'65 FJ40 Electrical Issues/Wiring Harness Advice Needed. (1 Viewer)

[Judh8smud]

Hey y'all, it's Jud!

I've been working on my '65 FJ40 and we're slowly making progress. We're experiencing engine trouble (as in, it won't start ), thus, we've been ruling out a few things each week and so far we have replaced the following;

1. Ignition Coil
2. Starter/starter motor
3. Battery.

We know that the ignition switch was improperly wired from the previous owner, so I'm looking to fix that.

I am also going to have the alternator tested to see if it's any good, and will end up replacing it if it is not.

I intend to make my FJ a daily driver and all of the wiring seems pretty trashy so I am looking at getting a new wiring harness for the entire rig.

Small possible complication though, I have a '65 frame with a '77 2F engine.

Basically, my question boils down to these three factors;

1. Will there be any complication with the wiring because of the different frame/engine?

2. What wiring harness would you recommend for my rig, considering that I want it to be a daily driver?

3. Any recommendations for rewiring the ignition switch?

I mainly need new wiring for the ignition switch for the sole purpose of getting the thing to start, but, I figure that I might as well replace all of the wiring at once since it's all trashy and kind of rigged with some quite redneck style going on. Also, most of these wires don't seem to be in sync with the color code of a '65 wiring diagram.

Here's some pics for the sake of having some pictures in the post. More like so you can get an idea for how the wiring looks.

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[1MAC]

I made a completely new harness for mine using the old one as a template and the factory service manual as a reference. I was able to get all the correct colors and gauges from Coolerman. It probably took me about 40 hours of work, but it didn't cost much. I doubt the newer engine would change the harness much.

 

[delmandi]

I used a painless kit, it wasn't painless, but easier than expected. I think coolerman has some great wiring diagrams on here. I would recommend doing something in the direction of new! Just in case you start adding "extras" and if you plan on using the "extras" so you don't start a fire, those wires look a little old, and your fuse block could use some attention.

Yankee Toys

Coolerman's Electrical Schematics and FSM File Retrieval

 

[cjgoode]

I am going with an E-Z wiring harness, picked it up off ebay all the wires are labeled and I went with the one with the relays in the fuse box. Have not installed it yet. A lot cheaper then the painless, seems like same quality. Painless is painless for a jeep as it is a direct replacement and you can get it with all the connections already on the end, not so with an FJ40. I was going to try and save my 1962 harness but as I stripped wires back even up to 12 inches the wires inside were still corroded green inside. I figure why fight old wire, old fuse holders and so on. The plastic they used back then got brittle and cracked and let moisture in. I will probably have to re use some parts of it, but as little as possible.

 

[Dagha Boy]

The E-Z wiring harness is great to work with. I used one (14 circuit?) for a CJ7 I rebuilt about 2 years ago. Worked great. They warn you not to undo the bundles. Good, good advice. Lay it all down next to the vehicle and then it becomes clear and logical after a bit of eye balling as to where to thread everything through. Do you plan to solder your terminals?

 

[pjohnson]

Centech is another option for replacement wiring harness. Good quality, good support.

 

[Judh8smud]

I made a completely new harness for mine using the old one as a template and the factory service manual as a reference. I was able to get all the correct colors and gauges from Coolerman. It probably took me about 40 hours of work, but it didn't cost much. I doubt the newer engine would change the harness much.

Hey thanks! That sounds great and is kind of what I was considering seeing that the harness kits can be a bit pricy. Does the factory manual usually say what gauge the wires need to be?

I appreciate the advice!

 

[Judh8smud]

I used a painless kit, it wasn't painless, but easier than expected. I think coolerman has some great wiring diagrams on here. I would recommend doing something in the direction of new! Just in case you start adding "extras" and if you plan on using the "extras" so you don't start a fire, those wires look a little old, and your fuse block could use some attention.

Yankee Toys

Coolerman's Electrical Schematics and FSM File Retrieval

I appreciate the advice! Right, I am definitely looking to replace the wires with brand new wires and I have seen some kits that have added wires for extra accessories such as led bars and what not so I am definitely wanting something like that. And yeah, the fuse box is in some pretty bad shape along with just about everything else electrical on this thing.

Thanks again!

 

[Judh8smud]

I am going with an E-Z wiring harness, picked it up off ebay all the wires are labeled and I went with the one with the relays in the fuse box. Have not installed it yet. A lot cheaper then the painless, seems like same quality. Painless is painless for a jeep as it is a direct replacement and you can get it with all the connections already on the end, not so with an FJ40. I was going to try and save my 1962 harness but as I stripped wires back even up to 12 inches the wires inside were still corroded green inside. I figure why fight old wire, old fuse holders and so on. The plastic they used back then got brittle and cracked and let moisture in. I will probably have to re use some parts of it, but as little as possible.

Ok great! I will definitely look into the E-Z wiring harness option. I appreciate the advice!

 

[Judh8smud]

The E-Z wiring harness is great to work with. I used one (14 circuit?) for a CJ7 I rebuilt about 2 years ago. Worked great. They warn you not to undo the bundles. Good, good advice. Lay it all down next to the vehicle and then it becomes clear and logical after a bit of eye balling as to where to thread everything through. Do you plan to solder your terminals?

Ok sweet. I'll definitely check that out. Sounds like a good deal. Thanks for the very helpful infromation!

And I'm not sure whether or not I will solder the terminals yet...why?

 

[Judh8smud]

Centech is another option for replacement wiring harness. Good quality, good support.

Ok awesome! I'll check out that brand as well. I truly appreciate the help!

 

[Judh8smud]

The E-Z wiring harness is great to work with. I used one (14 circuit?) for a CJ7 I rebuilt about 2 years ago. Worked great. They warn you not to undo the bundles. Good, good advice. Lay it all down next to the vehicle and then it becomes clear and logical after a bit of eye balling as to where to thread everything through. Do you plan to solder your terminals?

Did you buy your EZ wiring harness from ebay? Did it look anything like this? EZ Wiring 12 Standard Wiring Harness Chevy, Mopar Ford, Hotrods

 

[Judh8smud]

I am going with an E-Z wiring harness, picked it up off ebay all the wires are labeled and I went with the one with the relays in the fuse box. Have not installed it yet. A lot cheaper then the painless, seems like same quality. Painless is painless for a jeep as it is a direct replacement and you can get it with all the connections already on the end, not so with an FJ40. I was going to try and save my 1962 harness but as I stripped wires back even up to 12 inches the wires inside were still corroded green inside. I figure why fight old wire, old fuse holders and so on. The plastic they used back then got brittle and cracked and let moisture in. I will probably have to re use some parts of it, but as little as possible.

Did the harness you bought from ebay look anything like this? EZ Wiring 12 Standard Wiring Harness Chevy, Mopar Ford, Hotrods

What version did you buy, or would you recommend I buy for my '65 FJ40?

 

[DSRTRDR]

all the aftermarket harnesses are variations on that same generic 12 circuit harness (for restoration of Detroit-designed cars), even if they claim to fit an FJ40 - yes, they all look like that, pretty much and aren't really vehicle-specific in any way

you will need to mate their wiring to the Toyota factory wiring diagram - as somebody said, search on Coolerman's website for your specific year OEM wiring diagram

alternatively, you can ask whether Coolerman can build you a replica of the OEM harness, but it won't be cheap - but this would be the way to go for as close to factory as possible if you can't repair your old harness

I rewired my 40 with a Painless harness and some custom modifications to that - it all depends on what you want to achieve

maybe putting some fuses into the empty slots of the fusebox would already help ?

 

[65swb45]

Don't throw that old harness away; someone with more patience might want to try and resurrect it for a resto.

Best

Mark