Rewiring the race car.

-

Cope

Fusing with fire
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
6,737
Reaction score
10,191
Location
San Jose, Ca.
While I have the engine out I decided to remove the old crusty wire harness and do away with the bulkhead connection completely.

Now all my high amp draw circuits run off a bus bar and my low amp stuff runs off a 7 wire painless harness. I also moved everything off the fire wall and down to the passenger kick panel.

This is my first time trying something like this so I'm sure folks who do this stuff all the time can do better but I'm happy with the result.

Pic before I fused the high amp draw bus.

20171211_153401_zpssb2fmrse.jpg


High amp bus block with fuses.

20180107_141733_zpsw6c2pb5n.jpg


I wish I had a true bus bar and not a home made one but it's what I had on hand and can easily be changed out later.

Thoughts?

Thanks for all the time and advice. With out this site my car would always be broken....

:)
 
While I have the engine out I decided to remove the old crusty wire harness and do away with the bulkhead connection completely.

Now all my high amp draw circuits run off a bus bar and my low amp stuff runs off a 7 wire painless harness. I also moved everything off the fire wall and down to the passenger kick panel.

This is my first time trying something like this so I'm sure folks who do this stuff all the time can do better but I'm happy with the result.

Pic before I fused the high amp draw bus.

View attachment 1715128336

High amp bus block with fuses.

View attachment 1715128337

I wish I had a true bus bar and not a home made one but it's what I had on hand and can easily be changed out later.

Thoughts?

Thanks for all the time and advice. With out this site my car would always be broken....

:)
Looks OK, a couple of tips
1) I always heat shrink crimped or soldered connections, I believe it add a level of robustness to the joint.
I use the Marine heat shrink tubing, there is a sealing glue that bubbles out, for a water proof seal.
2) For my home wiring jobs I always do a pencil drawing identifying the circuit path, can be pretty crude and I file it away in a binder in the garage, saves much time a year from now if you are changing the circuit figuring out what is wired to what.
3) I also use wire number tape and give each wire a number code and that is used with the pencil drawing mentioned above again, big time saver when trouble shooting or revising the circuit. I number the wire at the buss bar or fuse then apply the same number to the wire at the component end of the wire,, alternator, electric fuel pump, light ,,,

here is an example of the number tape, can be found much cheaper at other internet sites
ScotchCode #0 - # 9 Wire Marker Tape Dispenser-STD-0-9X - The Home Depot
 
Last edited:
Thanks.
I agree about all the things you mentioned.
Number tape is slick and I will get some and make a diagram.


All wire to wire connections are soldered and heat shrink. No solderless but splices used.
 
IMO why reinvent the wheel......Just me.....KISS Keep it simple stu.....Not saying you are stupid.....Wiring projects like this has a way of snow balling...
 
Mostly my reasons are two fold. One remove 40 years of hacking into the harness.

Two, remove every single wire and electrical component from the fire wall and inner fender. This car is getting the fire wall moved and I recently cut out the inner fenders. All that stuff must go somewhere.
 
The problem with using a terminal strip instead of a bus bar is, when all the terminals are "daisy chained" together, the first one in line from the power source has to carry all the current for the whole system as it passes it on down the line to be divided off at each individual terminal. That 8-32 screw in the terminal strip can't handle all your cars current. it would be much better to use a bus bar. They are available everywhere online and even Bass Pro Shop sells Ancor bus bars.

Also, I don't know why people bad mouth solderless butt splices, every airplane flying has them and they seem to do quite well.
 
That's exactly why my MSD box is first in the line.
I looked at the local parts store but I think I'm gonna have to go to a better parts store for the bus.
 
"solderless butt splices, every airplane flying has them"
and I bet they are not hand crimped, and if they are hand crimped it is with dedicated ratcheting tools that crimp to a preset load.
its the crimping pressure that determines how good the joint is,
too little pressure, results in a weak contact with high resistance
too much pressure, the copper wire strands can fracture and break down over time again resulting in a weak contact with high resistance.
 
Last edited:
I'm doing the same thing with my car.
It's a drag car that I'm going to use on the street too.
I'm wiring all lights.
When I get out to the garage tomorrow I will get some pics of what I doing.
A couple things I noticed....
Smaller wire, 18 gauge red sta-Kon connector, with a 20 amp fuse.
I'd use all ring connectors, looks like the third wire down has a fork connector that's spread open.
I can show you what we use at work to make a buss with a terminal strip.
 
You can buy hundreds, maybe thousands of types of terminal strip/ buss bars. Search around Mouser Electronics for one. Many are available with jumpers between terminals, or a strip that is made as one buss.

It troubles me a bit.........all that stuff on that terminal, are the circuits fused individually? Doesn't appear.

Hella makes some little stand alone fuse block/ panels there are many others
 
Looks OK, a couple of tips
1) I always heat shrink crimped or soldered connections, I believe it add a level of robustness to the joint.
I use the Marine heat shrink tubing, there is a sealing glue that bubbles out, for a water proof seal.
2) For my home wiring jobs I always do a pencil drawing identifying the circuit path, can be pretty crude and I file it away in a binder in the garage, saves much time a year from now if you are changing the circuit figuring out what is wired to what.
3) I also use wire number tape and give each wire a number code and that is used with the pencil drawing mentioned above again, big time saver when trouble shooting or revising the circuit. I number the wire at the buss bar or fuse then apply the same number to the wire at the component end of the wire,, alternator, electric fuel pump, light ,,,

here is an example of the number tape, can be found much cheaper at other internet sites
ScotchCode #0 - # 9 Wire Marker Tape Dispenser-STD-0-9X - The Home Depot

This is all good advice.
I would not be afraid to use crimp on connectors as long as you use a good tool.
Use No-Ox too
 
I also use crimp connectors with a good crimp tool, and I heat shrink wrap over the crimp for stability. I was just trying to say that crimp connectors are not foolproof, and that I agree that crimp connectors are used extensively in aircraft wiring, however aircraft wiring connections are crimped to a precision typically not available in an automotive garage setting.
 
Last edited:
All circuits are fused.
I' not sure why but the standalone fuse block and the painless block both came with all 20 amp fuses. I will be changing out so.e of the 20s for smaller 15s.
 
Here's what I have
Top is line side
Bottom is load side
I had all this stuff laying around
I just checked Amazon... New style fuse block for way less than Advance
I may be re doing mine

image.jpeg
 
-
Back
Top