68 8 track player...

[Steve W]

I just rec'd the 8 track player I won off of ebay. Its an under-dash unit obviously. Don't even know if it works. Would be cool if it did, but I dont have the schematic that goes with it. The plugs are still on the back, I just need to know what wires are what.
I did a search here...and a few times I got kinda close to what I was looking for, but everytime someone asked the same question I am asking, the response was usually "I'll send you an email".  So no results are available. Can any one help?

[RobW]

Yeah I remember seeing a thread on that recently. Try emailing the guy that was going to send the info. Sometimes posters are away for awhile and therefore can't see your request.

[Doug Houston]

You guys are making me worry, in case I forget something!

There were two 8 track players that Delco built for our cars. The first one was larger than the second one. I ran from around 63 to 64. The second one was smaller, and had angled sides on the case.

The tape players had a special harness that connected it to the radio. You rarely, if ever find it with the tape player.

The tape player is a complete unit in itself. It has all of the amplifiers, and power amplifiers built into it, just like the radio. When the tape player is installed, the radio plys through the four speakers in the car,as always. When you put a tape into the player, there is a cam switch that cuts power to the radio, and starts the tape player. That switch inside the tape player also transfers the speakers from the radio to the tape player.  Removing the tape cartridge returns the speakers and power back to the radio.

I'll check to see if I have anything on the player an the radio. It may be necessary to make up the interconnecting harness from the player to the radio. I did it in my '70 DeVille convertible, using a floor mounted Pontiac tape player. It works very well. You will probably need to do the same thing.

[Steve W]

That would be great Doug....but until then, I just need to know which wires are which, so I can "bench test" the unit. Which is hot, which is ground, which ones are the speaker wires. If it works during the bench test, then I will want to find the right harness, etc.

[Lars Kneller 8246]

I am pretty sure I have a wiring diagram.  I put one in my 68 Eldo which came from the factory with no radio.  Email me to jog my memory to look for it this weekend.

[Craig Chally]

I'm assuming you have the stereo radio setup.  The red wire off the 8-pin lead at the tape player is the power, the grey wire is ground.  At least, that's how I read the wiring schematic.  I got one of these to put in my '69 Brougham but haven't done it yet.  When it comes to electrical, I'm always scared I'll screw something up beyond repair (or at least to the point of a very expensive repair). 

[Steve W]

Lars...your email doesn't work! 

And Craig...no I don't have stereo...just AM/FM. However, I do have an aftermarket AM/FM/CD/front-panel ipod connect system w/ 4 speakers installed.
So..do you know which wires are for the speakers?

[Glen]

Here is the wiring diagram for the ’68 radio.  I don’t think the 8 track was intended for the 68 model year, so there is nothing about it in the shop manual. 

Since your car has been modified with the installation of an after market system it is anybody’s guess as to what is behind the radio now.  The only way is to look at the back of each speaker and see what color wire is attached to it then try to find that wire in at the back of the radio. 

Glen

[Craig Chally]

Steve,

If 1968 is like 1969 and you still have the mono two-speaker set-up, then green/black and black go to the front speaker and dark blue to the rear speaker.

Craig

[Jim Skelly, CLC #15958]

Here is the wiring diagram for the ’68 radio.  I don’t think the 8 track was intended for the 68 model year, so there is nothing about it in the shop manual. 

Since your car has been modified with the installation of an after market system it is anybody’s guess as to what is behind the radio now.  The only way is to look at the back of each speaker and see what color wire is attached to it then try to find that wire in at the back of the radio. 

Glen

I remember reading on this forum a few years ago that the 8-track player was first available as a dealer-installed option in May of 1968, and that the wiring harness for 1968 models is different from the harness used on the 1969-1970 models.  I don't recall if the wiring harnesses were different between AM-FM radios and AM-FM stereo radios.  Search on this website for further information.

Jim
'68 Eldorado
'77 Biarritz