The more connections, the more potential failure points.

I wonder if others are missing this idea as well...

<QUOTE>"Just an idea but could you add a connector at the firewall so that when you do an engine drop you can just disconnect the motor from the rest of the stuff inside? I know there really isn't that much in there but it makes it a lot easier sometimes if there is an easily accessable connector right there in the engine bay."<QUOTE>

that IS the plan. We find that the part of the wiring harness that is within the car does not age and is not bad. We plan on cutting into the wiring harness just outside the friewall and installing a weather-tight aircraft-grade connector there. That is the part I am waiting on.

This will make 1) the new harness easier to install - everything is on the engine-side of the firewall, no crawling under the dash, and 2) the engine can be removed for servicing with the wiring harness on it, then reinstalled, and just plugged in.

Outstanding idea. Sadly, it is illegal for SCCA IT racing so it won't help me. :(

And don't worry about Peckster's comment. Race teams use these sorts of connectors all the time. They are quite reliable.

It takes less than 5 minutes to work the harness out from the passenger footwell and out the firewall. Seems like it would take a lot more labor = higher cost to the consumer to put in another connection at the firewall. Higher cost and 944 owners don't go well in the same sentance.

Carl, is there any way of providing a few flying leads from the harness? I ask because a lot of us have piggyback computers and I for one would much rather have a few unterminated leads I could splice into rather than hacking up a brand new wiring harness to re-install the computer. Just a thought, I'll be buying one either way. If you think you could do it (even if it is just a special order thing), I'd happily pay extra for it and can provide a list of the pinouts that would be useful for me (and other Vitesse SMT6 people).

Tonight from 5 PM to ? I am training a "new guy" to make these things.
"New Guy" is a 951 owner - my son Ty - and his pictures are here:

http://www.928motorsports.com/about.html

and here:

http://www.928motorsports.com/uw.html

Ty will do a nice job for you, I'm sure. He is an graduate engineering student and fussy as all get out. Picky picky picky. Just what you want.

We are still shy a connector that we need, but are starting to model some up now rather than wait any longer.

I have a:

1983 944 NA harness from AznDrgn

and a

1986 951 harnedd from Scott

and a mystery harness - what looks like an early NA 944.

Did one of you send me a wiring harness? Can you tell me what it is from?

...and - I still need wiring harness from 1987-and-up 951

I imagine the two connectors that connect to the DME/KLR boxes are the most expensive/hardest to source out new... IIRC Danno priced them out, $100+ each assuming you order 500 or 1000.

Geo, Carl,
If the connectior size is a good one, why not just stuff it back throught the firewall and leave the rubberboot covering it in the bay?

The idea is to have a weather-tight connector on the engine side of the firewall to 1) facilitate installation, and 2) make for easier engine R&R, and 3) lower costs - the empty DRM/DRE connectors on the inside of the firewall are very expensive. This way we do not need to touch them.

IDEA: I have had quite a few emails asking for "custom" 951 harnesses because of one piggy-back electronics system or another. They all seem to want it with a couple extra wires loomed in, or not loomed - they want to add their wires and then tape it up.

How 'bout we loom it with a open-and-closeable loom for you? So you can open the loom, insert the wires you desire, and close it back up?

Progress: I am working on the 944 harness and my son is working on the 951 harness.

These pics are the 944 harness in progress....

Heads up, after digging into it a bit, it appears that the '87 and later 951 harness will be significantly different, due to the addition of digital diagnostic (ala the Bosch "Hamer"). I am going to be pulling one out of an '87 shortly, and will see if its a good candidate to send to you or not.

Regards,

Excellent! We are working on a 1986 951 harness at the moment - and we always knew the 87 harness was different,but we do not have one to look at.

That sure will help.

Any news on the wire harness?

Arg! I have located every wiring connector except this one - and this connector in not in the Porsche PET or catalogs. We are stumped. Does anybody recognize it?