I'm considering a rewiring project

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rod7515

rod7515

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Im working with a 66 Dart, 270 Automatic. I've totally removed the wiring harness under the hood and also under the dash. Its a good harness as far as its not been chopped or hacked, but I've upgraded the engine to a 408, will be moving the battery to the trunk, replacing the amp gauge to a volt gauge, adding a headlight relay upgrade and putting dual electric fans for cooling. Also will need to add fuel pump relay, line lock solenoid and probably some other things Im not aware of yet. I am also going to newer electronic ignition. I plan on doing some drag racing with this and would like to hide most of the wiring out under the hood. Was hoping with the great expertise we have on this forum I could get some good advice on how I should tackle this. Also where is the best place to buy terminals and ends along with wire? Gauge recommendations? My bulkhead connector looks to be in great shape so I could continue to use this. Looking forward to any suggestions or help you can pass on to me. Any pics of what you have done with your upgrades? This project is probably going to take at least another year for me to finish so its not like I will be jumping right into this. Just planning ahead and trying to learn as much as I can before I jump!
In advance, Thanks
Rod
 
I re enginered my wiring and I ran all new wires through the bulkhead connector using unused slots. I bought a kit with new male and female factory style connectors. I put electric fan controls under the battery, And the relays for the headlight conversion under there as well.
 
Mopar Tim where did you find your kit for the bulkhead. That would make a clean appearance. Can you post any pics?
Thanks Rod
 
I'd upgrade the harness and fuse panel to something like the America. Auto wire highway 15 or highway 22 kit.

And eliminate tha bulkhead connection. Especially if you want to bid the wires.
 
I'm with Joe. There was just a discussion of "best wiring" over at YB and American Autowire got a lot of good comments. There are many ways to go about this. In my case, I cut and filed a simple metal cover same size as the old bulkhead connector, and punched a hole / grommet in the plate. It snapped in the hole using the same gasket / hardware clips as the connector, so no hacking of the car body at all.

If I ever need to pull it back out, any connector on the bay side of the harness should snake right back through the bulkhead hole.

In my case, I scored (cheap) a partial Painless harness some time ago, and did a partial rewire / repair of the car. Now what I'm working on (not together) is a new / open box EZ harness. They use exactly the same fuse panel as Painless.

I REALLY don't care for the relatively poor documentation of either EZ or Painless. I recommend if you use one, "sit down" and do a continuity check and build your own diagram. There IS NO diagram of the harness in the destructions.
 
I have installed 2 complete painless harnesses. I did a full rewire on a 1960 chevy el camino, and a 1963 dodge town panel. I used the painless 12 circuit universal streetrod harnesses. What i have found is they use GM late model color coding for the wires, and what the circuit is for is stamped in the wire every foot or so down the length of the wire. Even so as another list member posted, still a good idea to do continuity checks. Additionally what i did was wire up 1 circuit at a time, check my schematics, do continuity checks, then connect the battery and test that 1 circuit. If it passes these tests, including final power on test, disconnect the battery, and work the next circuit to completion, etc, etc. By working each circuit thru to completion one at a time, you take a very large job such as this, and turn it into bite sized modules that are easier to do and comprehend without getting overwhelmed with it all.

Hope this helps
Matt
 
Thanks for all the suggestions and ideas with this. When I tackle this over the winter I want to run as few wires as I need and also keep them as far out of site as I can. This gives me some ideas. Hopefully there will be others throw in a few ideas as well, maybe even some pics of how you hid your wires.
Rod
 
Speedway Motors has nice harness kits. That's where I got the one for my rat truck. They run some great sales sometimes.
 
Not sure who makes it......but it looks real nice. Mine is a 21 circuit (which I will NEVER use all of) but I got it on closeout for 99 bucks shipped.

Oh and no bulkhead connector.
 
I took an old bulkhead connector and cut the middle out and glued a piece of heavy belting in place of all the connectors then used hole saw to cut hole for wires
 
100% agree with Joe and Dell on this. Am. Auto wire seems to be the best. I used a 21 circuit EZ harness but they're all kind of gm oriented. Can't really add more to that except if a dumbfawk like me can do it anybody can.
I do remember somebody on this site running their bay wiring through conduit inside the inner fenders tucked up high and out of the way. Very sano and clever way to hide the wiring.
 
I very close to being ready to start on some wiring work. I've studied the schematic from crackedback which I hope to follow since I have moved the battery to the trunk and need to use a shut off solenoid to meet NHRA requirements.
View attachment trunkbattwire1.jpg

Here are a few thoughts and questions that I have.
First I will be using #1 gauge wire from battery to solenoids.
I will be running the wiring thru the trunk and into the channel beside the drivers door. And yes I will be using some type of loom protection to house these wires.
Question, when my #1 gauge wire goes front, what method have others used with a distribution lug or block.
View attachment single lug.jpg
View attachment passthru lug.jpg
View attachment Junction block.jpg
Do I take the wire into the engine bay or stop somewhere under the dash. If into engine bay how did you go thru firewall. Does it go straight to starter relay first?
I hope to hide starter relay under dash along with the coil and ignition box.

When I run from the ford solenoid to the Alt what gauge wire should i use?
Same question on gauge wire from Solenoid to starter?

I changed the starter to a small high torque so when I jump the across the solenoid will a 10 gauge be heavy enough?
I plan on using the original bulk head connector to run any wires back out but to replace the connections and run new wires and hide them as well. Not sure how this will go!
Here is a pic of the mounting bracket for my trunk solenoids and fuel pump relay.
View attachment IMAG0491.jpg
View attachment IMAG0493.jpg

Im sure I have left some things out and also didnt explain things very well so please correct and offer your suggestions.
Thanks Rod
 
For mine I'm using a feedthrough like your middle photo. I brought my batt. cable "across" the trunk up by the seat, and forward in the driver wire channel. Mounted the feedthrough "through" the firewall, there will be a short cable from there to the starter

You say solenoid to starter you want at least no1 or larger

The little jumper from starter big to small terminal, no 14-10, it's only going to be an inch or two long

When you come into the engine bay it does not matter start relay or starter. I prefer starter, then you don't need a huge wire from the starter to the relay

You using a one wire or external regulator? If you use one-wire alternator, you need a BIG charge wire, because the charge wire is also sensing.

I would go no8 min for 60-70 A alternator, no6 for larger.

There's nothing at all wrong with doing things this way, I don't

I use only one battery cable, and no extra alternator cable. I use a 4 terminal disconnet, which breaks ignition function

THINK about what you are doing and how to fuse. If you are running EFI, or electric pump, this is an opportunity to use relays to feed big loads. Use relays to feed the headlights. AND YOU CAN hide a switch in some relay circuit for ignition / fuel pump etc to act as a security "anti-theft"
 
I redid my 65 dart from scratch. I set the OE harnesses on the floor then made up a new harness (1) wire (crimped/soldered/shrinkwrapped) at a time till the new one took shape and the old one dissapeared (1) wire at a time. this let me go thicker on some circuits plus some additions (plan that in your head ahead of time). NAPA has the brass terminals for the bulkhead 725145 F and 725147 M pricey (99cts ea!) & these are Packard 56 type & likely you can get em cheaper elsewhere. There are companies that sell exact lengths of a specific gauge and color & some wires have the color plus a tracer color. ABSOLUTELY maintain the OE color schematic (including tracers). At a minimum run some or all of the bulkhead wires straight thru (at least the (2) main in/out wires plus the headlights/AC/heater (if it is fed on the eng side of the bulkhead) and I relay add ons (& even the headlights/ac sometimes) directly to the power source. (keeps the ammeter honest) & feeds the draws directly from the source (the alt). Kopprcoat (their sp) on the terminals/good soldering/splicing (there's a good writeup on that elsewhere on one of these forums. I would highly suggest you get a factory repair manual for your car (for the wiring diagrams) at least
 
I would still upgrade to all new wiring like from Painless or some other aftermarket. I went through a lot of trouble with wires after my Scamp was done. Not that someone cut into them, just being old. Had wires get hot from cracks and shorting out. Change the car over to a new Painless harness 2 years ago. Better then having the car burn up.
 
abodyjoe said:
from what i understand american auto wire make them for speedway.
Click to expand...

We definitely do NOT make the wiring systems that Speedway sells under their name. Speedway does sell our kits (listed as American Autowire), but please do not mistake the Speedway branded kits as ours no matter how much they look like ours, or how much the instructions look similar. Thanks!
 
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