I have recently purchased a 71 and have some questions related to the fiber optics. Can anyone lend me some of their expertise and knowledge? I know mine is not functioning and I'll need to figure it all out in the spring when I begin working on the car. Help!

Thanks much.

Vetteman

Fiber optics are really very simple. One end of the fiber is at a light source, and the other end shines the light. If the fiber is good, not pinched, cut, etc. and mounted correctly at both ends, it works.

Ken Styer

Pretty much exactly what Ken said. If it isn't working then you need to find where the light stops. It is cut, pinched, or mounted incorrectly somewhere along the line.

Thanks guys...I appreciate the info. I figured it was a simple task. Are there any drawings showing how the fiber is routed throughout the car? I have yet to get into the repairs on my 71 I just bought so I'm really just looking for a head start.

Ken

Best thing to do is to buy the assembly manual for your year. I don't have a 71 so i'm not sure if it shows exactly how to route the fiber optics but i'd bet it does. Mid America sells assembly manuals for your car for around 20$ AND BONUS as a C3VR member you get a discount! The assembly manual is hands down one of the best resources available for restoration of your car. Good luck with her!

Definitely buy an AIM. Unfortunately finding where the fiber optics stop working is not as easy as it sounds. For a starter clean both ends of the cable. 30+ years of dirt and grime can stop a lot of light. That worked for most of the front cluster but I am still working on the rears. They sell replacement cables and they are looking better each day.

The fiber optics on my '68 are incorporated into the light harness. You can get replacement cables without having to buy the entire harness, but to remove/replace the cables properly, you'll need to untape the harnesses and re-wrap them. It's quite a chore even with the engine out of the car. Having said that, the best thing is to do what the previous advice has been, do a lot of looking first!

The optic cables are wrapped with the lighting harnesses. You can get new optic cable only assemblies from: http://www.lectriclimited.com/
They are not cheap, and there is no way to repair a broken cable. You can also order complete wiring with the cables already installed, more $$$.

My experiance with two 70s is that the optics are bad in one of three places unless the car was hammered and the harnessses damaged.

The three places where they go is in to the front housings, the back housings, of where they terminate at the indicators.

They make a kit to put on new ends and you can still buy GM repros for the indicator lenses themselves.

Luckily the car I purchased a couple of months ago has them all working. Unbelievable after 34 years!

I have seen a couple of articles dealing with the fiber-optics. If one of the cables is broken, you can buy a 1/8" compression union to make the repair. It is essential to have a straight cut on both ends to transmit as much light as possible. When that is done, simply put a nut and ferrule over both ends of the cableand firmly insert into the union body, then proceed to tighten the nuts onto the union body itself, until tight. This supposed to be an inexpensive remedy to repair broken optic cables. Good luck, Flandy