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What is this wiring and plug for?

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Old May 14, 2013 | 02:48 PM
  #1  
Finn5033's Avatar
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From: Chisago City, MN
What is this wiring and plug for?

I found this plug not hooked up to anything dangling down by my tranny when I pulled it out. It has 2 offset female prongs. One wire is green the other is black with an orange stripe. Any help is appreciated. Thank you
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Old May 14, 2013 | 02:56 PM
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Passing gear and TCS, you apparently have a T400.
Old May 14, 2013 | 02:58 PM
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Turbo 400 tranny? That plug is for the kickdown (one of the tabs for kickdown which goes to the switch on top of has pedal) and the other tab is probably for the TCS - transmission controlled spark system which most people disconnect up by carb/distributer (it controls advance - part of an early emissions improvement device). Many times when you get a rebuilt tranny, it only has one male tab on tranny instead of the two. If there is only one male tab on tranny, it is for kickdown as they only used the TCS for 70 thru 73 or so. if only one male tab on tranny, You should still be able to hook up the plug and just not use the other tab.
Old May 14, 2013 | 02:59 PM
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Looks like it's for the Transmission Controlled Spark system. Early emissions control that limited vacuum advance until the car was up to 38mph. At least that's what it did on my 1972 LeMans. Exact same connector. I'm guessing there is a male blade terminal coming out of the side of your trans. It eventually connects to one of these doohickeys:

http://www.restoreclassics.com/Trans...noid-4687.html
Old May 14, 2013 | 03:10 PM
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Ok guys well you learn something every day. I am pretty sure I have a th350, as I don't see anywhere for that plug to go. I have the build sheet for my car what do I look for to see what came in my car? Are there numbers on the tranny that would tell me if its original to my car?
Old May 14, 2013 | 03:25 PM
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Since the wiring harnesses are generic and had provisions for different accessories and equipment, if its not needed coil it up and stow it.

If your transmission has a passing gear cable it is a T350, T350's had provisions for a TCS switch.
Old May 14, 2013 | 03:26 PM
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My build sheet says m38 for auto trans. From what I have seen this should be th350? Is it possible the wires came in the car even if not needed?
Old May 14, 2013 | 04:00 PM
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Originally Posted by oldcutlass
Passing gear and TCS, you apparently have a T400.
Nope, sorry. That same wire and plug was installed in EVERY Olds that used TCS. The kickdown wire simply wasn't connected to anything in the TH350 (or manual trans, for that matter) cars. Keep in mind that the way GM designed cars to simplify assembly was to accommodate as many of the different configurations as possible with the baseline equipment. Not having to stock multiple configurations of parts on the assembly line not only minimized cost, it also minimized the chance that the wrong part would be installed.
Old May 14, 2013 | 08:51 PM
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Originally Posted by joe_padavano
Nope, sorry. That same wire and plug was installed in EVERY Olds that used TCS. The kickdown wire simply wasn't connected to anything in the TH350 (or manual trans, for that matter) cars. Keep in mind that the way GM designed cars to simplify assembly was to accommodate as many of the different configurations as possible with the baseline equipment. Not having to stock multiple configurations of parts on the assembly line not only minimized cost, it also minimized the chance that the wrong part would be installed.
Thanks Joe, I was hoping that was the case as I thought my tranny was the original. It would have sucked to learn otherwise.
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