Okie dokie, first bit of trouble I'm running in to is with wiring and had some questions but first hope it's ok to list where the parts were sourced, if this is considered promoting please let me know and I'll gladly remove all reference sites
----------------------Bit of information on the wiring harness----------------------
-All wiring is milspec M22759/16 which has a slightly thicker wall shielding than the M22759-32 and has been purchased from prowireusa
-All wire shielding is TechFlex Insultherm for protection up to 1200F and from what I can tell, really good flame resistance. Videos of it being held straight to torch with no damage
-All tape is Tessa Tape. I decided on this over any other types of electrical tape and it is listed as withstanding up to 350F with no issues of residue etc. Apparently also the type of tape used by current European manufacturers (BMW, Mercedes, etc).
-I was trying to figure out what the black squishy boxes are around the ends of some of the connections on the factory harness and best I can tell, it's just insulation from the elements.
I purchased Permatex Liquid Electrical Tape. A max temp range listed at 400F and 1117 volt/mil. I'm hoping this was right... Please let me know if you think there will be any issues here.
-3m high temp ring terminals used where it was possible
from looking in the engine bay, starting on the most left front side:
----------------------MAIN HARNESS----------------------
10 gauge black - alternator ring
16 gauge green - alternator packard 56 1 pin
16 gauge purple - coolant temp sensor
12 gauge blue - coil wire to resistor
12-12 gauge blue / brown - double resistor connector top
14-16 gauge blue / blue - double resistor connector bottom
** gauge blue - ignition relay top
16 gauge green - ignition relay bottom
The starter harness of only two wires used to loop from the starter relay all the way around the front of the block and then back down towards the firewall. I thought this was ridiculous and an unnecessary path. I shortened it to go directly from the starter relay to the starter. Additionally, the wires that were originally there were already replaced with something not stock. Best I could measure, the black wire (OEM red and since chanced to red) was a 10 gauge wire, and the brown THAT WAS THERE ORIGINALLY was falling between a 10 and 12. 12 was a little bit too tight and it fell easily out of the 10 gauge in my wire gauge measuring tool, and the black 10 was definitely a 10 gauge without doubt.
Because of this, I did a little digging in the forums. Again, best I could find, people are saying you should be running AT LEAST a 10 gauge red wire from the starter, and at LEAST a 12 gauge wire for the smaller diameter brown wire. There are some saying they step up to a 8 gauge red and 10 gauge brown.
PLEASE let me know your thoughts.
Additionally I think I'm keeping the ammeter for now, and if I am, this small harness is NOT where I would want to put a larger fuse correct? I would want that between the small 10gauge red wire that connects from the starter relay lower ring terminal to the firewall connector? I ask about this routing specifically as it is what Painless is listing in their Mopar 21circuit custom harness installation instructions. Again just wanting to confirm.
----------------------CURRENT NEW STARTER HARNESS----------------------
-10 gauge red - starter wiring to lower relay ring terminal
-12 gauge brown - smaller starter post to starter relay left side spade terminal
-----------------CURRENT NEW SECONDARY HARNESS-----------------
I was reading the Painless harness instructions and some others that had rewired and were saying to step up the size of the yellow wire from the starter relay to the firewall connector? Is this safe to step up even though the connecting side that continues behind the dash is not the same size? It is a stock OEM size of 16 gauge and I upped it to 12 gauge for that small run. Again let me know. Also also, I need to remake the red/purple, but would this be where I am putting a larger amp fuse?
-12 gauge yellow - starter relay to firewall connector
-12 gauge purple - starter relay to horn bottom
-12 gauge red - starter relay to firewall
-16 gauge black - firewall connector to horn relay top
----------------------OK SO NOW MY MAIN WORRY BEFORE I CONTINUE----------------------
I'm seeing people install a fuse for the ammeter (/issue) and I was looking in to what amp fuse to get correct? Again pairing information regarding those that were either running a 10 gauge or upped 8 gauge red wire. I want to say I was seeing information and electric wire gauge charts that people were listing and were saying that if you're running a 10 gauge wire, to run anywhere between a 50-60 amp fuse between the red wire lower ring connector at the starter relay to firewall connector, also listing that if you run a larger 8 gauge wire that you can bump that up to something the likes of a 70-80 amp fuse.
MY WORRY IS even though the wiring I purchased I believed to be a far superior quality than that of a standard gxl automotive wire, I was looking in to the AMPERAGE ratings and was getting worried. Everything I can find lists it as around 30-32 amp current rating based on continuous duty for wires in bundles, harnesses, or conduit at sea level. Some lists I'm seeing is listing this at a max of 23 feet... is this something I should be worried about?
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I look forward to any tips, pointers, or even anybody I should message directly. I'll keep looking in to the electrical sections of the forums in the mean time but please let me know your thoughts on 4 things:
1. The location of where the fuse should go for the ammeter
2. What amp rating fuse should I use
3. Is the 10 gauge red wiring I'm using for the starter harness as well as the small red from starter relay to firewall harness connector going to be ok you think? Any information you can back it up with?
4. Just in general, do these wiring sizes look right? I've done DAYS worth of research and constantly keep checking and exploring new places of information, I'm just again a bit on the spectrum which in turn makes me definitely overthink and over worry but at the same time, I know I get distracted and kinda have to find this happy medium of telling myself it's ok but also telling myself to pay the heck attention.
I think I upgraded the size of the blue coil wire but possibly not I'll have to double check, the yellow wire listed, and I believe that is it. That and sized the brown starter wire to 12 instead of whatever weird maybe 11 gauge possibly not good automotive wire that it was.
