wiring problems in deck

[kage]

In the 89 240sx there is a clock on the dash i dont know if this is true for all years. I bought the car last week and wanted to install my pioneer deck. I wanted to hard wire the system without the sockets and when i cut off the existing sockets the clock stopped working and my stereo powe was dead. This morning i was fiddling around and while i was checking the fuses the clock came on and there was power to the stereo. at this point the stereo wiring was all grouped into the deck together, possibly joing a connection, but when i went to pull the wires out for more slack the power died on the clock. I know there was power to the stereo cause the speaker was staticy from a connection to the 12v i assume. plz help. I predict that maybe two of the wires in the mess of things should be connected in order to complete a circuit but really have no clue.