Hot Rods Wiring tricks for your hot rod?

I am getting ready to throw the coals to the Produce truck and my wiring harness came in last week. I was talking with my buddy yesterday about neatly routing wiring behind the dash using insulated bus bars etc.

What sort of knowledge have you collected over the years for making your wiring look factory or neat and tidy? I am looking to buy some insulated terminal blocks for behind the dash, to keep instrument wiring to a minimum.

Pics are bonus points.

 

No pics, but I used to put fuse blocks beneath bench seats that had a removable seat base. I found it a lot easier to diagnosis electrical issues with the fuse block out in the open. Only downside is alot of the wires need to be extended to reach the dash. I like gm weatherpack connectors on my gauge clusters as well. Super durable and clean. This allows me to remove the entire cluster by unsnapping one plug.

 

I also like the woven loom. You gotta plan ahead when you use it, but I think it's super clean. And go overkill on all your grounds and battery cables. This will eliminate 90% of your problems...

 

Deto, what kind of connector are you talking about? Do they require a special crimper?

 

those ugly modern ones

 

Ugly indeed, but for under dash use I give them a pass. Everything that you can see gets old style blade connectors and blocks under the hood, but for under the dash, I like to run those. They do require a special crimper. They're aren't too spendy though...

 

I would love to design my dash gauges to be somewhat modular. I could give a crap less about it being modern. I'm looking for reliable and tidy. I hate wiring, so I only wanna do it once.

 

A few of the things we have done include:
Reproduction cloth covered wire - at least where visible. No plastic zip ties where visible. We have used the metal zip tie things - stainless I think. Also the cloth wire loom - comes in various sizes. Not that expensive. A short length of shrink tube to seal the loom end where the wire/wires protrude.
I welded a few (4-6) washers up under the dash out of sight at strategic spots as points to tie off the wire runs. Made a few labels for some of the wires - aluminum beer can cut into strips about .5 inch wide and used a letter punch set to mark them. Helps when you are trouble shooting up under there - also used in engine area. Don't forget to label your fuses - easy to forget what is what.

 

Try to keep the engine room neat, too. When I wired my Model-A I put the coil on the inside of the firewall and upside down. It was directly over the blister for the distributor. Hi-voltage wire was short. Went thru a grommet on the blister top. Real clean. Other coil wires were not in engine room. Don't route headlight wires in engine area. Maybe thru frame.
Make sure you have a wiring diagram. If you didn't get one with harness, draw one as you work. You'll need it for future troubleshooting. For each wire: where each end connects and wire color including tracers. I.e., W-BK for a white wire with a black tracer.

 

Before I started I mounted several brackets under dash with several holes in each for tying harness, heater hose, antenna wire, and vacuum lines (A/C control). Helped keep things neat.

 

there's some good stuff here
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/wiring-tips-tricks.940192/

 

I agree with making it as neat as possible and east to access. I have the dash out of my '59 and I'm about to start the wiring. Just label and mark everything as you go to ward off problems when it gets powered up.

 

Use aircraft crimpers. They are the BEST !

 

Here is a pic of the crimp. Terminal will never slip off.

 

If your truck dash does not unbolt, don't install your rear window until you are done wiring. That way you can stick your feet out the back window while you are under the dash with all the blood rushing to your head.

Seriously...

-Abone.

 

Dude, you're killing me.....

 

Those plastic insulated terminals scream "I was in a hurry/I don't care".

 

Zip ties....work like a charm....

 

What's the best cloth wire kit to use?


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/index.php?threads/My '47 3W Dodge build..960954/
My build.

 

I like the terminals with heat shrink in addition to the crimp.
Like these.http://www.delcity.net/store/Termin...ogpFwlMmoHhrBMRdrchq_NvcIc0EENZvzQaAm2X8P8HAQ

 

A couple things I do, I use a bulkhead connector from American Autowire for the engine harness', it just plugs into the firewall; for the front end harness I split it at the dash and run up each side of the frame rail, that way you don't have the harness crossing over at the radiator.

 

The more things you hide under the dash, the more you'll be laying on your back in the front floor.

I'll never put a voltage regulator under the dash again. I'll mount the fuses lower on the panel next time. I'll leave a bit more slack at each terminal.

 

Install a 1/4" bolt in the back side of each front door post and run a good ground to it from where you hook your negative battery cable to the engine or frame. A 2" long bolt should work. Then you can ground all your under dash wiring to the bolts.

 

I bought a label maker at a garage sale years ago ,I have clear shrinktube to go over the labels , makes everything look clean. When I go to U-Pull-it I get a bunch of buss bars , cool connectors,brackets and relays and circuit breaker's. I solder everything even though I've been told not to.

 

If you knew the amount of commercial as well as military planes flying with crimped terminals, you should be hiding under your bed.

 

Plastic insulated crimps like those are the reason crimp connectors have a poor reputation.... Use uninsulated ones with the correct crimper, then put some shrink tube over them.

 

Anyone ever use the Amphenol military radio-style bulkhead connectors for the firewall, etc? Wondering how tough it is to solder those non-removable pins?

http://www.peigenesis.com/en/amphenol-connectors/amphenol-mil-dtl-5015-connectors.html

 

Sounds like most vote not to use terminal strips, instead using AMP connectors or other brands for disconnect points. Those will require an open barrel crimper. Another tool you will be glad you bought.

 

One of the most neglected points is fusebox location. Car mfrs seemed to favor driver side for 'ease of maintenance'...(!)
I have always installed the fusebox on the passenger side, inside/above the right hand kick panel, for obvious reasons:

1. Ease of movement, no steering wheel to get under...Lots more 'operating room'.
2. In the event of a 'breakdown' on the highway or city street, it keeps your butt out of the traffic.
3. Less wiring 'clump', as the dash harness runs over to the instruments, dimmer switch, etc., not right up to them.

Truly worth considering, as most wire loom kits have enough extra wire lengths to reach.

 

he has a point . I remove the front seats and have a soft pillow for my neck and head and also a pair of cheap reading glasses help eye strain while working under there ( even if you do not wear glasses) . and try to find a LED or flouresent trouble light to keep the heat down ,
behind the dash I use modern connectors ( weather pack and under the hood too but out of sight behind fender lips) , plastic zip ties are your freind but so are the twist ties that come in garbage bags as you can make a nice size loom and keep adding to it and changing things before they are final , and mostly do not be cheap on the tools and tape , use a quality electrical and friction tape like 3m as it will not come undone when it gets warm out and wraps tight the first time and nothing is worse than a crappy crimp , use the aircraft crimper ( I got mine in a kit for 60 bucks but it has all types of interchangeable dies for coax to regular wire and weather pack ) they are worth the bucks or a Betts and thomas style and a seperate wire skinner with the wire gauges . as for connectors I prefer Amp brand as they are excellent quality and large selection and you can get them at the big box stores , ( I bought them in bulk from terminal supply , they also deal with small lots but are more expensive ) ( and buy the ones with the heat shrink ends so you do not have to buy and figit with the shrink tubing , and also go to the big box store electric isle and see the types of hangers they have as you can set up wiring real nice , most trained electricians are nitpickers on the way they lay out and set up there work , but it makes it easier repair or rework and lasts longer in the long run ( I known as I am a old union sparkys kid and my Dads work was litterally wire artwork )