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Hot Rods Wiring tricks for your hot rod?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Roothawg, Jun 15, 2015.

  1. Xtrom
    Joined: Mar 23, 2010
    Posts: 1,029

    Xtrom
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Forman, ND

  2. deto
    Joined: Jun 26, 2010
    Posts: 2,620

    deto
    Member

    I don't know if its been said before, but I prefer not to solder. Not because its easier, but because a good crimped connector won't crack like solder can over time. Check out a company called waytekwire.com They have alot of great stuff, especially uninsulated butt connectors that disappear under heat shrink. I doubt any of my cars will ever see enough abuse to eventually vibrate a soldered connection to death, but its just my .02
     
  3. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,363

    evintho
    Member

    The cheap, sanitary way I've always wired my cars is..........using the parts store insulated connectors, I cut off the plastic insulator with a razor saw, crimp the wire on and add a daub of solder, wrap with quality electrical tape and finish with quality heat shrink tubing. Looks professional, lasts forever and the cost is next to nothing!

    [​IMG]
     
  4. stimpy
    Joined: Apr 16, 2006
    Posts: 3,546

    stimpy

  5. Yep these work great and it kind of helped me my best buddy was in charge of that and the wire / wire tie departments. Needless to say I won't be needing anything anytime soon :rolleyes:

    Also when I wire dashes, I route the wires down first to the bottom channel of the dash, then to the outside edge of the dash, then along the inside edge of the cowl to the firewall. From there route them where they go. That way you have no wires spanning between the dash and the firewall and makes life much easier to work on things under the dash in the future. I also paint the back side of the dash and underside of the cowl white to help see things when you have to work under the dash.

     
    lothiandon1940 and slack like this.
  6. lewk
    Joined: Apr 8, 2011
    Posts: 1,008

    lewk
    Member
    from Mt

    I solder and heat shrink everything and haven't had a problem yet. For tight miserable spaces like under the dash, I love my LED headlight (as in a light on your head) from the camping store. You look like a dork, but you can use both hands and its always lit where you're looking.
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  7. chrisp
    Joined: Jan 27, 2007
    Posts: 1,048

    chrisp
    Member

    I did once put the fuse box horizontal to the ground under the dash. Mounted on an hinged sheet of aluminum, hinges on the dash side and a dzus from an Audi under engine cover on the other, for servicing just unscrew and the panel swings in plane sight with as an extra bonus access to the back side if needed.
     
  8. Pete1
    Joined: Aug 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,253

    Pete1
    Member
    from Wa.

    I have been in the 2 way radio business for many moons so some of the wiring procedures
    from that have rubbed off on my hot rod.
    Under the dash are two terminal strips, one hot and one ground.
    All electrical devices on the car have their own ground wire that is brought back to the ground terminal strip. All hot wires going out have a breaker.(no fuses)
    All wire is teflon covered aircraft type. All cable lacing is kevlar lacing cord.
    All crimp connectors are crimped with a complete closure cycle type tool that achieves metal migration between the wire and the connector.
    A few things from racing procedures are also used like running all wiring in the flywheel area through a 1/4 inch wall steel tube and on the opposite side of the car from the two gas lines which are in a steel tube also.
     
  9. slack
    Joined: Aug 18, 2014
    Posts: 543

    slack
    Member

    I would like to see some pics( if it's not too much trouble), particularly the Kevlar laced cable.
     
  10. indyjps
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 5,377

    indyjps
    Member

    I've used those military connectors in the military, was a radio guy, 31U. I don't suggest trying to fix those connectors, there are some field fixes that may work for a while.
     
  11. indyjps
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 5,377

    indyjps
    Member

    I know the argument on soldered vs crimp. I still solder, and shrink tube.

    Only useful suggestions are to use a quick disconnect harness for the starter, and put some heat insulated sleeve around it.
     
  12. Oldbill51
    Joined: Jun 12, 2011
    Posts: 284

    Oldbill51
    Member

    I will chime in on the side of crimp, solder, and heat shrink. I was taught that any connection not soldered was a temporary connection at best. The best crimpers that I have ever found were made by Packard Electrical. They produce the proper crimp if used with the proper wire gauge, terminal size, and crimper. Bigger wire, bigger terminal, bigger crimper.

    Those cheap deals with the plastic cover that prevent you from seeing what you are doing, or soldering, are available to maybe get you off the side of the road and back home. Then you can do a good job of assembling a more permanent connection.
     
  13. rfraze
    Joined: May 23, 2012
    Posts: 2,008

    rfraze
    Member

    Nice looking work, BUT you know that you can buy the terminals WITHOUT the plastic, already? RIGHT?? If so, why would you want to spend the time taking the insulation off??
     
  14. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,523

    Roothawg
    Member

    Oh, I know, but I am doing everything in my power to NOT stand on my head.
     
  15. All of the special tooling for those is beyond what is cost-effective for most of us to be using. There are cheaper plastic shell connectors which could make great bulkhead connectors, but again, the cost of the crimp tooling comes into play.
     
  16. Gasser_Dave
    Joined: Aug 18, 2013
    Posts: 154

    Gasser_Dave
    Member
    from St. Louis

  17. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,941

    squirrel
    Member

  18. The insulated ones are much easier to find.....
     
  19. EW_
    Joined: Apr 10, 2008
    Posts: 82

    EW_
    Member
    from DFW

    The Ace tape is sticky on both sides which is kind of a mess IMO. The Tesa tape is not.
     
  20. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,941

    squirrel
    Member

    It only sticks to itself, it's not actually sticky on both sides.

    And it's something we used when I was a kid....
     
  21. stimpy
    Joined: Apr 16, 2006
    Posts: 3,546

    stimpy


    LOL , you have to be careful as one time I made myself too comfortable and fell asleep under the wheel instead of behind it ... my employees thought it was funny and left me there and went home at quitting time . I woke up around 9 pm ..
     
  22. Don't "hide" wires in an effort for a cleaner look. You'll regret it if you ever have to trace down a problem later on.
     
    Muttley likes this.
  23. Gasser_Dave
    Joined: Aug 18, 2013
    Posts: 154

    Gasser_Dave
    Member
    from St. Louis

    In the Air Force we called that tape "F4 tape". It was the only thing that held them together....
     
  24. CABLE LACING
    On a related theme:
    Several years back I recall an article in INVENTION AND TECHNOLOGY magazine (Published by American Heritage Magazine) on hand made aircraft wire looming and cable lacing done during WWII. They used pics of several Betty Grable looking ladies in some aircraft factory hand lacing up wire bundles with twine/thread and etc. Think they were making wiring harnesses for P-38's and such. Very artful and functional at the same time. In the days before zip ties and such. Would look good in any traditional hot rod...

    You can google "cable lacing" and see how it's done...
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2015
    cptn60 likes this.
  25. Dick Stevens
    Joined: Aug 7, 2012
    Posts: 3,710

    Dick Stevens
    Member

    I have used Amphenol connectors a lot and the pins are removable, takes a special tool to release them. They are available from places like Allied Electronics and are not too expensive either.
     
  26. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,363

    evintho
    Member

    True, however I've got hundreds of the cheap plastic insulated terminals that I inherited from my dad. Chuck the terminal in a vise, slice it down the middle with a razor saw and the insulator slides right off. 20 seconds, max!
     
  27. stimpy
    Joined: Apr 16, 2006
    Posts: 3,546

    stimpy

    casper electronics ( they cater to the modern EFI cars and can get OEm only plugs cheaper both in new or old dlphi styles ) sells a modern version thats 22 pin if you want to hide it and want a clean plug http://www.casperselectronics.com/store2/product_info.php?
    products_id=694

    Waytek sells the amphenol style connectors BY Duetsche
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2015
  28. One thing to check before using some of these plug connectors is their amp rating. A lot of these are only good for 10-12 amps max which may be marginal or too small for some circuits. A pair of halogen headlights could be enough to burn these up....
     
  29. studebaker46
    Joined: Nov 14, 2007
    Posts: 715

    studebaker46
    Member

    roothawg what harness did u buy
     
  30. Frank Carey
    Joined: Oct 15, 2009
    Posts: 574

    Frank Carey
    Member

    Cable lacing is probably still MIL-SPEC. It's how I wired my cars. I don't know where you can get the lacing tape. I used to get it from our wiring shop. But I haven't wired a car since I retired and that was ..... oh, never mind.
     

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