Splicing into an Engine Wiring Harness
11-05-2005, 04:57 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Splicing into an Engine Wiring Harness
I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
with much pain and agony.
My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
that technique.
What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
female plugs that I could buy.
One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
would make the wire too brittle.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Howard
repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
with much pain and agony.
My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
that technique.
What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
female plugs that I could buy.
One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
would make the wire too brittle.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Howard
11-05-2005, 05:19 PM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Splicing into an Engine Wiring Harness
H Howard,
I would wrap the individual wires, if it looks like that may take
too long, than I would look through the local bone yards for a plug and
play.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
phelan@west-point.org wrote:
>
> I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
> repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
> manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
> As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
> have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
> other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
> situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
> these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
> for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
> with much pain and agony.
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Howard
I would wrap the individual wires, if it looks like that may take
too long, than I would look through the local bone yards for a plug and
play.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
phelan@west-point.org wrote:
>
> I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
> repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
> manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
> As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
> have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
> other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
> situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
> these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
> for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
> with much pain and agony.
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Howard
11-05-2005, 05:19 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Splicing into an Engine Wiring Harness
H Howard,
I would wrap the individual wires, if it looks like that may take
too long, than I would look through the local bone yards for a plug and
play.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
phelan@west-point.org wrote:
>
> I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
> repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
> manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
> As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
> have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
> other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
> situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
> these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
> for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
> with much pain and agony.
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Howard
I would wrap the individual wires, if it looks like that may take
too long, than I would look through the local bone yards for a plug and
play.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
phelan@west-point.org wrote:
>
> I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
> repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
> manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
> As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
> have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
> other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
> situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
> these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
> for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
> with much pain and agony.
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Howard
11-05-2005, 05:19 PM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Splicing into an Engine Wiring Harness
H Howard,
I would wrap the individual wires, if it looks like that may take
too long, than I would look through the local bone yards for a plug and
play.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
phelan@west-point.org wrote:
>
> I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
> repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
> manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
> As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
> have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
> other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
> situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
> these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
> for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
> with much pain and agony.
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Howard
I would wrap the individual wires, if it looks like that may take
too long, than I would look through the local bone yards for a plug and
play.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
phelan@west-point.org wrote:
>
> I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
> repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
> manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
> As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
> have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
> other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
> situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
> these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
> for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
> with much pain and agony.
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Howard
11-05-2005, 05:39 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Splicing into an Engine Wiring Harness
phelan did pass the time by typing:
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
Nothing wrong, providing it's done correctly. :)
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
Do not use plugs or crimp splices. They will corrode and in a few years
cause all sorts of problems. Another problem is the resistance. Some
wires in the harness are very sensitive to resistance/bad connections.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Re-insulations works but over that long a reach with burned out wires
I wouldn't.
When you splice in wires do it one at a time, use a heat shrink insulation
and the proper solder teqnique on clean shiny copper. Stagger the splices
so you don't wind up with one whopping cluster.
A fairly good howto with pics http://www.fanbus.com/thelab/Soldering/soldering.htm
--
DougW
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
Nothing wrong, providing it's done correctly. :)
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
Do not use plugs or crimp splices. They will corrode and in a few years
cause all sorts of problems. Another problem is the resistance. Some
wires in the harness are very sensitive to resistance/bad connections.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Re-insulations works but over that long a reach with burned out wires
I wouldn't.
When you splice in wires do it one at a time, use a heat shrink insulation
and the proper solder teqnique on clean shiny copper. Stagger the splices
so you don't wind up with one whopping cluster.
A fairly good howto with pics http://www.fanbus.com/thelab/Soldering/soldering.htm
--
DougW
11-05-2005, 05:39 PM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Splicing into an Engine Wiring Harness
phelan did pass the time by typing:
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
Nothing wrong, providing it's done correctly. :)
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
Do not use plugs or crimp splices. They will corrode and in a few years
cause all sorts of problems. Another problem is the resistance. Some
wires in the harness are very sensitive to resistance/bad connections.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Re-insulations works but over that long a reach with burned out wires
I wouldn't.
When you splice in wires do it one at a time, use a heat shrink insulation
and the proper solder teqnique on clean shiny copper. Stagger the splices
so you don't wind up with one whopping cluster.
A fairly good howto with pics http://www.fanbus.com/thelab/Soldering/soldering.htm
--
DougW
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
Nothing wrong, providing it's done correctly. :)
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
Do not use plugs or crimp splices. They will corrode and in a few years
cause all sorts of problems. Another problem is the resistance. Some
wires in the harness are very sensitive to resistance/bad connections.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Re-insulations works but over that long a reach with burned out wires
I wouldn't.
When you splice in wires do it one at a time, use a heat shrink insulation
and the proper solder teqnique on clean shiny copper. Stagger the splices
so you don't wind up with one whopping cluster.
A fairly good howto with pics http://www.fanbus.com/thelab/Soldering/soldering.htm
--
DougW
11-05-2005, 05:39 PM
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Splicing into an Engine Wiring Harness
phelan did pass the time by typing:
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
Nothing wrong, providing it's done correctly. :)
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
Do not use plugs or crimp splices. They will corrode and in a few years
cause all sorts of problems. Another problem is the resistance. Some
wires in the harness are very sensitive to resistance/bad connections.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Re-insulations works but over that long a reach with burned out wires
I wouldn't.
When you splice in wires do it one at a time, use a heat shrink insulation
and the proper solder teqnique on clean shiny copper. Stagger the splices
so you don't wind up with one whopping cluster.
A fairly good howto with pics http://www.fanbus.com/thelab/Soldering/soldering.htm
--
DougW
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
Nothing wrong, providing it's done correctly. :)
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
Do not use plugs or crimp splices. They will corrode and in a few years
cause all sorts of problems. Another problem is the resistance. Some
wires in the harness are very sensitive to resistance/bad connections.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Re-insulations works but over that long a reach with burned out wires
I wouldn't.
When you splice in wires do it one at a time, use a heat shrink insulation
and the proper solder teqnique on clean shiny copper. Stagger the splices
so you don't wind up with one whopping cluster.
A fairly good howto with pics http://www.fanbus.com/thelab/Soldering/soldering.htm
--
DougW
11-05-2005, 06:28 PM
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Splicing into an Engine Wiring Harness
Soldering works great. I rebuilt my CJ7 harness and soldered in a whole
bunch of replacement plugs and sockets and pigtails. This was 5 or 6
years ago with no failures.
They now make an automotive double walled 'weatherproof' heat shrink
that works really well. It is full of a heat activated epoxy. This
also acts as stress relief. When I did mine, I used dielectric grease
on the connections with heat shrink over them.
Like someone else mentioned, I always stagger the connections so the
area doesn't bulge and still fits inside the loom.
There is only one connection that must be crimped together. That would
be the small brown wire from the alternator where it joins a soft fat
red wire to a regular 10 ga red wire right around the brake reservoir
inside the loom that crosses the firewall. The soft wire is a resistor
wire to the coil power and needs to be crimped.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Aug./05 http://www.imagestation.com/album/in...?id=2120343242
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
phelan@west-point.org wrote:
>
> I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
> repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
> manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
> As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
> have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
> other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
> situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
> these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
> for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
> with much pain and agony.
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Howard
bunch of replacement plugs and sockets and pigtails. This was 5 or 6
years ago with no failures.
They now make an automotive double walled 'weatherproof' heat shrink
that works really well. It is full of a heat activated epoxy. This
also acts as stress relief. When I did mine, I used dielectric grease
on the connections with heat shrink over them.
Like someone else mentioned, I always stagger the connections so the
area doesn't bulge and still fits inside the loom.
There is only one connection that must be crimped together. That would
be the small brown wire from the alternator where it joins a soft fat
red wire to a regular 10 ga red wire right around the brake reservoir
inside the loom that crosses the firewall. The soft wire is a resistor
wire to the coil power and needs to be crimped.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Aug./05 http://www.imagestation.com/album/in...?id=2120343242
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
phelan@west-point.org wrote:
>
> I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
> repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
> manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
> As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
> have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
> other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
> situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
> these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
> for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
> with much pain and agony.
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Howard
11-05-2005, 06:28 PM
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Splicing into an Engine Wiring Harness
Soldering works great. I rebuilt my CJ7 harness and soldered in a whole
bunch of replacement plugs and sockets and pigtails. This was 5 or 6
years ago with no failures.
They now make an automotive double walled 'weatherproof' heat shrink
that works really well. It is full of a heat activated epoxy. This
also acts as stress relief. When I did mine, I used dielectric grease
on the connections with heat shrink over them.
Like someone else mentioned, I always stagger the connections so the
area doesn't bulge and still fits inside the loom.
There is only one connection that must be crimped together. That would
be the small brown wire from the alternator where it joins a soft fat
red wire to a regular 10 ga red wire right around the brake reservoir
inside the loom that crosses the firewall. The soft wire is a resistor
wire to the coil power and needs to be crimped.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Aug./05 http://www.imagestation.com/album/in...?id=2120343242
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
phelan@west-point.org wrote:
>
> I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
> repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
> manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
> As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
> have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
> other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
> situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
> these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
> for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
> with much pain and agony.
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Howard
bunch of replacement plugs and sockets and pigtails. This was 5 or 6
years ago with no failures.
They now make an automotive double walled 'weatherproof' heat shrink
that works really well. It is full of a heat activated epoxy. This
also acts as stress relief. When I did mine, I used dielectric grease
on the connections with heat shrink over them.
Like someone else mentioned, I always stagger the connections so the
area doesn't bulge and still fits inside the loom.
There is only one connection that must be crimped together. That would
be the small brown wire from the alternator where it joins a soft fat
red wire to a regular 10 ga red wire right around the brake reservoir
inside the loom that crosses the firewall. The soft wire is a resistor
wire to the coil power and needs to be crimped.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Aug./05 http://www.imagestation.com/album/in...?id=2120343242
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
phelan@west-point.org wrote:
>
> I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
> repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
> manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
> As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
> have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
> other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
> situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
> these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
> for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
> with much pain and agony.
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Howard
11-05-2005, 06:28 PM
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Splicing into an Engine Wiring Harness
Soldering works great. I rebuilt my CJ7 harness and soldered in a whole
bunch of replacement plugs and sockets and pigtails. This was 5 or 6
years ago with no failures.
They now make an automotive double walled 'weatherproof' heat shrink
that works really well. It is full of a heat activated epoxy. This
also acts as stress relief. When I did mine, I used dielectric grease
on the connections with heat shrink over them.
Like someone else mentioned, I always stagger the connections so the
area doesn't bulge and still fits inside the loom.
There is only one connection that must be crimped together. That would
be the small brown wire from the alternator where it joins a soft fat
red wire to a regular 10 ga red wire right around the brake reservoir
inside the loom that crosses the firewall. The soft wire is a resistor
wire to the coil power and needs to be crimped.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Aug./05 http://www.imagestation.com/album/in...?id=2120343242
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
phelan@west-point.org wrote:
>
> I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
> repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
> manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
> As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
> have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
> other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
> situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
> these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
> for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
> with much pain and agony.
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Howard
bunch of replacement plugs and sockets and pigtails. This was 5 or 6
years ago with no failures.
They now make an automotive double walled 'weatherproof' heat shrink
that works really well. It is full of a heat activated epoxy. This
also acts as stress relief. When I did mine, I used dielectric grease
on the connections with heat shrink over them.
Like someone else mentioned, I always stagger the connections so the
area doesn't bulge and still fits inside the loom.
There is only one connection that must be crimped together. That would
be the small brown wire from the alternator where it joins a soft fat
red wire to a regular 10 ga red wire right around the brake reservoir
inside the loom that crosses the firewall. The soft wire is a resistor
wire to the coil power and needs to be crimped.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Aug./05 http://www.imagestation.com/album/in...?id=2120343242
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
phelan@west-point.org wrote:
>
> I have an 88 YJ, 4.2 L 6cyl, that is in need of wiring harness
> repair/replacement. The section that runs right over the exhaust
> manifold has been laying directly on the manifold for some time now.
> As a result, there is about an 18 inch section where all of the wires
> have lost all of their insulation and are fully exposed to all of the
> other wires that have also lost their insulation. Not a good
> situation. Additionally, the vacuum hoses were melted and fried, but
> these were easy to replace. No one makes a wiring harness specifically
> for this year. Painless makes a universal kit that would work, but
> with much pain and agony.
> My question is whether or not I can splice 18 inch sections into the
> existing harness. Clearly this would be much easier than replacing it
> with a new harness and would get me back on the road much quicker. But
> I don't want to do it if there is something significantly wrong with
> that technique.
> What are the drawbacks and/or risks in doing this? What type of
> connection should I use? Solder? I assume there are small male and
> female plugs that I could buy.
> One of my coworkers suggested just wrapping the existing wires with
> electrical tape, and that soldering in a patch would be bad because it
> would make the wire too brittle.
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Howard