ccgillett's Track Goblin - '08 SS/TC

[Desert Sasqwatch]

The center bolt should hold everything in place, regardless if you have the plastic clips or not. Just need to make certain the plugs are fully seated and not depend upon the center bolt to pull everything as tight as it should be. Having the fusebox separated would probably facilitate this better trying to see the plug interfaces for being flush and tight.

 

[Traé]

I figured this out, but now I have a bigger mystery. In my previous post I was whining about the plugs not clicking into place and the wires being in the way. I was tired when I wrote this, my realization today is that the bottoms of several multiplugs (the part that "clicks into" the fusebox base) are missing. Here it is in pictures:

First, here's the bottom of a multiplug (the term Lonny uses in the assembly videos). There's a plastic tab in the fusebox holder into which this clips, super easy:

View attachment 45972

Here's a couple of the plugs missing their bottoms, no way these can clip to anything:
View attachment 45973View attachment 45974

I've tried searching for "multiplugs", "fuse box plugs", "fuse box connector plugs", etc. and I'm coming up empty. Does anybody know what the correct technical term for these parts are? I found one of the "bases" (for the small rectangular one at the far end of the box) in the donor parts I received when I bought the kit. The other two plugs, show above, have no bases and I need to order some or go to a junkyard.

Anybody have any insight into part names, numbers, etc.?

It occurs to me that I could simply bolt these plugs to the fusebox itself, and then drop the whole thing into the fusebox holder, there is no electrical connectivity between the holder the the fusebox itself. But I'm not convinced that's the best idea.

I can’t find part numbers for those plugs either. I’d say a pick and pull is your best bet.

 

[Robinjo]

Do you have an LKQ or other pull your own parts yard? I’d just go there and pull them. I believe these are pretty universal to Cobalts, not just SS versions.
You can also just bolt them to the bottom of the fuse block but that may make it harder to secure the block into the plastic base. Maybe not if you don’t have the connector covers.

 

[Sluggonaut]

Anybody have any insight into part names, numbers, etc.?

It occurs to me that I could simply bolt these plugs to the fusebox itself, and then drop the whole thing into the fusebox holder, there is no electrical connectivity between the holder the the fusebox itself. But I'm not convinced that's the best idea.

I ran into this problem too (trying to find connector part numbers) and the only thing I could find was eBay listings for fuseboxes or various plugs. More often than not it was an entire fusebox assembly and you are paying way too much for the actual parts you need (example).

I had one of the captured bolts strip out on one of my connectors, so I used a separate nut and bolt to attach that plug to the fusebox. It makes it a little harder to get the fusebox with one plug attached to slide easily over the others that are snapped into the holder, but with some patience, it goes together just fine. I think bolting the ones in question to the fusebox is the way to go and see if it is acceptable.

 

[ccgillett]

I ran into this problem too (trying to find connector part numbers) and the only thing I could find was eBay listings for fuseboxes or various plugs. More often than not it was an entire fusebox assembly and you are paying way too much for the actual parts you need (example).

I had one of the captured bolts strip out on one of my connectors, so I used a separate nut and bolt to attach that plug to the fusebox. It makes it a little harder to get the fusebox with one plug attached to slide easily over the others that are snapped into the holder, but with some patience, it goes together just fine. I think bolting the ones in question to the fusebox is the way to go and see if it is acceptable.

Yeah, I really don't want to pay $109 for a what is probably $5 in plastic pieces...I'll only go that route if/when I blow something up getting this thing fully wired :-D .

I'll lay it all out tonight and see if I can't get the plugs inserted cleaning into the fusebox. I did check around with a few yards in my area and none of them have any Cobalts laying around. Looking at the broader world of GM parts I think those plugs are common on multiple vehicle lines including older Corvettes but I don't want to go down the rabbit hole too far here.

 

[ccgillett]

Closer and closer...the fusebox bracket/holder are installed, bunch of connectors are hooked up. I'm waiting for a fusebox from a recycler in Connecticut to show up by Thursday - there I will find the bottoms to the multi-plugs so that I can install the fusebox "by the book". Looks like I might have a spare fusebox for someone who needs it later. I found the fusebox in eBay for $80, and my offer of $50 including shipping was accepted.

The battery and hold-down clamp are installed. Battery needs to be charged and perhaps tested but should be good to go. A few minutes ago I checked all my cooling system clamps and connections, and then filled the cooling system. Everything seems fine there, little concerned about the drain plug in the radiator...seems like it's dripping about 1 drip per hour. It was a little loose so I tightened it. Doesn't seem like there is anything broken in the aluminum or welding, and it seems to be leaking less as it sits. Fingers crossed. Finally, I had a little drama with the ring that mates the fuel pump to the tank...I couldn't get the connector to go in cleanly. So I re-did the bolting job to make sure everything was clearanced correctly. Then I removed one of the nuts, got the connector installed cleanly, and then re-tightened the nut.

As I work my way through connecting everything I wanted to check a couple things. First, do we all agree that these are all grounds? The silver-colored one terminates at the engine, and the copper-colored ones are from the wiring harness. I believe they are all ground but I wanted to confirm as I search for a place to terminate them on the frame:

I have a number of connectors from the engine wiring harness that I'm not sure about. There are instructions to "clean up" the harness which I will follow later. I did wonder about the one pictured, which runs off the engine harness at the back of the engine (where "back of engine" means the side with the butterfly closest to the firewall). Does anybody know what this one is and where it connects?

 

[Ross]

The 2 copper colored tabs are grounds, the silver one might be an engine ground. Check the other end of it, and see if it goes to the engine bell housing, or if it goes to the starter lug. There is a big wire from the starter to the fuse box jump post that is 12V+.
That red connector looks like one of 2 fans for the radiator. Our goblin doesn't use the ~12" AC fan, and the ~14" engine coolant fan is routed up front.

 

[Gtstorey]

By silver terminates at the engine, you do mean just bolted to the block or transmission? If so, yes ground to the chassis.

 

[Robinjo]

The brown/red connectors are the old Cobalt cooling fan plugs. They aren’t needed.

 

[ccgillett]

By silver terminates at the engine, you do mean just bolted to the block or transmission? If so, yes ground to the chassis.

Yup this appears to be the case.

 

[ccgillett]

The 2 copper colored tabs are grounds, the silver one might be an engine ground. Check the other end of it, and see if it goes to the engine bell housing, or if it goes to the starter lug. There is a big wire from the starter to the fuse box jump post that is 12V+.
That red connector looks like one of 2 fans for the radiator. Our goblin doesn't use the ~12" AC fan, and the ~14" engine coolant fan is routed up front.

Awesome, thank you!