use rustolem spray paint, like flat black grill paint(high heat) and spray from the inside of the car into the hole. That way you can get some better coverage on the inside of that void in case you get any water intrusion after you figure out the plan to plug the hole.

You could seal the hole in several ways now, other than a large round grommit/gasket. One would be to make a square plate with a hole drilled in each corner and a slot halfway down the middle. drill 4 holes on outside the trans tunnel around the hole which line up with the 4 holes on the plate. insert wiring, then slide plate over wire(through slot) and use 4 machine screws and bolt plate in place after using seam sealant. You could also put the plate on the inside, and re-pin connector through it so its one with the harness(use small grommit then). then cut a horizontal slot on the interior hole so you can slide the plate in laying down, then flip it up to line up with 4 inner drilled holes and then bolt in place.

I may have lost you in the progress of that last paragraph. lol, ill draw up pics if you want.

[LTb1ow]

Nah I got what you are saying Paul, I think for now, I am just gonna run it without a grommet because I honestly have not a clue if the harness work will not have a million gremlins.

If things work as planned (highly doubtful), I will work on a nice plate with a firewall fancy grommet for the harness.