Wiring what you did Right/Wrong?

[2.3Turbo_T]

Add a daub of solder to the end, wrap the body with electrical tape (Scotch 88) then slide a length of shrinkwrap tubing over the connection and heat it evenly so it shrinks tightly around the connection. Now you have a tight, insulated, crimped and soldered professional looking splice! Don't forget to bundle the wires and tie them securely with 3" wire ties and clamps where needed.

 

[Neto]

A hair dryer also works well for heat shrink.

Another wiring question: What type of snap in terminals do you use, and where do you source them? (Like the water resistent terminals in late model vehicles, for instance.) The connectors commonly available in hardware stores are generally not well shielded.

 

[billy]

Bad grounds
Not using relays for antique switches that can't handle the juice
Not cleaning up the wiring as I go.
I end up with a rats nest of brand new wires

 

[Sniper]

Pick your spot and mount your fuse panel first, then run your wires to where they go.

If you hinge your fuse panel so it swings out for access, run your wire bundle in at the hinge side, that way you won't have a nest of loose wire at the box. (Last one I did was a 47 Merc pick up, mounted the panel in the space at the kick panel/cab cowl.)

A rare earth magnet makes a great latch to hold the panel or door closed.

If you need to label a wire, print or type the name on a piece of paper and use clear shrink tube to hold it onto the wire, neat and easy. (I learned that one on this site, works great.)

Run a spare wire in each wire bundle and just mark it 'spare' if something breaks or burns or becomes to short, you'll have something available to get you out of a bind.

 

[kenny c]

sniper; real great tips. thanks

 

[Neto]

Pick your spot and mount your fuse panel first, then run your wires to where they go.

Do you use a fuse box out of another car, or something from an after-market source? I'm still wondering how people connect into the panel, if it is one scrounged from a parts car. Those connectors are not a common sort, from what I can tell, & I don't think I've ever seen new ones available, or the special crimper that you possibly need to assemble them. Maybe older cars had a more common type of connectors, I don't remember.

 

[Tripper]

Do you use a fuse box out of another car, or something from an after-market source?

I always like to start fresh & am a big fan of Rebel Wire! Great instructions, good wire that is labeled with big lettering so these poor old eyes can read them without a magnifying glass! They also give RRR members a 10% discount!

BoB

 

[Bamamav]

I'm in the process right now of installing a 17 circuit Speedway harness. So far, so good. Every wire has been labeled every few inches, and it comes with a huge bag of terminal ends. I've only had to add my rear speaker wires and the lead for the electric fuel pump, they provide a hook up from the harness, but no wire for the actual lead.

I am running all my wire through woven loom. The split loom is the best, you can always get to the wire later on if needed. I had to use one piece of loom that wasn't split, it was used on the wires leading to the trunk and tail lights, so maybe I won't ever have to get to those wires.

 

[IronRat]

Lots of great Tips & Advise. Threads like this make this site a great place.

Thanks to everyone. [cl

 

[billy]

Lots of great Tips & Advise. Threads like this make this site a great place.

Thanks to everyone. [cl

Yep
Me and the boys love to joke and play around but
Ask a serious technical question and you will get solid advice.

 

[junker39]

Hey 2.3, at least my "cheesy" wiring matches the rest of my ride. We showed him how NOT do it, huh?

 

[Skip]

I love my old iron, but I don't trust it one bit for grounding my wiring. I am installing a Speedway 20-circuit kit. The instructions could use some improvement, but the kit is great. I added a complete ground circuit to the kit with a different color wire. Everything goes to a ground on the frame. I will put a ground stud under the dash that has a lead to the frame, and The back end has its own ground stud for tail lights and fuel cell ground. I laid out the big bucks for a 1/0 battery cable to run the 8 feet from the battery behind the cab to the starter.

I crimp, but have no issue with those that solder.

 

[gopower]

I have only wired 1 truck 49 f-1 20 years ago. I did solder every connection and used heat shrink you cant have to many grounds. So far so good.

 

[23crate]

2 things....

best thing I found.. any new connection get some of that heat shrink tube and cover the join warm it up it shrinks nice and solid.

make sure you have everything tied down as you go .....

I spent 2 weeks replacing all the wiring in my 51 Desoto, I was really pleased with myself, ( not something id done before) .. though id fire her up make sure all was in order. The car had been burbling away for ten minutes - all of a sudden the horns started .( car was in a shed under the house, which served to amplify the racket !) several expletives later and panicking over a major wiring meltdown, I pulled the battery cable and killed it. every single wire got the "is it hot or melted" check ... nothing....

I went upstairs for coffee, thinking haunted car .... , braved another look only to discover the horn wire (from the steering column) warmed by the motor, and propelled by the fan had made its way across to the exhaust manifold, burnt through the plastic covering , and earthed on the engine ......

we have drive on the wrong side of the road over here

crate