Cleaning up Wiring Harnesses

[GLTHFJ60]

Looking for some advice / clarification on how y'all clean up your wiring harnesses. In my 60 I use very few of the engine bay connectors because of the diesel conversion. As a result, I have a ton of connections just dangling around in the engine bay. I'd like to clean them up.

When people strip out wiring harnesses, do you just clip the wires at the loom and tape over or do you pull the loom apart and remove the wires all the way back to the fuse block?

Not opposed to either method, just looking for clarification on what others do to get that clean engine bay look.

Thanks!!

 

[Mudder]

When I did it I just clipped them from at the loom and put some tape over it.

 

[mr jits]

I'm more inclined to remove them from the loom all the way to the fuse block.

 

[Mudder]

Doing it that way does look a lot cleaner next time you open the harness

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

two ways, but it depends on what you plan next.
1) trace them back and remove them out of the harness and the fuse panel, or
2) loop the wire over itself, then heat shrink over the top to hold it in place. Don't leave just a raw end, they can and will start fires - even if they don't get near the manifold. Don't use electrical tape, either, years ago I re-rebuilt a V8 powered S10 Blazer that someone had done that... all the tape was gone (well, that and some inbred owned it and did some really silly things). I got it because it had a small wiring fire started by an end shorting to the frame (it was still stuck there when I hauled it home).

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

Here is my reference tool - I'm not quite so fastideous, but I'd be a liar if I didn't say that I don't use these principles and procedures pretty often..... it even has pictures (NASA's training manual for wire connections)

https://www.protostack.com/download/NASA Student Handbook for Hand Soldering.pdf

 

[rusty_tlc]

I agree on regular electrical tape it's a disaster after a couple of years. They make tape intended for wiring looms which is a good choice if you strip the wires out to their source. Or you could use spiral wrap, split loom etc.

 

[maxamillion2345]

I clipped the harness at the firewall and folded the wires over on themselves and used adhesive lined heat shrink on the ends and then I taped up the whole bundle of them. Looks better but still not awesome... But I didn't want to get rid of all of it in case I needed to add anything down the road so there I left a few inches poking out of the firewall.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Thanks for the replies guys. I did not know the trick about looping back the wire on itself. I just bought some wire loom tape from amazon, will use that stuff from here on out.

I'll put some pictures up of the process when I get to it on my truck later this week

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Used the clip and heat shrink method because I might end up using some of these wires in the future. Not sure what for, but maybe

Factory PS engine loom:

Cleaned up:

DS loom was more of a mess because of the smog crap. Got it split, cut, capped and wrapped again:

Might seem trivial, but it's a good skill to have when building custom rigs

 

[rusty_tlc]

Nice work

 

[Mudder]

I'm actually really glad you posted this thread. I didn't know the wire loop thing my self so I made sure to go in and do that to my wiring harness.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

It's a simple thing for the hardcore corner, but relevant in trucks with engine swaps or buggies.

 

[jamister1]

Sooooooo, I'm gonna need you to come over and clean up my wiring harness too... Gawd I hate previous owners! In a perfect world I'd trace the wire all the way back, however each time I do that I find that I could've used a nice fused wire in the exact same place 2 months later.

 

[Mudder]

Holy s*** I'm glad I don't have to deal with that!

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Sooooooo, I'm gonna need you to come over and clean up my wiring harness too... Gawd I hate previous owners! In a perfect world I'd trace the wire all the way back, however each time I do that I find that I could've used a nice fused wire in the exact same place 2 months later.

What a mess!!

 

[rusty_tlc]

I confess my wiring is a mess. It happens when your truck evolves rather than being built. Add some lights? Run some wire. Add a radio? Run some wire. Lockers? More wire. It doesn't take long to build a rats nest.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Mine too, that's why I wanted to start cleaning it up

Next big project is the under-dash wiring. Not looking forward to that.

 

[Mace]

I confess my wiring is a mess. It happens when your truck evolves rather than being built. Add some lights? Run some wire. Add a radio? Run some wire. Lockers? More wire. It doesn't take long to build a rats nest.

This disappoints me more than it should

Either that, or it makes me feel better.. I need to sit and mull this over with a beer..

 

[rusty_tlc]

This disappoints me more than it should

Either that, or it makes me feel better.. I need to sit and mull this over with a beer..

I'm like the house painter who has the worst looking house on the block.