Unless you drain the oil into a bucket and it sounds like hail on a tin roof, you're probably okay. 
1986 BJ73 - Spanish Import to US - Under New Management
- Thread starter elkaholic
- Start date
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elkaholic
Left turn ...freakin wipers!
- Thread starter
- #82
IH8 Electrical Work 
- Part I
OK, I don't hate it, I just always find that it takes a metric sh-t ton (a technical term) more time than I budget for it.
The goals for this exercise were multiple:
I had amassed a bunch of parts and supplies for the exercise including:
DROK Converter for Stereo Memory
I know I should always draw up a diagram first, but for relatively simple wiring I never do. However, I do draw up diagrams after the fact so I can recall months down the road, just what the heck I was doing at he time!
My completed diagram is attached at the bottom of this post as a pdf.
So I stated on Saturday after gathering the remainder of my materials at the local West Marine store. I disconnected the batteries through the preexisting battery master disconnect and started tearing things down.
First I removed a the unused relay o the LH inner fender. I then commenced to a moderate tear down of the dash:
When I took out the glove compartment, I found that the existing 12V converter was a 12A converter and it was not mounted to anything ... just loose on top of the glovebox. I reviewed the wiring and determined that it was tapped into 24V power for the cigar lighter and the output went to the stereo (12V constant lead, 12V switched lead, and Illumination sense lead) and the cigar lighter. I removed the converter and the taps to the OE wiring harnesses.
If you look closely at the left side of the picture above, you will see a lime green wire and a relay (wire and relay are very close to each other). I traced the wire back to a disconnected terminal near the LH battery - apparently this was the original connection for the converter and it had an inline fuse burried in it - and removed the excess wiring. I traced the wiring for the relay and it went through an adjustable thermostatic switch (just visible on the right in the photo above with purple connections) with a probe into the aftermarket AC box (metallic item in the pic). I figured this was a part of the compressor control circuitry for the AC, so I left it in place.
One last item in the above picture - note the OEM wiring harness laying on the metal edge of the AC box. This now has a small sheet of rubber glued to the box to protect the wiring ...
Next, I moved to the underhood wiring per the attached diagram.
For the 12V switched subsystem, I found a suitable spot for the 30A 24V circuit breaker and the 24V Hella relay on the LH inner fender panel and made the wiring connections from the battery through the circuit breaker and the switch side of the relay. I tapped into the OEM power outlet (attached to the air filter housing) for the switched accessory 24V source to trip the relay.
For the 12V constant hot subsystem, I made my connections at the OEM power outlet and ran the wiring in loom across the back of the firewall to the LHS near the relay for the switched subsystem.
Relay & Circuit Breaker Mounting for Switched Converter
Now that I see this in an image from the side (I was looking at this almost exclusively from above), I obviously have a little tidying up to do
Power Outlet wiring pictures
In the immediately above photo, the ground connection is top right, accessory switched 24V+ is top left, and the constant hot 24V+ is bottom left. The connections here are:
Next up, I mounted and connected the DROK converter. I chose to mount this on the dash brace that goes to the floor above and to the inboard side of the accelerator pedal. I then connected the output to the chassis ground and the constant hot (for memory retention) on the stereo.
At this point, I started to work on mounting the Pyle converter. I have seen others here (specifically in this thread) mount the converter to the dash above the glovebox insert. I looked there on my truck and it was a no-go due to the fact that Mr. T already had that space occupied with the Glow Plug Tier and two other relays I tried to see if it could be mounted to the side of the dash (outboard of the duct to the dash vent) and in the spot where the OEM speakers mounted with no success. I started looking around and considered behind the rear sidewall panels but landed on the idea of putting it under the center console. Thus began the removal of the driver's seat and the center console. After some fitting, I was able to determine that I could make this location work and quit for the day ....
End of day photos ....
If I wasn't on meds that precluded it, I would have had a few
after spending 100% of y allotted time to get about 50% complete ... 
Day 2 to follow ....
- Part IOK, I don't hate it, I just always find that it takes a metric sh-t ton (a technical term) more time than I budget for it.
The goals for this exercise were multiple:
- Verify what taps (hacks) to the OEM harnesses have been done over the truck's 28 year lifespan.
- Clean out any old wiring that was not being used.
- Create a 30 Amp switched 12V subsystem.
- Create a 5 Amp constant hot 12V subsystem.
- Create a means for auto dimming of the JVC stereo so the face of it would not blind me at night.
I had amassed a bunch of parts and supplies for the exercise including:
- 20' of 10AWG SXL wire each in red and black (for 30A converter) - SXL is high temp wire
- 10' of 12AWG SXL wire each in red and black to connec fuse panel and ground stud to 30A converter
- 20' of 14AWG Anchor sheathed duplex wire for 5A Converter
- Various Anchor marine grade heat shrink terminals
- Various automotive and marine primary wire
- Pyle PSWNV720 - 720 Watt 24v / 12V Converter
- Blue Sea Systems 5028 Fuse Block
- Blue Sea Power Stud to use as grounding point
- Hella 24V / 30A Relays x2
- DROK 5 Amp 24V t 12V Converter
- Assorted fuses
DROK Converter for Stereo Memory
I know I should always draw up a diagram first, but for relatively simple wiring I never do. However, I do draw up diagrams after the fact so I can recall months down the road, just what the heck I was doing at he time!
My completed diagram is attached at the bottom of this post as a pdf.So I stated on Saturday after gathering the remainder of my materials at the local West Marine store. I disconnected the batteries through the preexisting battery master disconnect and started tearing things down.
First I removed a the unused relay o the LH inner fender. I then commenced to a moderate tear down of the dash:
- Pulled the glove compartment out
- Pulled out the existing JVC stereo
- Took the lower dash out
When I took out the glove compartment, I found that the existing 12V converter was a 12A converter and it was not mounted to anything ... just loose on top of the glovebox. I reviewed the wiring and determined that it was tapped into 24V power for the cigar lighter and the output went to the stereo (12V constant lead, 12V switched lead, and Illumination sense lead) and the cigar lighter. I removed the converter and the taps to the OE wiring harnesses.
If you look closely at the left side of the picture above, you will see a lime green wire and a relay (wire and relay are very close to each other). I traced the wire back to a disconnected terminal near the LH battery - apparently this was the original connection for the converter and it had an inline fuse burried in it - and removed the excess wiring. I traced the wiring for the relay and it went through an adjustable thermostatic switch (just visible on the right in the photo above with purple connections) with a probe into the aftermarket AC box (metallic item in the pic). I figured this was a part of the compressor control circuitry for the AC, so I left it in place.
One last item in the above picture - note the OEM wiring harness laying on the metal edge of the AC box. This now has a small sheet of rubber glued to the box to protect the wiring ...
Next, I moved to the underhood wiring per the attached diagram.
For the 12V switched subsystem, I found a suitable spot for the 30A 24V circuit breaker and the 24V Hella relay on the LH inner fender panel and made the wiring connections from the battery through the circuit breaker and the switch side of the relay. I tapped into the OEM power outlet (attached to the air filter housing) for the switched accessory 24V source to trip the relay.
For the 12V constant hot subsystem, I made my connections at the OEM power outlet and ran the wiring in loom across the back of the firewall to the LHS near the relay for the switched subsystem.
Relay & Circuit Breaker Mounting for Switched Converter
Now that I see this in an image from the side (I was looking at this almost exclusively from above), I obviously have a little tidying up to do
Power Outlet wiring pictures
In the immediately above photo, the ground connection is top right, accessory switched 24V+ is top left, and the constant hot 24V+ is bottom left. The connections here are:
- Battery Tender - ground and constant hot.
- 12V Switched subsystem - Accessory switched 24V+ to the relay coil.
- 12V Constant subsystem - ground and constant hot.
Next up, I mounted and connected the DROK converter. I chose to mount this on the dash brace that goes to the floor above and to the inboard side of the accelerator pedal. I then connected the output to the chassis ground and the constant hot (for memory retention) on the stereo.
At this point, I started to work on mounting the Pyle converter. I have seen others here (specifically in this thread) mount the converter to the dash above the glovebox insert. I looked there on my truck and it was a no-go due to the fact that Mr. T already had that space occupied with the Glow Plug Tier and two other relays I tried to see if it could be mounted to the side of the dash (outboard of the duct to the dash vent) and in the spot where the OEM speakers mounted with no success. I started looking around and considered behind the rear sidewall panels but landed on the idea of putting it under the center console. Thus began the removal of the driver's seat and the center console. After some fitting, I was able to determine that I could make this location work and quit for the day ....
End of day photos ....
If I wasn't on meds that precluded it, I would have had a few
after spending 100% of y allotted time to get about 50% complete ... Day 2 to follow ....
Last edited:
elkaholic
Left turn ...freakin wipers!
- Thread starter
- #83
IH8 Electrical Work - Part II
Work started anew on Sunday. Original goals were to complete the wiring and assembling a new air intake system ... yeah, right
After once again verifying that the converter would in fact fit under the center console, I mounted the Pyle converter to the steel bottom of the console utilizing a small section of aluminum angle for the rear mount.
I confirmed that clearances worked, then ran wiring for the 24V input fro the firewall under the kick panel hen up along the floor (under the rubber covering) behind the seat mounts and around the e-brake to the mounting point and terminated these wires. I also ran 12V output wires from the converter in a mirror image routing to the RH kick panel and terminated the ends for the converter.
I determined a mounting point for he Blue Sea 6 circuit fuse block on the kick panel and cut up an old licence plate to make a mounting plate for the panel. Once the block was mounted, I completed the connections between the converter and the fuse panel. The grounding post was mounted on the bottom of the heater box and connections were made between the converter and the chassis ground.
Wiring connections were then made between the fuse panel and the cigar lighter the radio switched 12V+ connection, and a lead was run for a CB and/or HAM radio.
The last bit of wiring was creating a 12V power source that was switched when the headlights are on. The stereo needed this for a dimming sense and my future plans for gauges could utilize this for 12V lighting as well. I found a mounting point for the second Hella relay behind the glove box and wired the relay per the diagram in my Day I post.
After verifying I had no exposed wiring, I reconnected the batteries and tested all the connections functions. Once I was sure that everything functioned as intended, I started the process of buttoning everything back up and cleaning up my mess.
While reassembling the center console, I realized I needed to have access to the fuse on the Pyle 12V converter, so after careful measuring, I drilled a one inch hole to provide access - only afterwards did I think about remote mounting the fuse behind the removable panel on the back of the console, a cleaner solution.
The last piece of work was cutting the RH kick panel to fit around the fuse box. As you will be able to see, the panel was a bit more brittle than I expected and cracked/broke in a few spots making the cutout not as neat as I'd like
Meh, at least it is functional 
- Part IIWork started anew on Sunday. Original goals were to complete the wiring and assembling a new air intake system ... yeah, right
After once again verifying that the converter would in fact fit under the center console, I mounted the Pyle converter to the steel bottom of the console utilizing a small section of aluminum angle for the rear mount.
I confirmed that clearances worked, then ran wiring for the 24V input fro the firewall under the kick panel hen up along the floor (under the rubber covering) behind the seat mounts and around the e-brake to the mounting point and terminated these wires. I also ran 12V output wires from the converter in a mirror image routing to the RH kick panel and terminated the ends for the converter.
I determined a mounting point for he Blue Sea 6 circuit fuse block on the kick panel and cut up an old licence plate to make a mounting plate for the panel. Once the block was mounted, I completed the connections between the converter and the fuse panel. The grounding post was mounted on the bottom of the heater box and connections were made between the converter and the chassis ground.
Wiring connections were then made between the fuse panel and the cigar lighter the radio switched 12V+ connection, and a lead was run for a CB and/or HAM radio.
The last bit of wiring was creating a 12V power source that was switched when the headlights are on. The stereo needed this for a dimming sense and my future plans for gauges could utilize this for 12V lighting as well. I found a mounting point for the second Hella relay behind the glove box and wired the relay per the diagram in my Day I post.
After verifying I had no exposed wiring, I reconnected the batteries and tested all the connections functions. Once I was sure that everything functioned as intended, I started the process of buttoning everything back up and cleaning up my mess.
While reassembling the center console, I realized I needed to have access to the fuse on the Pyle 12V converter, so after careful measuring, I drilled a one inch hole to provide access - only afterwards did I think about remote mounting the fuse behind the removable panel on the back of the console, a cleaner solution.
The last piece of work was cutting the RH kick panel to fit around the fuse box. As you will be able to see, the panel was a bit more brittle than I expected and cracked/broke in a few spots making the cutout not as neat as I'd like
Meh, at least it is functional
Last edited:
NCFJ
Supporting Vendor
Looking good Sam Don't feel bad about the time aspect, electrical always takes far longer than you expect when you are planning. It'll give you a headache faster than any other form of mechanical work too. It is more often than not compounded by years of POs messing with wiring and old brittle wires. I have learned over the years that more often than not it just makes things faster and easier to replace wiring where you can as you go.
I put the wiring in for the fuel pump on a swap last week. Rather than grounding the pump to the the frame I ran a 10 gauge wire straight to the ground lug that come straight off the battery. I split off a extra ground leg just before the pump and ran that the the frame. I did the latter to provide a new ground source in the rear of the truck, it can't hurt.
When in doubt, replace old ground straps and add more
Don't feel bad about the time aspect, electrical always takes far longer than you expect when you are planning. It'll give you a headache faster than any other form of mechanical work too. It is more often than not compounded by years of POs messing with wiring and old brittle wires. I have learned over the years that more often than not it just makes things faster and easier to replace wiring where you can as you go.I put the wiring in for the fuel pump on a swap last week. Rather than grounding the pump to the the frame I ran a 10 gauge wire straight to the ground lug that come straight off the battery. I split off a extra ground leg just before the pump and ran that the the frame. I did the latter to provide a new ground source in the rear of the truck, it can't hurt.
When in doubt, replace old ground straps and add more
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elkaholic
Left turn ...freakin wipers!
elkaholic
Left turn ...freakin wipers!
- Thread starter
- #87
Euro Rear Fog Lights?
So my ADD kicked in while ... squirrel! ... I was working on the truck this past weekend and I figured out that it has a switch that seems to work (lights up and I can hear a relay click) for rear fog lights. However, neither rear taillight gets any brighter regardless of the switch position. I pulled the taillight housings and the brake / taillights are two filament designs. I checked the wiring diagram I have and the colors on the sockets match the diagram for a truck w/o rear fog lamps.
Soooooo .....
Anyone care to school me on the European rear fog lamp setup in for a 70? Does the system use a 3 filament bulb (looks like it would based upon the wiring diagram)? Do both rear taillight housings have rear fog lamps? Do the lights on my truck (see picture below) appear to be correct for a truck with rear fog lamps?
I did try the search function, but came up with nada ... and the EPC diagram I have found is not much help though it appears to show different taillights than I have(and a set in the rear bumper I do not have).
Thanks in advance for any advice ...
My truck
EPC Screen Capture
So my ADD kicked in while ... squirrel! ... I was working on the truck this past weekend and I figured out that it has a switch that seems to work (lights up and I can hear a relay click) for rear fog lights. However, neither rear taillight gets any brighter regardless of the switch position. I pulled the taillight housings and the brake / taillights are two filament designs. I checked the wiring diagram I have and the colors on the sockets match the diagram for a truck w/o rear fog lamps.
Soooooo .....
Anyone care to school me on the European rear fog lamp setup in for a 70? Does the system use a 3 filament bulb (looks like it would based upon the wiring diagram)? Do both rear taillight housings have rear fog lamps? Do the lights on my truck (see picture below) appear to be correct for a truck with rear fog lamps?
I did try the search function, but came up with nada ... and the EPC diagram I have found is not much help though it appears to show different taillights than I have(and a set in the rear bumper I do not have).
Thanks in advance for any advice ...
My truck
EPC Screen Capture
Is that electrical smoke I smell?
hoser
SILVER Star
Perhaps your tail lights were switched out. The ones shown in the EPC diagram look more like the "blacked out" ones I see on many Spanish/Portugal 70's.
FJ005's BJ73 for reference...
FJ005's BJ73 for reference...
My electrical endeavors usually involve several key phrases:Hmmmm ..... And how would you know what electrical smoke smells like.
Actually, it the hair burning I was pulling what's left out so quick
1) The wires are multi-colored and very confusing.
2) I now know how to use a fire extinguisher.
3) Nothing works and the Cruiser won't crank.
There is no challenge if you de-energize the system not to mention those sparks are so pretty. : )There were no fewer than 4 extinguishers in the garage while I was working
elkaholic
Left turn ...freakin wipers!
Just an observation, but on mine, anything wired with lamp chord should be removed. fog lights on both ends, alarm, radio and all of the trailer wiring taps. I ended up replacing everything along the left side, there were too many openings, found a 120v invertor behind the instrument cluster that ran to a socket in the rear door.
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elkaholic
Left turn ...freakin wipers!
- Thread starter
- #98
Luckily I have found nothing with lamp cord. Even better has been that the only splices into the factory harnesses I have found (to date) have been reasonably well done and either reversible or or not needed reversing. There has been some add on wiring, but is has not compromised the OEM stuff.
I tend to prefer to build a separate electrical system to run accessories rather than tap into the OEM harnesses - even in 12V vehicles. I was very pleased to find the factory provided Power Outlet to grab switched sources to trigger relays so I could create a switched system.
Sam, Prototype photos were forwarded to your email address.
