Technical Biggest PRE WIRING Regret

For those that know how to wire what is the biggest regret, or "I wish I'd had" item you would do first before any wire was run in a fresh ground up build? Bob

 

I'd say that missing a hole for a clamp or grommet, drilling into fresh painted stuff just makes you pucker

 

Take a lot of pictures before you tear things apart ...

 

Adding spare wires....

One thing I learned as an electrician was that if you are taking a large number of wires to a point, particularly if it's difficult/time consuming to get them there, was to add 'spares' into the bundle. One bad wire, or the realization that you forgot something, could be a nightmare if trying to add a wire after the fact. Having two or three 'spares' available is a good thing. If you do run any spares, use the largest size wire in that bundle. The 'rule of thumb' I used was two spares for every ten wires more-or-less, but on a car I'd run at least three from the fuse panel to the rear of the car and four to the front.

 

It's better to think for 12 hours and work for one than the other way around!

 

When you run wires, rather than making them super tight and neat, leave a little extra so that you can make repairs and changes to the wire in the future.......and you WILL be doing that at some point.


Don

 

I always do a dry run before paint. I mount the fuse panel run the main loom front to back and mount any terminal strips I plan on having. No terminals put on the ends yet but install all grommets and drill for O-Dell clamps. Then remove everything and get on with painting. I've also learned you can't have to many grounds.
The Wizzard

 

Not taking more time to tie off the bundles in the neatest way possible. The wiring would look so much better if you tie off all the bundles like the military does its wiring.

 

I like the harness's that do not have the wires already wired to the fuse block. I start at front and work my way to the panel. As before always add extra wire or 2 to had to get to places.

 

+1, American Auto wire. some of there kits terminate at the fuse box.

 

Take the time to figure the routing of all the wires.
Lay the harness out on the floor in the house or garage and check the lengths of the wires and where you plan to run them in the car.
Figure out if the wiring will need to be protected from chafing or heat.
Check everything at least twice before taping, securing, and covering.
Power up with all the fuses removed, and add one fuse at a time in case you missed something or there is a short somewhere in the wiring.
Same with switches, add the fuse for that circuit then try the switch and make sure everything on that switch is doing what it supposed to. Then move on to the next circuit.
Remember all the wires are filled with magic smoke, if the smoke leaks out.... well you know!
KK

 

Add a few spare wires for future additions and draw yourself a schematic and keep a copy in your toolbox and glovebox.

 

Paint the back side of the dash white. It makes it a lot lighter to see behind it.

Gary

 

Wish I'd put the fuse panel for my truck under the seat inside the seat riser instead of up under the dash. The combination of height, rotundity, and old age make it hard to get to stuff up under the dash.

 

i weld a 1"x 1/4 bolts to the inside of the firewall, up high on both sides, then tape the bolt off before painting it. i hate having to go back and sand off a spot and/or drill a hole for a ground wire.

 

Don't wait to test the circuits only when all the wiring is complete ... because, you know you 'did it right.' Testing one at a time after each circuit is complete can save some serious frustration later.

 

Electricity is the devil, stay away from it.

 

Read this and understand it, it is a Bible! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/wiring-101.843579/

 

Take your time and plan it out. As stated above make locations for a ground. So far all the info above is good info to follow. I have been a electrician in the Coast Guard for 22 years and new installs always seem to have a hiccup of some kind.

 

That is some good and solid advice for anyone who hasn't done much or any wiring.

I'd have to add study the wiring diagram that came with the kit and know what wires go with a certain circuit before you start on that circuit.
If you have to add wiring to lengthen the wires in a circuit stick to the color code and gauge of the wires in the circuit. It's not fun to try to trouble shoot someone else's wiring on the side of the road in the dark with a flashlight when the wire that leaves the switch is one color and the wire that gets to the tail light bulb is another color. It is even worse when every freaking wire on the car is red with no color coding because the builder got a great deal on several large spools of red wire.

My biggest regret years after my last redo of the 48 was for using a fuse box and wiring harness out of donor rig that I had scrapped out rather than buying a decent new wiring harness intended for hot rods or customs. It just provided too many hassles over the years that I could have avoided.

 

Leave some slack in the wire, I've had people bring in cars for upholstery and the wires from the fuse panel are too short so they airmail to the rear of they car and I have to extend them so the carpet can lay flat on the floor, this is important cause telephone poles in a car are not cool. You would think this would be obvious to most people, but not all people aparently.

 

ROTUNDITY???? BAWHAHAHAHA!

 

When you test your cicuits use a battery charger set at 2 amps instead of using a battery. If you have a short it won't burn everything up. A battery short will let all the smoke out of the wire. The secret to wiring is to keep all the smoke on the inside of the wire.

 

I have two tips for you guys....neither one is genius, but both have helped me out over the years.
Paint the back of your dash and some of your firewall the brightest white you can find....you'll thank yourself later when you are upside down with a dim ass lite and all the blood running to your head.
Leave extra wire when wiring gauges to a removable dash panel...6-8 inches ought to do it, easier to remove a gauge sitting on your duff than standing on your head I always say.
ps. Star washers and Adel clamps....I never wire without them.

 

I use grounding strips that are used in electrical work in homes. You can get them in multiple lengths and put several of them thru out the car. I then gound the strips to the frame. You can get them at Lowes or any building suppy store.

 

Kick everyone out of the shop, so you can think and remember. Last time I allowed someone in my shop while I was wiring I found a wire up at the dash that I could not remember what it was......tore the harness apart to discover it was the power wire I'd run to the shifter for the lighting circuit. Wasted an hour, kicked the owner of the car out, told him not to come back for five days. Otherwise, its a part of the build I probably enjoy most, just me and the radio, nobody else allowed in my shop.

 

Spend the money for cross link wire. Dell City wire sells it, three types TXL, SXL and GXL. Which refers to the type of insulation.There is information on their web site that explains the benefits. You can dead short a wire running in a large loom and not burn up the loom. Absolutely the wire you want to use.
B

 

It's the snake house at the zoo, I hate snakes, but look at them at the zoo. Bob

 

Drinking heavily the night before.

 

make sure you have more than enough connectors before you start as you will run out 5 minutes after the store closes and they sold the last package that day and there stock order doesn't come for a week .

if you have to work under the dash remove the front seat and lay down cardboard and find a small sofa pillow for your head/neck , and also keep a pair of reading glasses near by to help magnify things .