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Good Idea or Scope Creep at Work?

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by Boyink, Nov 10, 2006.

Page 2 of 3
  1. Nov 11, 2006
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    I bought an E-Z Wire 12 off E-bay.

    Just buy plenty of good terminals. The only plugs or connections it comes with are headlights, and a few for the alternator and starter.
     
    sparky, Nov 11, 2006
    #21
  2. Nov 11, 2006
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    JMO - scope creep. I don't see anything wrong with the original wiring. Mike, I'm sure you can look at the "tangled mess" and not be overwhelmed. It's just having the right outlook.
     
    timgr, Nov 11, 2006
    #22
  3. Nov 11, 2006
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    Sure...wiring issues are hard to spot in a 450px image from 6' back...;)

    It's a hack job - not as bad as I've seen but could be improved. I think I'm going to just go for it - if I don't do it now it won't get done. Plus when I'm done I'll know how it was done and be more confident in the work. Any issues on the trail now would be frustrating to trace out.

    Sparky - is this what you bought, or did you get fewer circuits?
     
    Boyink, Nov 11, 2006
    #23
  4. Nov 11, 2006
    mb82

    mb82 I feel great!

    Charlottesville Va
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    Mike thats the one I have. Yeh way more circuits then you "need" but then you have some extras for nicities like AC converter things like that. You know stuff to make picnics more fun
     
    mb82, Nov 11, 2006
    #24
  5. Nov 11, 2006
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    Mmm ... I think you can see more than you'd expect. Looks to me like the wiring to the cluster is intact, and there's a fuse box and some added wiring to the left. I'm not saying don't straighten it out - I would try to salvage what's there rather than replace the harness (but I find that using what I have on hand is more satisfying than buying new - use it up, wear it out, make it do - popular saying from the GD).
     
    timgr, Nov 11, 2006
    #25
  6. Nov 11, 2006
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
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    Mike the EZ wire should be fine for your jeep other than I'm sure the rear lights will need some wire spliced in as mine were just long enough for the cj5 by about 10". I'm sure this will depend on where you mount the fuse block and how you route the wires but it will be close on a cj6 none the less.
     
    Mcruff, Nov 11, 2006
    #26
  7. Nov 11, 2006
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    The rear light wiring is all fresh from when I did the rear gas tank / rear corners / lights. I could just tap into that.

    The problem with the existing fusebox, etc is that it just isn't big enough. I already have had to use some inline fuses in places. I'm also looking at the wiring I've done for my OBA, etc and realize it could be done a whole lot better.

    Does anyone have a source for loom that's smooth? I've used the plastic split-loom that is available locally, but it works too well at trapping dirt and dust.
     
    Boyink, Nov 11, 2006
    #27
  8. Nov 11, 2006
    w3srl

    w3srl All-around swell dude Staff Member

    Port Orange, FL
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    You can find PVC loom wrap that works like electrical tape, but lots neater and no gooey mess down the road. I don't have a current source, but you should have no problem finding a source locally.
     
    w3srl, Nov 11, 2006
    #28
  9. Nov 11, 2006
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    timgr, Nov 11, 2006
    #29
  10. Nov 11, 2006
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    Thanks Tim...I'll see what I can dig up locally.
     
    Boyink, Nov 11, 2006
    #30
  11. Nov 11, 2006
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    Nope, that's not what I got. I got the EZWire 12. 12 circuits. I have several that aren't used. Oh yeah, mine was long enough for a long bed Chevy truck.

    I had NO qualms about rewiring mine. Mine had a later CJ wire harness in it. The plugs on the headlights ate two H4 bulbs ($$$) and I had no idea what went where and what it was to troubleshoot anything.

    The new harness thankfully is fully labeled and if that wears off I have the color diagram.
     
    sparky, Nov 11, 2006
    #31
  12. Nov 11, 2006
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
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    Wow, that must have changed after I bought mine. Mine is one of the older ones that is all black wire and it was no where near that long in the rear.
     
    Mcruff, Nov 11, 2006
    #32
  13. Nov 11, 2006
    truss

    truss New Member

    NRH Texas
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    Oct 23, 2006
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    Mike, I just got the tub off of my CJ6 today and removed the wiring harness. I was going to reuse the old one, but after doing some wire tracing to find out whats what, I have deciced to rewire the whole thing. To many old splices in it. I want to find fuse blocks and repalce all the wire and solder the conections. It doesn't seem to bad. If you have the time I say replace it.
     
    truss, Nov 11, 2006
    #33
  14. Nov 11, 2006
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    McRuff, the instructions IIRC make mention of that. I had PLENTY of wire and still have some extra until I solidify how everything will run with the roll cage in and see what tail lights I use.
     
    sparky, Nov 11, 2006
    #34
  15. Nov 12, 2006
    jayhawkclint

    jayhawkclint ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    Oklahoma City, USA
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    NAPA sells 50' rolls pretty cheap; ~$20 , IIRC.
     
    jayhawkclint, Nov 12, 2006
    #35
  16. Nov 12, 2006
    brandon11130

    brandon11130 Master ghetto fabricator

    bethlehem PA
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    jeeps have wires?? mine had 3 wires in it when i bought it, you twisted 2 together and taped the starter wire on it. then you pulled the 2 apart when you wanted to turn it off. im thinking about a similar setup for the heater and lights R)
     
    brandon11130, Nov 12, 2006
    #36
  17. Nov 12, 2006
    Bruce Hamilton

    Bruce Hamilton oldjeeps

    West Newbury, MA
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    The PO rewired my jeep. He put in serveral fuse blocks. Unfortunately he never labeled anything! Also, he would splice, change wire gauge and colors whenever it suited him. Buy a Brother's lable maker and lable everthing well. Sure will make things easier when something electrical stops working. I'll be spenting days tracing and lableing just to get he directionals to work. Check out madeclectrical.com.
     
    Bruce Hamilton, Nov 12, 2006
    #37
  18. Nov 12, 2006
    w3srl

    w3srl All-around swell dude Staff Member

    Port Orange, FL
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    If you use a newer-vintage painless or EZ-wire harness, everything is already labelled every 6 inches. IMHO, as inexpensive as aftermarket harnesses are, it's hard to justify the time and headaches with homebrewing your own harness. By hte time you buy a fuse block, all the relays, plugs, fuses and wire you will almost certainly have spent more $$$ trying to do it all yourself.
     
    w3srl, Nov 12, 2006
    #38
  19. Nov 12, 2006
    jd7

    jd7 Sponsor

    Nacogdoches,Texas
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    ....seems like a good time for a rewire project also Mike, while you have the momentum going from the heater install.;) Beside that way you will know what you have.
     
    jd7, Nov 12, 2006
    #39
  20. Nov 12, 2006
    beeser

    beeser Member

    Arizona
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    The wire that Painless uses according to their website is type TXL. I think this is the thinnest wall available in the cross-linked variety. Wouldn't the standard wall be more appropriate for a Jeep considering the knocking around it gets? BTW, besides Painless and E-Z Wiring, who else makes wiring harnesses for the Jeep? Any quality differences between each?
     
    beeser, Nov 12, 2006
    #40
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