‘68 Beaumont battery cable routing

Nova_aficionado · Member

‘68 Beaumont battery cable routing

CdnGMfan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

It makes a difference as to whether it is the standard or H.D. battery, since the positive & negative posts on the battery are reversed between the two, and the cable itself and the routing. That, and whether it is (was) a six or V8.

1968 was the last year for the short water pump with its attendant accessory grouping. The alternator would still be on the driver's side.

I find the reproduction Assembly Manuals do a reasonably good job of explaining the setup. In some cases the positive cable runs from the battery, clipped down the inner fender and ending up on the starter solenoid. For V8s I think the positive cable clips onto the oil pan flange.
Again, the AIM (Assembly Manual) gets into specifics.
The negative comes off the engine block.

My original battery cables on my Chevelle had been replaced with generic ones after a thief cut the cables in the 1970s and ran away with the battery. I bought perfect repro cables from Lectric Limited, with correct gauge, look, spring rings and all.

What would be best here are pictures, as they are worth a thousand words.

Nova_aficionado · Member

Thanks for the quick post. Its the original 327, 4 speed (not sure that matters) , non ac. Yep, alternator on drivers side.

I dont have the AIM, but will look to get one, all I was able to get my hands on was the 68 service manual (not sure if they are one and the same).

Will have to research more if it was an HD battery or not.

The cables I will install are the proper spring cables with the pigtail (also need to figure where those attach to).

More research ahead. I can attach any picture needed- but the old cables are incorrect and were butchered for other electronics (things that I have since removed) - and am not convinced the previous owner had the cables in the correct location or routing.

Happy to add any photos of specifics that could help anyone help me.

Learn something new here every day. Thanks!
Doug

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Try googling some 68 Chevelle's. I'm sure there are some very helpful under hood photo's online.

CdnGMfan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

If it was a factory 327 it would have come with a 66-plate, 61 amp/hr battery, which physically is like the H.D. battery (70 amp/hr). It would use the same battery cables & routing as the T60 H.D. Battery.

On V8s there is a bolt-on cable guide on the inner fender down low near the lower RH rad. The positive cable is run through there then spans over to the the block, between the bottom of the fuel pump & the stabilizer bar & centre link as shown in the underbelly shot below. Hidden from view are tacked-on clips on the oil pan flange.

67 Chevelle pos cable route.jpg

(Inline sixes instead have a cable guide on the cross-member and it spans over to the starter solenoid from there. No RHS manifold to contend with.)

.

Next is a page from the 1967 Chevelle AIM (68s are the same except for cross-flow radiators but it makes no difference for our purposes).

Note this is for the sixes and base V8 cars with the 45 amp/hr battery. That means 283 V8 in '67, 307 V8 in '68.

67 base battery cabling.jpg

Compare the post orientation & cable differences for the HD battery (61 amp/hr base in 327 & 396, 70 amp/hr optional for all):

67 hd battery cabling.jpg

I hope that helps.