Builds My '78 FJ40 "44" (5 Viewers)

[Solace in Solitude]

You could replace the insulation with heat-shrink tubing, but personally I would replace that length of wire where the insulation melted/burned off just to be sure.

I know I'm contrarian - but rest assured, I'd save the money and reuse the harness if I thought it could work. The harness on Shipwreck? - that is the 2nd harness I've replaced. The '40 I had when I lived in Reno, I had to replace it too. I spent 6 months trying to get it to work and completely failed - I'd fix one problem then the issue would move upstream to those hateful connectors. All of this was on a 59 - so there wasn't much there in the way of electronics....

Thanks guys!!

You are validating my concerns.

I spent weeks trying to work around a rear harness that had been 'enhanced', by a PO, to allow 44 to be towed behind a Class A RV... the frustration was unbearable... fix one thing, break another, fix it, break another... I finally paid Mark (@Coolerman) for a new rear harness.

I caused this current harness issue... but, I really don't want to spend the rest of my life trying to work through potential issues.

As SBG said, I have the harness out right now... why not do it right and just build a new harness?

I would like to match the wire colors though... so, I'll see what Mark says and make a decision.

From another perspective... I can get a '73 harness (almost unmodified) right now and build from it... it's even older wire... but, I haven't checked yet... are there large differences between a '73 harness and a '78 harness?

@DanS HJ-45 and @handcannon both recommend picking up a Toyota harness from a junkyard and using the wire/components to fix my harness... the only problem is... this would require me pulling the harness, at the junkyard... I can't do that... it was way too painful and all I could do to pull mine.

Are there people who will pull a junkyard harness, for a price?

Edit: If I were to go this route, what years and which model Toyota would be best?

 

[handcannon]

If you don't have the flexibility to be pain free when pulling a harness, then you might be better off to build from scratch. Doing so would allow you to work in an upright position, and have a sheet of plywood (or?) to spread out the harness onto.

I personally don't trust most of the wrecking yard help to be particular enough to pull a harness that would meet my specs.

Don

 

[Solace in Solitude]

If you don't have the flexibility to be pain free when pulling a harness, then you might be better off to build from scratch. Doing so would allow you to work in an upright position, and have a sheet of plywood (or?) to spread out the harness onto.

I personally don't trust most of the wrecking yard help to be particular enough to pull a harness that would meet my specs.

Don

Thanks Don... That was my assumption as well.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

is a 73 and 78 harness different - very much so. Just for starter, the starter switch is in the dash on a 73, tail lights are yellow/red on a 78, red on a 73.... how much time do you want to put into this? a new harness is $450 with a water proof fuse panel from painless; I sold my 71 harness for $100, but I'd bet the guy who bought it spends at least 16 to 24 hours tracing, fixing, and reinstalling on his vehicle.

I get keeping a harness for a concours restoration - but on a working rig? oh heavens no. I'd even consider buyinga 78 harness and stuffing into your attic for if you do a resto... but until then ruin new wires.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

is a 73 and 78 harness different - very much so. Just for starter, the starter switch is in the dash on a 73, tail lights are yellow/red on a 78, red on a 73.... how much time do you want to put into this? a new harness is $450 with a water proof fuse panel from painless; I sold my 71 harness for $100, but I'd bet the guy who bought it spends at least 16 to 24 hours tracing, fixing, and reinstalling on his vehicle.

I get keeping a harness for a concours restoration - but on a working rig? oh heavens no. I'd even consider buyinga 78 harness and stuffing into your attic for if you do a resto... but until then ruin new wires.

I will never do a resto... I'm simply too busy fixing my mistakes.

Well.. I get your point, but take exception with your "ruin" new wires just 'cuz I ruined my harness, doesn't mean I will ruin new wires too... well, perhaps...

Where did you find an FJ40 Painless harness? Every place I've found one is "out of stock".

Thanks!!

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I bought mine from Summit. With that said, I'm about 90% certain there is no difference between the "universal" waterproof harness and the FJ40...

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I bought mine from Summit. With that said, I'm about 90% certain there is no difference between the "universal" waterproof harness and the FJ40...

Thanks!!

 

[Coolerman]

I didn't think to come to your thread to respond to this issue!

I will jump all over the place here responding to some of the posts about harness repair.
A linemans splice is total overkill when splicing two simple harness wires together. That splice is as old as the telegraph, and was designed for SOLID wire, though you can, with smaller gauges, do stranded wire. It was designed, as stated, for wires under high tension. Think wires strung between telegraph poles.
Automotive harness wires are not under tension when taped up inside a harness. The best way to create a good solid splice, IF you have the proper crimping tools, and it's the way that Toyota did it, is to use U-Splice crimps or short barrel compression rings. The U-Splices are simple U shaped brass crimps that you crimp onto the wires using an open barrel crimper. They come in several sizes, depending on what size wires you are joining. I use these to re-create 95% of all splices in new harnesses, or when splicing in new wire to old harnesses. The rest of the splices are in later model harnesses where you have to splice in two 12ga wires to a 10 ga wire. I use the large compression rings for those and a small "hammer powered" battery lug crimping die to compress it. Toyota sometimes did not even tape these splices! They just wrapped them into the harness bare. I use heat shrink over mine just because I'm anal.

The second best way is to solder and heat shrink. This works very well for wires up to 14ga and most folks already have the tools and skills to do it. However, when the wire sizes exceed 12ga, or there are multiple large wires to splice together, this becomes more difficult. It is very difficult to get enough heat into a large splice to melt solder even with the large 100 watt pistol type guns. Also it's really easy to overheat the wire insulation trying to get to solder melting temps. Especially the GPT insulation on stock Toyota wire. It melts at very low temps! This is the main reason I use GXL rated wire for new harnesses and all repairs to old harnesses. The insulation has a much higher melting point. One trick is to use a couple of large alligator clips to clip on each side of a splice to act as a heat sink and then use a small butane torch to QUICKLY get the joint hot. I also sometimes use a fiberglass sleeve over the two ends to protect the insulation from burns.

The third way to splice is to use the un-insulated butt splices and cover them with heat shrink. The insulated versions are crap and should only be used when nothing else is available.

The wires in the harness mentioned above that are bare, got that way only because they were laying next to the large WL wire that got so hot it melted it's insulation off. Any wire next to it would also have it's insulation melted, but that wire itself would not have overheated. The smaller wires did NOT over heat so there is no need to replace the entire wire when it's just missing a section of insulation. Tape it and go on. Now if you do find a wire that appears to have been truly overheated from within due to a short then YES!, replace it end to end! The over heated copper wire will be brittle and will break later on.

There is nothing wrong with the Universal harnesses. They use GXL wire, are clearly marked with their function end to end, use modern ATC style fuses and are super simple to wire: IF you are building a Chevy street rod that is...

If you are interfacing one to a Toyota FJ40 and do not truly understand how DC circuits work, and don't know how to read a wiring diagram, you are going to be spending hours and hours figuring out how to make things like the Turn signals, Hazards, and Wipers switches, and the Gauge Cluster interface to the "Painless" harness. Now if you DO understand basic DC, and DO know how to read a schematic it can be relatively easy.

I can easily build the section of harness that melted including all the splices into it. All the ends will be terminated properly. You will only have to remove a single terminal from the key switch connector to install this repair harness. I will even through in a homemade tool to remove said terminal!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Ok... I took up Mark's (@Coolerman ) kind offer... he built me new WL and W segments (including the fusible link and attachment points)... I also bought some of his harness wrap.

To more easily pull the harness out, I removed my heaters and the heater blower... I've boxed it all up, but doubt I will ever reinstall it... I simply have no need for a heater... my headers runs at 450* and, even with insulation, I still get plenty of heat in the cab.

My 'Mark' packagel arrived last night and I put my harness back together today (the only real damage was to those two segments... I had to tape a few places where insulation was melted on other wires, but the wires were fine) and wrapped it all up.

I have my spine surgeon appointment tomorrow, so I hope to start reinstalling the harness on Tuesday.

I also puled the OEM fuel pump and blocked the hole with a Big Block Chevy Block-off Plate and wired the two Carter electric fuel pumps... I still need to wire the Oil Pressure Safety Switch into the DPDT hot wire... but, that will happen after I reinstall the harness and get everything hooked back up.

Here's my harness... I'll post pictures and drawings and documentation for my fuel delivery system, once I have it all working.

 

[Coolerman]

Your going to work on the Cruiser one day after spinal surgery? Brave man! Or great pain meds...

The harness looks good! Any issues with installing the repair section, beside me forgetting the terminal removal tool, that is?
Hopefully everything will work as planned.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Your going to work on the Cruiser one day after spinal surgery? Brave man! Or great pain meds...

The harness looks good! Any issues with installing the repair section, beside me forgetting the terminal removal tool, that is?
Hopefully everything will work as planned.

No, today is the consult... to see what he suggests... many have told me not to go the surgery route... but, I'm 67.5 yrs old and want to do something to mitigate the pain, so I can enjoy the rest of my days. My Sports Med doctor highly recommends this surgeon (Dr Derek Duke. He put Roy back together after the tiger attack at the Siegfried and Roy show Siegfried & Roy to Get Biopic Treatment)... Dr Duke has a reputation for not rushing to the OR.... so, we'll see.

No problems... I ground down a cheap Harbor Freight pick and made a removal tool... Thanks for your help on this!!

 

[gator25]

Harness looks great, hope all goes well at the Dr. visit.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Harness looks great, hope all goes well at the Dr. visit.

Thank you Sir!!

 

[gator25]

Your welcome Sir. Lol

 

[lostmarbles]

Your work is amazing Danny. I know I would have been intimidated by having to remove so much of my loom.

I sure hope this Roy repairer is good with Dannys too. Having a lot of pain sucks.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Your work is amazing Danny. I know I would have been intimidated by having to remove so much of my loom.

I sure hope this Roy repairer is good with Dannys too. Having a lot of pain sucks.

Thanks Mate!!

Great news!!

The Danny Repairer says he can fix me... 2" incision, up the spine, from the back.

Home the same day.

1 hour to remove L5-S1 discs and replace with plastic discs. Place a screw in L5 and one in S1. Join the screws to stabilize it.

Bone growing meds injected between L5 and S1.

Three weeks of light activity, to allow bone growers to get a good start.

Then anything but golf and bowling for three months, to allow the bone growers to fuse L5 to S1.

I can work on 44 and I can drive 44, while the bone growers do their job!!

I'll be back!!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Oh, surgery on Aug 30th!!

 

[lostmarbles]

That's pretty quick!

It's now on my calendar! - but as the 31st.

 

[ginmtb]

Keeping fingers crossed all goes well!

 

[N919HJ]

Hope everything goes well for you.