Best methodology for making wiring harnesses
09-14-2011, 03:18 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Posts: 972
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Best methodology for making wiring harnesses
hey all,
What do we think is the best way to make wiring harnesses? I have aftermarket ECU and I would like to make a harness (a spare) that is modular so that it can be disconnected from the engine in the bay and moved to a different engine with minimal pain. I was thinking of incorporating 25-pin DIN connectors (or the like) to achieve this, since they are shielded and can be screwed together in a secure fashion. Is this a terrible idea?
If the idea is sound but I should be using a different sort of connector, what should it be? I have two-conductor shielded wire for the knock sensors and crank position sensor. Should I be using single-conductor shielded wire for any others (I have a pile of mil-spec Teflon insulated silver strand, silver shield wire ready to hand)?
The car will have MAP, TPS, ISV, intake temperature, water temp, injectors, flappy actuator.
Any suggestions/advice/ideas would be welcome. The car runs fine now with the harness that I've built, but I'd like a spare to swap in as I have a backup engine that I would like to work on, and two harnesses are obviously superior. Plus if I build from scratch to a connector, I can perfectly optimize all of the lengths, etc so that the harness is easily removable.
What do we think is the best way to make wiring harnesses? I have aftermarket ECU and I would like to make a harness (a spare) that is modular so that it can be disconnected from the engine in the bay and moved to a different engine with minimal pain. I was thinking of incorporating 25-pin DIN connectors (or the like) to achieve this, since they are shielded and can be screwed together in a secure fashion. Is this a terrible idea?
If the idea is sound but I should be using a different sort of connector, what should it be? I have two-conductor shielded wire for the knock sensors and crank position sensor. Should I be using single-conductor shielded wire for any others (I have a pile of mil-spec Teflon insulated silver strand, silver shield wire ready to hand)?
The car will have MAP, TPS, ISV, intake temperature, water temp, injectors, flappy actuator.
Any suggestions/advice/ideas would be welcome. The car runs fine now with the harness that I've built, but I'd like a spare to swap in as I have a backup engine that I would like to work on, and two harnesses are obviously superior. Plus if I build from scratch to a connector, I can perfectly optimize all of the lengths, etc so that the harness is easily removable.
09-14-2011, 09:42 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Posts: 972
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Also, does anyone know off the top of their head the diameter of the hole in the boot/grommet that goes through the firewall that is connected to the engine harness?
EDIT: Wait, better idea. Does anyone know the size of the hole in the firewall? It's probably easier to source an appropriate (and new) grommet than to tailor connectors to fit. I would like to use something like this
EDIT: Wait, better idea. Does anyone know the size of the hole in the firewall? It's probably easier to source an appropriate (and new) grommet than to tailor connectors to fit. I would like to use something like this
Last edited by tveltman; 09-14-2011 at 10:16 PM.
09-14-2011, 11:35 PM
#4
Administrator - "Tyson"
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
09-15-2011, 12:28 AM
#5
Rennlist Member
^^^^^Man would that make pulling the engine a snap
09-15-2011, 02:11 AM
#6
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Posts: 972
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, that is the other motivation....
EDIT: I've thought about this a little bit more. I like those weatherpack units, but just out of curiosity, I priced mil-spec connectors that have a threaded locking mechanism and strain relief, and to get enough connections through the hole in the firewall in reasonable wire sizes would cost somewhere around $340 for the connectors alone. They would be pretty, but not $340 pretty methinks. At that price I could buy about 7 sets of those 22-pin jobs. It's hard to tell how good the strain relief would be, but frankly, at that price I could just fill the connector with epoxy once it's connected and forget about it. If something needs replacing I could cut it out and put a new one in (although admittedly wiring that is a pain in the butt) and still be way ahead. Normally I hate kludgey fixes, but this one is somewhat tempting, I must admit. Perhaps I could make a strain-relief bracket in the machine shop...
EDIT: I've thought about this a little bit more. I like those weatherpack units, but just out of curiosity, I priced mil-spec connectors that have a threaded locking mechanism and strain relief, and to get enough connections through the hole in the firewall in reasonable wire sizes would cost somewhere around $340 for the connectors alone. They would be pretty, but not $340 pretty methinks. At that price I could buy about 7 sets of those 22-pin jobs. It's hard to tell how good the strain relief would be, but frankly, at that price I could just fill the connector with epoxy once it's connected and forget about it. If something needs replacing I could cut it out and put a new one in (although admittedly wiring that is a pain in the butt) and still be way ahead. Normally I hate kludgey fixes, but this one is somewhat tempting, I must admit. Perhaps I could make a strain-relief bracket in the machine shop...
Last edited by tveltman; 09-15-2011 at 03:55 AM.
09-15-2011, 05:05 AM
#7
Three Wheelin'
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Posts: 1,295
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, that is the other motivation....
EDIT: I've thought about this a little bit more. I like those weatherpack units, but just out of curiosity, I priced mil-spec connectors that have a threaded locking mechanism and strain relief, and to get enough connections through the hole in the firewall in reasonable wire sizes would cost somewhere around $340 for the connectors alone. They would be pretty, but not $340 pretty methinks. At that price I could buy about 7 sets of those 22-pin jobs. It's hard to tell how good the strain relief would be, but frankly, at that price I could just fill the connector with epoxy once it's connected and forget about it. If something needs replacing I could cut it out and put a new one in (although admittedly wiring that is a pain in the butt) and still be way ahead. Normally I hate kludgey fixes, but this one is somewhat tempting, I must admit. Perhaps I could make a strain-relief bracket in the machine shop...
EDIT: I've thought about this a little bit more. I like those weatherpack units, but just out of curiosity, I priced mil-spec connectors that have a threaded locking mechanism and strain relief, and to get enough connections through the hole in the firewall in reasonable wire sizes would cost somewhere around $340 for the connectors alone. They would be pretty, but not $340 pretty methinks. At that price I could buy about 7 sets of those 22-pin jobs. It's hard to tell how good the strain relief would be, but frankly, at that price I could just fill the connector with epoxy once it's connected and forget about it. If something needs replacing I could cut it out and put a new one in (although admittedly wiring that is a pain in the butt) and still be way ahead. Normally I hate kludgey fixes, but this one is somewhat tempting, I must admit. Perhaps I could make a strain-relief bracket in the machine shop...
How much strain are you expecting to deal with?
Trending Topics
09-15-2011, 05:05 AM
#8
Three Wheelin'
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Posts: 1,295
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've been thinking about using two of these when I drop CIS from the 79:
http://www.amazon.com/Delphi-Packard...6054111&sr=8-6
http://www.amazon.com/Delphi-Packard...6054111&sr=8-6
09-15-2011, 05:22 AM
#9
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Posts: 972
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't expect much at all, but I prefer to overbuild things where possible. Overbuilt is the German way, after all. In this case, though, I don't think it's worth doubling the cost of the harness...
Does anyone know of a source for the 10-pin connectors used in the factory wiring harness (plugs V and W I think)?
Does anyone know of a source for the 10-pin connectors used in the factory wiring harness (plugs V and W I think)?
