New Wiring Harness Install Tips

homewood4

homewood4

Precision Fit
Oct 23, 2009
522
Citrus Heights & Tahoe
First Name
Greg
Willys Model
  1. Pickup
Willys Year:
  1. 1954
Willbe starting install of new wiring harness (from Walcks).
Any tips/tricks I should know about before I start? Any mistakes I can avoid?
Start in cab or from firewall side?
Do gauges have to be in first? Want to get them rechromed first but anxious to get "wired" ...
 
I started from the very back. Walcks harness. I thought that way I would get all the loose wires out of the way first. Easy peasy. Colour coding and expected lengths to connections helped.
John.
 
Plan Plan Plan!!!!

I would start under the dash if that where your fuse box is going to be. Guessing you are using a universal not a reproduction. Prior to starting lay it on the floor and bundle into sections like engine, front lighting, cluster, column, rear lights with fuel sending unit.
Once bundled I would loosely tape them up to allow for easier running etc. also mark em with a sharpie and blue painter tape?

I did a new harness in my 69 CJ-5 and kept a legal pad handy to scribble notes on. Once I was done it was easy to transfer to a one of a kind wiring harness in MS paint for the work that was done. It went with the Jeep when I sold it.
Eric B
 
Let me know how the harness install goes. I am looking at getting a harness from Walcks or Jeepsterman for my truck. I am curious to hear how the harness fits.
 
I'm in the same boat as you, got the walcks repro wiring harness last week.
 
Greg,
I am slow and missed the fact that you did a reproduction harness. I can't use one of them so I was thinking about the challenge I have. Sorry.

Some of the things I mentioned will still help a bit though....


Eric
 
Went down this path last year with my 55 Pickup. Bought the harness from Walcks, who I have had a preference towards doing business with all during the restoration. Anyhow, it took us one weekend, all day saturday, at a reasonable pace, and then sunday to wrap up.

We laid out the new harness in areas on a table, so that we knew roughly what went wear and familiarized ourselves with the wiring diagram. This is an important step, you want to think it through. We then looked at the old harness so as to familiarize ourselves with the routing pattern. If you have a digital camera, pictures would probably be a good idea.

We then set about removing the old harness, under the dash, then engine, then rear area. New harness started under dash, and it treed out from there. You ight want to have some plastic tie straps handy so as to help with a clean routing. The guide they give you is very basic, and certain areas not entirely clear, such as the high low switch on the floor. In several cases, ie, turn signals and hi low beam, it was a bit of trial and error.

You would also be wise to change out the dash board/dome light bulbs while you are at it. They are relatively inexpensive. I also swapped out the high low beam switch, light switch, and sensors (Temp and oil pressure) since we had to get into those areas anyway.

Go slow, and steady. I had a buddy work with me, and two hands, and at times heads, are better than one. Make sure theres some good music in the background, and some refreshments - for me it was a terrific weekend for all the right reasons.
 
I am just starting the wiring on my 56, and am using a 12v conversion reproduction harness from Walcks. It looks overwhelming at first, but as I start to lay it out, I think it will be pretty straight forward. At this point, I have the harness through the firewall, but am a little stuck. There are three wires that "y" off and go to the (1. oil sensor, 2. temp sensor, and 3. coil) If I leave this "Y" intersection on the engine side of the firewall, then it doesn't appear the rest of the wires are long enough to reach the gauges. If I put this "y" intersection inside the cab, I can run these leads back through the firewall at a different location, but they aren't quite long enough to get to the coil....should be okay on the temp and oil sensor. Obviously, extending one wire is easier than many, but I am just looking for guidance, and hopefully some good pictures of the harness on either side of the firewall. Also, please note that I have re-skinned my firewall since it was in such bad shape, so I might be missing some some necessary access holes through the firewall.

Thanks for any help!!!!!
 
homewood4 said:
Start in cab or from firewall side?
Click to expand...

I started from inside the cab. Of course it was a bit easier to do that with the truck in pieces:

000_0003.jpg


:)

homewood4 said:
Do gauges have to be in first?
Click to expand...

Gauges don't have to be in first. If they're not, I'd connect the wires to the gauge before installing them in the dash - but don't tighten the nut. That'll let the wires move around and find their 'position'. Once you have the gauge mounted to the dash, then snug up the nuts. It's a rat's nest under there no matter what you do. :)

speedo.jpg
 
Thanks Mathman. My truck is in pieces too, and fortunately everything is clean and new. How did you route the two sensor wires (oil and temp), and the coil wire. They "T" off from the interior harness, and I am trying to determine if I leave this "T' inside the cab and route these three wires through the firewall, or run this "T' on the outside (engine side) of the firewall. If it this group of wires go through the firewall from the inside, where is the access hole that you used?, or is that what I am seeing in your first picture?
 
fj80fornow said:
Thanks Mathman. My truck is in pieces too, and fortunately everything is clean and new. How did you route the two sensor wires (oil and temp), and the coil wire. They "T" off from the interior harness, and I am trying to determine if I leave this "T' inside the cab and route these three wires through the firewall, or run this "T' on the outside (engine side) of the firewall. If it this group of wires go through the firewall from the inside, where is the access hole that you used?, or is that what I am seeing in your first picture?
Click to expand...

Not sure if it's the same on yours since I have the F4-134 engine. The two sections of wiring came through two different holes. One of them is just to the side of the choke cable and the other above the horn. The section by the choke has all of the wires for the voltage regulator, temp sender, and distributor. I'd have to go look which section had the oil sender, don't remember off the top of my head, but it's on the exhaust side, rear of the engine.

000_0004.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top