Re-wiring Question

[srgould41]

I haven't found what I am looking for with some searches so here goes.

I am rewiring my 40 with a new panel from Painless. I want to fab my own wire runs, however I am not sure what wire gauges to purchase. I was thinking to order from waytek, but 100' spools of each color seems to be overkill.

Has anyone wired their 40 from scratch and can suggest what I will need? I want to get a sufficient number of different colors. I assume most of the wire (brake lights ,turn signals, etc) is 18 ga? Maybe 16 ga to be more safe?

Head lights would be 10 ga?

I have found some amps versus distance charts, but not knowing what the circuits would actually be...

If you have any links... much appreciated

Thanks for your help.

Steve

 

[ocdbeetle]

Here is the manual for the 10107 harness from Painless....

Starting at page 30 (The wiring layout index) it lists which gauge wire they use for each component...

Not necessarily the benchmark for your wiring project, but should at least be the minimum you could go with....
My painless harness works wonderfully without any flaws...

http://painlessperformance.com/Manuals/90535Manual.pdf

 

[srgould41]

Awesome manual! Thank you. I am reading it now. This should help a whole bunch.

Here is the manual for the 10107 harness from Painless....

Starting at page 30 (The wiring layout index) it lists which gauge wire they use for each component...

Not necessarily the benchmark for your wiring project, but should at least be the minimum you could go with....
My painless harness works wonderfully without any flaws...

http://painlessperformance.com/Manuals/90535Manual.pdf

 

[Pin_Head]

A good way to deal with the color code issue is to shrink wrap a piece of the original wire insulation with the correct color code to each end of the new wire. This makes sure that the new wire corresponds to the OEM color code and will make it easier to trouble shoot using the original wiring diagram.

 

[srgould41]

How do you mean? Like place a larger shrinkwrap on the new wire and then slip in a small piece of the original wire and shrink it to hold it in place?

Hmmm, way good idea! Beats having to draw my own schematic, or modify Coolerman's with the new color codes.

Then I can buy a couple spools of red and black. Black for all grounds and red for not grounds. I plan to run a seperate ground wire to everything so that I don't have the migrating ground issues in the future.

A good way to deal with the color code issue is to shrink wrap a piece of the original wire insulation with the correct color code to each end of the new wire. This makes sure that the new wire corresponds to the OEM color code and will make it easier to trouble shoot using the original wiring diagram.

 

[ocdbeetle]

You're going to hate life after about 6 months if you have to troubleshoot and all you have are red and black wires.....I wired my painless harness in and I've forgotten what half of them go to and they're color coded as well as having their designation printed on the wire!
Of course you may not need OCD medication like me....LOL

 

[Pin_Head]

How do you mean? Like place a larger shrinkwrap on the new wire and then slip in a small piece of the original wire and shrink it to hold it in place?

.

Cut a 1 inch piece of the old wire, pull out the core, split the insulation length wise, put it on the new wire over the insulation, cut a couple of 1/2 inch pieces of shrink wrap and use them to hold the old insulation on to the new wire end.

Forget about running ground wires to everything. Besides being complicated, expensive and a lot of work, it will create more problems than it solves.

 

[srgould41]

Cut a 1 inch piece of the old wire, pull out the core, split the insulation length wise, put it on the new wire over the insulation, cut a couple of 1/2 inch pieces of shrink wrap and use them to hold the old insulation on to the new wire end.

Forget about running ground wires to everything. Besides being complicated, expensive and a lot of work, it will create more problems than it solves.

OK, now I get what you mean. I will try that. Thanks for the tip.