Build Live in Texas, drive a pickup: HDJ79 single cab build

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bottombracket said:
OK. I got the wiring harness laid out in the truck today. It’s hard to get good pictures, but I’ll see if I can describe it:

The modified engine loom plugs into the main cowl harness at the left fender just in front of the firewall. This is a direct pass-through to the transmission harness. Mick’s FTE engine loom plugs into this harness, runs the engine sensors, and then passes from left to right along the firewall. I drilled a 60 mm/2 3/8 inch hole in the firewall below the existing cowl harness firewall grommet. I then placed the ECU inside the glove box at the far right. I passed the pedal loom on top of the A/C all the way to the pedal box. And that’s all I had time for today.


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Love how this build has started coming a long.

During my Honda days there was a company named Rywire that used Mil-Spec connectors that would connect at the fire firewall and a simple twist off to disconnect the engine harness. This would be kind of cool for a special build.

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bottombracket said:
OK. I got the wiring harness laid out in the truck today. It’s hard to get good pictures, but I’ll see if I can describe it:

The modified engine loom plugs into the main cowl harness at the left fender just in front of the firewall. This is a direct pass-through to the transmission harness. Mick’s FTE engine loom plugs into this harness, runs the engine sensors, and then passes from left to right along the firewall. I drilled a 60 mm/2 3/8 inch hole in the firewall below the existing cowl harness firewall grommet. I then placed the ECU inside the glove box at the far right. I passed the pedal loom on top of the A/C all the way to the pedal box. And that’s all I had time for today.


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Hello,

There is provision for a bracket to hold the ECU on top of the glove box. Two bolts and it is all set.

Your photo shows the captive nuts for the bracket.

The glove box tucks in neatly below.

Just a suggestion.






Juan
 
Juan, try as I might, I could not seem to get the ECU above the glove box. Do I need to cap off the plastic defrost tubes that go to the sides of the dash?

Perhaps I can find a bracket and try again to relocate.
 
bottombracket said:
Juan, try as I might, I could not seem to get the ECU above the glove box. Do I need to cap off the plastic defrost tubes that go to the sides of the dash?

Perhaps I can find a bracket and try again to relocate.
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Hello,

You do not need to cap off the defrost tubes. You need the brackets, two if I remember correctly.

The ECU fits slightly inside the glove box's upper frame. It is a bit tricky, but it fits.

@Meshal 's pictures show how the ECU is mounted.






Juan

EDIT: I found the diagram below.

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Oh my God. I can’t believe it. How did I not Tetris this thing in here before? I’m ordering the brackets from Japan.

Thank you @JuanJ @OGBeno and especially @Meshal who just spent an hour of FaceTime video with me trying to figure out where relays go in this harness. Owe you, brothers.

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Tucker, this thing might burn diesel this week!

It’s one in the morning, and it’s a cool clear night after a rainstorm here in Central Texas.

I’m ecstatic. I got Mick’s harness connected tonight. It took a couple of iterations to sort out best routing, but I pulled a starter off of another FTE, installed the starter and a ground cable and temporarily mocked up a spare battery.

The starter solenoid clicks when I turn the key and lights and gauges are starting to come on. This is just incredibly exciting. I’m a 10 amp fuse and 11 quarts of oil from being able to fire this thing up. I just can’t wait.

Pictures won’t really do it justice because I’ve got to tidy up the brake lines and secure them, run the vacuum line across the firewall, and then secure the engine management harness, gearbox harness, and finish putting the accessories on. But man, it’s close.

I’ve also got the ECU tucked in place with enough loom length, and the tach converter in place which Mick pre-wired to also be plug-in play. I’ll drop an eBay link.

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GMan, surgery at 5:00? :p
 
Nope, clinic at 8:30….with clean fingernails and just a couple calluses.

All I wanna do is get this running.

Now I have to be slow and systematic and not miss anything….torque and tighten and be careful.
 
bottombracket said:
Nope, clinic at 8:30….with clean fingernails and just a couple calluses.

All I wanna do is get this running.

Now I have to be slow and systematic and not miss anything….torque and tighten and be careful.
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Loving the recent progress, this thing is going to be something really cool. I need to swing by...
 
bottombracket said:
Tucker, this thing might burn diesel this week!

It’s one in the morning, and it’s a cool clear night after a rainstorm here in Central Texas.

I’m ecstatic. I got Mick’s harness connected tonight. It took a couple of iterations to sort out best routing, but I pulled a starter off of another FTE, installed the starter and a ground cable and temporarily mocked up a spare battery.

The starter solenoid clicks when I turn the key and lights and gauges are starting to come on. This is just incredibly exciting. I’m a 10 amp fuse and 11 quarts of oil from being able to fire this thing up. I just can’t wait.

Pictures won’t really do it justice because I’ve got to tidy up the brake lines and secure them, run the vacuum line across the firewall, and then secure the engine management harness, gearbox harness, and finish putting the accessories on. But man, it’s close.

I’ve also got the ECU tucked in place with enough loom length, and the tach converter in place which Mick pre-wired to also be plug-in play. I’ll drop an eBay link.

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Great progress, looking forward to seeing this truck at the end of June.
 
I don’t know why little things like this are so exciting.

I threw a lightbulb in the driver’s side headlight connector. Low beam and high beam indicators light up on the dashboard… But the dash doesn’t illuminate. I will check grounds and fuses. But it’s exciting to see things come to life.

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Two steps assembly, one step disassembly. I figured it would be easier to take the hood and radiator support off to manage all the little things in the engine bay that still need to go back together.

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Next up is vacuum. Because this motor came from an HDJ100, it doesn’t have a large vacuum port for the brake booster. So I grabbed the separate union 90405–09142.

I figured the easiest thing to do would to just run a custom 3/8” Nicopp hard vacuum line from left to right and then use the stock, vacuum tubing, reservoir, etc. it’s a little bit hard to see here, but I’m routing it behind the front tubular crossmember.
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I can't wait to see the "as built" drawings on this thing
 
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