Homemade Wiring Harness

[hewlett2002000]

ok yall i know this is a stupid thing to do, and its not cause im too cheap to buy a painless or something i just want to know if i can do it. i have a couple questions and i hope you can help me. this first one is a very stupid question i know but... does a HEI distributor get the full 12v or is it cut down somewhere? also is the distributor hot all the time until the key is shut off? and im not exactly sure how my alternator wires up. im going to closely study my wiring diagrams i have. everything else i think i pretty much have figured out, but do things ever work out that well? lol. i am building a custom gauge cluster with autometer gauges. any help and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
John

[flynj1]

I did all my own wireing on my 55f100 and drove it for five years without no problem so ye it can be done but you buy an after market is better and easyer most of the time. As for the HEI it gets a full 12volt all the time its running. If you are putting in after market guages they should come with the wire diagrame.

[Eliasj123]

You can do it. It'll just take more time to measure, cut, and crimp.

So, are you going to use the original fuse block and harnesses?? How are you going to approach it??

It would be easiest, IMO, to take the complete harness out of the cab. Then, lay it out to duplicate it.

Elias

[SIR]

....yup ya can do it..BUT to keep yourself from a lot of greaf take the time to solder ALL your connections and shink wrap ALL of them crimp on commectors have a very un-funny way of getting loose and becomiing disconnected,sending you into the darkness for no apperant reason,then comes the wild goose chase trying to find out witch wire it is..TAKE YOUR TIME!! double check EVERYTHING!! and get yourself a curcit tester or a test light these things will help...good luck...

[hewlett2002000]

i will probably just take the whole harness out and use that for a diagram. im not really trying to do anything special but the harness that is in there is old and wore out and cut in several places. i will be using a steering column out if a 84 chevrolet and would like to use the ignition switch and blinker switch etc thats on that column. im going to make a custom guage cluster and dash insert that will cover the holes where all that was in the dash. i am going to keep all original equipment for later in case i want a all original truck someday. thanks all for the help.

[ChiefRocka]

I agree with the solder/shrink way.... ......I've been wirng cars for years.

What I did on the 'Cheif'.....low-budget build....I went down to Kragens and bout two cheap fuse panels...they have like 6-fuses in each.

I use one fuse panel for constant 12v supply (like headlights and tails...brake switch power...radio memory (if so equipped, I dont have a radio )...etc.

The second fuse panel is switched off of the ignition switch (igntion HEI, turn signals, wipers, radio power, etc.)

You have plenty of extra spaces to power...Plus they use newer fuses, and blade connectors. Worked out great for me.

Basically rip out the wiring....leave the headlight pigtail attached, wiper pigtail attached, etc. and build each circuit off the fuse panel one at a time....Use you wiring diagram for sure.

With my truck...most of the wire was OK...but the previous owners (elderly man and his even older brother) were "fart'n around" under this dash...(and pretty much the whole truck

They had one color of wire taped to a 3" piece of another color taped to a 2" piece of another guage wire taped to ...... and so on...it was a mess.

Anyway..good luck...

John

[hewlett2002000]

thats john that helped quite a bit. and the 2 fuse panels sound like a great idea. only if i was doing it with 2 fuse panels, on the panel that was running the constant always on 12v i would add a switch hidden right beside the fuse panel so i could turn that off too, so if i had to work on something that was running through that panel or if i got a short or something i could turn it off. thank you alot. i am still confused about the alternator wiring though, i have 3 terminals on my alternator, a BAT, which obviously goes to the battery, and 1 and 2, i have a internal regulator alternator but there is a external regulator hooked up there too, so looking at the wiring in my truck just confuses me more. also im going to have to find a diagram to see what wires go where on the 84 steering column im going to use. its alot of work but im not completely new to wiring, ive done minor jobs on cars and trucks with screwed wiring. i think in the end if i do it right it will be well worth it, because it will be custom tailored to me. anyways, thanks for the help guys.

[hewlett2002000]

replace that with thanks. sorry its 2am and im tired. lol

[hewlett2002000]

ok yall. i got another question. do the headlights, do they get the full 12v? as i said before there will be no switches in the dash except the headlight switch. any switches not on the steering column will be in my custom center console. i was wondering if i can just have 12v going to a switch, then to the high/low button on my column then too the headlights? i found a site that shows how to wire a hot rod and has many diagrams. heres the link if anybody needs it.

http://www.americanstreetmasters.com/wiring_101.htm

i highly recommend you go there, it is very helpful.

[ChiefRocka]

The headlight switch itself gets a constant 12v source. The constant 12v fuse panel I meantioned is usually killed by disconeecting the battery.

The GM columns are color-coded, and use pretty much the same color.

I have an old Painless wiring manual from a wire job I did....you can have it if you'd like ?!?

It was for a kit used for 73-87 trucks...very usefull and covers ALL the wiring, which uses all GM color-codes. It would be a good reference, anyway.

It will take care of the ALT and your COLUMN....and then some !!!

Would you likeee ??

Pm me your addy, and I'll send it to you.

John

[evilweevil1]

hay guy, newbe here. your GM colume wires like this.
White-brake light switch
Green-right rear turn/brake light
yellow-left rear turn/brake
purple-turn sig. flasher
brown-emergancy flasher
dark blue-right front turn sig.
light blue-left front turn sig.
black-horn
This should be from top to bottom. Sure hope this helps get you going!!

[watahyahknow]

Originally Posted by hewlett2002000

ok yall. i got another question. do the headlights, do they get the full 12v? as i said before there will be no switches in the dash except the headlight switch. any switches not on the steering column will be in my custom center console. i was wondering if i can just have 12v going to a switch, then to the high/low button on my column then too the headlights? .

i've heared if dashes catching fire on chevys because the headlightswitch has the full power going through it when the lights are on .
the wires going through the swich are thick enough when running only the stock lights but the switch itself can get corroded over time and will get verry hot , to prevent this , be able to run thinner wires under the dash and have the lights burn brighter you could use the switch to operate a relay mounted close to the lights themselves the wires from the 12 volt source to the relay and the lights need to be big so they dont get hot the switch in the dash only powers the relay on and off

make life eazier on youreself and all the people having to work on youre truck in a later date : use the original colourcoded wires to make youre own wireloom

[Bryan59EC]

Routing the headlight circuit thru a relay is a good idea on few levels.

Eliminate hi draw circuit from HL switch---Fire prevention
Dimmer switch and Headlight switch will last forever
Newer halogen headlamps pull more amps than the HL switch is rated for.
Running lamps thru a relay directly from the battery (or buss) makes for much brighter lighting---(my 59 Elky is wired thru relays----way brighter lights)

Two 40 amp relays are needed to do both the hi & lo beams.

No wiring modifications to the switch or inside the cab
about 30-40$ and you have much safer/brighter lighting to the front, and have protected the interior from the only circuit inside the vehicle that is not protected by a fuse.

Bryan

[wild one]

Hey Bryan, sounds like a good idea. I bet if someone was to draw up a schematic it would make a nice addition to the FAQ section.

[ChiefRocka]

Here you go....A nice Diagram on HOW TO ADD RELAYS TO YOUR HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT.



It's actually a pretty basic install. The best place to mount the relays is next to the Horn relay area (LF fenderwell). I recommend replacing the power-wire from the battery to the horn relay with at least a 10 ga. wire. (If it's not already)

You can now run your fuse/breaker off of the power terminal of the Horn relay.

You can then unplug the headlight harness at the radiator support, and connect those wires to the relays, according to the diagram. You can use blade terminals to insert into stock harness, that way you won't need to cut your harness. (unless you want to).

The LO and HI relay output terminals (87) will now plug into the stock plug in the rad support.

You now have FULL BATTERY LOAD to your headlights...and as Bryan mention, have a cooler harness under the dash !!!!

Hope this Helps !!!

John

[rickf]

Since wire choice wasn't mentioned yet, I'll mention it. I always use marine wire and fittings. E.g. Ancor is a brand found at most boat stores. The marine rated wire has more strands for the given wire size (compared to auto or hardware store wire) this makes it more flexible and less likely to break/crack from vibration. It is "tinned", which makes it more corrosion resistent and easier to solder. I also use the stainless marine crimp on fittings. It will cost a little more, but not much considering the amount of wire and fittings needed. In my opinion the longevity and durability are well worth it.

[ChiefRocka]

Good point...great idea, but in this case technically not neccesary. Using this relay set-up alone is a vast improvement over stock...besides the only wire you will need would be just a few inches to jump the relays. (unless your replacing the power-feed to the horn relay). Thanks again...

John

[neto]

Thank you John, the diagram will come in handy when I start rewiring my son's 65 and my 63.

[protrash64]

Reading this thread I thought I would throw in a suggestion also.....my truk will be getting some of these ideas when it gets re-wired.........my buddy worked for GM for 20 years anddid numerous programs for GM vehicles; also does extensive work for all types of racing teams (NASCAR, drag, bonneville)...I asked him about the relays and he said he uses them for everything.......I do not have much luck with salvage yards, but, he suggested the relay pack from mid 90's camaros is a nice set up to use. Most 90's cars use something like it.......my buddies camaro has one in front of the drvr side wheel well....something to consider anyway.