Looking for proper routing of the positive battery cable for a '69 442 automatic non-a/c car.
The '69 assembly manual shows routing for all 442 non a/c cars over the top of the engine inboard of the valve cover, but I have seen other comments that only manual trans cars were routed this way & others over the inner fender,
Have a mostly original '69 W32 I'm attempting to put back to totally original condition.

Thanks

 

How is it routed now?

If you use factory assembly manuals, how can you be wrong? You'd have documented proof it was routed correctly. I realize that in minor cases, the factory documentation wasn't always the most accurate information once the cars were actually built, but they're usually pretty good. Route it the way you want to if you don't trust the assembly manual. Many restorations aren't always fluent with how Oldsmobiles are so weird sometimes. They may assume how the cables are routed and then, they become the "experts" on how restos are done. Which may not exactly be the way the factory did them. I haven't seen enough of W-32s in the wild to know what they should or shouldn't be.

Back in the day, I had a 69 442 4 speed 400 and it was routed on top of the engine, just like the assembly manual says. I remember this because to fix a valve cover leak, I had to get the dang cable out of the way. My 69 H/O non-A/C was routed up there too, and obviously it is an automatic. Is it supposed to be? According to the assembly manual, I'd say yes.

 

This has been an ongoing debate. The cable on my non-AC '69 H/O runs along the inner fender. I figured I would get to the bottom of this while at the H/O Nationals last month...no such luck. Some non-AC where along the fender well while others ran along the valve cover. After polling some owners, the general feeling was non-AC cars should have it running along the valve cover. AC equipped cars should have it running along the fender well to clear the alternator.

Not sure if this helps!

 

This is the BEST example I can find about 69 H/O without A/C battery cable routing. This is a new one sitting in the showroom at Van Devere Olds in Akron, OH. Aaron Holb's brother bought this one. Still doesn't settle the W-32 cable routing, but I'm going with this. *Drops mic* (pics courtesy of Jeff Meister's "The 1969 Hurst/Olds Page")



And just because it's a cool shot...

 

Thanks 69HO43!