What's the best Wiring Harness (1 Viewer)

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Nov 30, 2005
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I didn't intend to but, after burning up my alternator wires & connectors, i decided to install a new wiring harness..

Questions:

1. What's the best wiring harness to get in terms of ease of installation?

2. What's the best harness to get to increase the value of the 40?
 
An OEM harness
 
At what point is an OEM Harness not repairable?

some of the wires for the guage cluster were fried as well as the wire from the alternator & the fusable link...

Does anyone have a spare OEM harness to sell? just figured i'd ask while i'm on the topic...
 
The wiring harnesses are month/year specific.


You will want to post something up in the wanted section, and provide the month/year of your truck.
 
I agree with Poser. OEM harness. Period. There is nothing painless about installing a painless harness.
I dont consider any aftermarket generic wiring harness something that will increase the value of a 40. Youre going to make a mess of the new harness(and the old one), since you have to re-use so many connectors to make it work, its going to look frankenstien.

With a few hours of work, you can take an otherwise toasted stock wiring harness and make it work like new. Plus Haynes manuals are pretty accurate so you have some help in repairing it. If youre really anal, go get a late 70's toyota car wiring harness from the junkyard, so you have extra wire of the correct color, and a but load of connector shells. you'll find its pretty easy to repair them.
 
At what point is an OEM Harness not repairable?

some of the wires for the guage cluster were fried as well as the wire from the alternator & the fusable link...

...

If that is all that fried, just get some new wire and replace the burned parts. If you have a stock cruiser, it is much easier to repair or replace the OEM wiring than to use a generic kit.

Sounds like the alternator shorted out.
 
thanks for all the input!!

i've decided to try and fix the OEM harness.. i prefer OEM for all the reasons above..

i already pulled the entire harness from the truck. i probably should have taken pics of the original configuration but i was so anxious to get this thing finished.. it's been sitting for 3 years and not the wiring is the last issue i need to work out.. almost everything else is new or repaired..

i'll check the junkyard for the extra wires & connectors & use a tack board to lay out the harness to go over it...

this should definitely be cheaper than the aftermarket harnessess...
 
I have a 65 FJ and purchased an EZ on ebay....it took couple days but it works great. Only problem was all the EXTRA wires that I did not need (I.E. power windows, Doors...etc).
 
I'm rewiring my FJ55 from scratch, all you need is the Haynes manual, the original harness pulled out and layed out on the ground for length, get new connectors or reuse the old ones that are still good, and there ya go - dirt cheap and effective. I put a Painless in my FJ40 and learned a lot doing it, it comes down to how perfect do you want it, and how good you are at doing stuff like that.

Brian
 
I used an EZ Wire. It was somewhat of a pain in the ass. I would go OEM if you can. My Cruiser was completely bastardized long before the new harness.
 
I agree with Poser. OEM harness. Period. There is nothing painless about installing a painless harness.
I dont consider any aftermarket generic wiring harness something that will increase the value of a 40. Youre going to make a mess of the new harness(and the old one), since you have to re-use so many connectors to make it work, its going to look frankenstien.

I used an 18 circuit painless wiring harness and mine didn't look like a Frankenstein. I did go out an purchased quality parts and tools to go along with the harness, not the crap you find at radio shack. It was a dramatic improvement in everything electrical in my truck, all of the lights were significantly brighter. If you do it right, take your time, and plan it out, you will not make a mess of the new harness. You can also used any extra stuff like power windows and such for other electrical items you add later. If it looks like a Frankenstein and it is a mess, that is all because it was put together that way.
 
I didn't intend to but, after burning up my alternator wires & connectors, i decided to install a new wiring harness..

Questions:

1. What's the best wiring harness to get in terms of ease of installation?

2. What's the best harness to get to increase the value of the 40?

:doh: I did the same thing & also burned some wires around the battery. I paid a shop to install a Painless weatherproof harness cuz I'm not even a one :banana: mech at electrical stuff. I also wanted more accessory hookups on an updated fuse block w/ spade connectors.
 
I am in the process of a rebuild. My original wiring harness is OK. Most of the connectors though are in rough shape. The truck lived outside for many years and the connectors seem to be very weathered.
Are there OEM connectors or aftermarket connectors that anyone has had succes with?
Thanks
 
OEM replacement or Aftermarket?

OEM replacement can mostly be had through these folks:Vintage Connections: OEM-Style Connectors for Japanese Motorcycles

You may have to ask for more than whats in any one specific kit, but they are OEM style connectors so if all you are after is the shells, they should be able to help out.

Aftermarket?
Deutsch are about the best in the industry. Dont get ripped off and get them from MSD, or other reseller sources. go straight to the only wholesaler they have: LADD Industries- Deutsch Industrial Electrical Connectors
If you buy them through those folks they are a little more expensive than a weatherpak GM style connector and light years better. For general automotive uses, you want a DT series connector. they come in lots of styles, and the catalog is less than ideal, but well worth the time.
 
:doh: I did the same thing & also burned some wires around the battery. I paid a shop to install a Painless weatherproof harness cuz I'm not even a one :banana: mech at electrical stuff. I also wanted more accessory hookups on an updated fuse block w/ spade connectors.

how much did that job run you?

this will be the first time i'm doing electrical work at this diffuculty level..

cruiserbrett: thanks for the link!! very helpful!!:beer:
 
I used an EZ Wire. It was somewhat of a pain in the ass. I would go OEM if you can. My Cruiser was completely bastardized long before the new harness.

yeah, my 40 was pretty well hacked up when i bought it... the p.o. said it was "95% restored" in his ad... i think he meant 9.5% restored...
 
Don't want to hijack the thread, but I have a question about wiring as well. I have a '71 40, but it has a 76 or 78 2F in it. If buying an OEM replacement, do I need to get one specific for the engine or the truck and does it matter that much? Thanks for the help i am a total novice at electrical.

I am probably a (-2) bananna mechanic when it comes to electrical....
 
As in a new OEM harness? thats going to dent the wallet. get one for your year chassis, thats the more important factor since engine wiring is simple, and you'd have to hack up a later harness pretty good to get it to work, since brake lights/blinkers, dash wiring, switches etc all changed.
 
As in a new OEM harness? thats going to dent the wallet. get one for your year chassis, thats the more important factor since engine wiring is simple, and you'd have to hack up a later harness pretty good to get it to work, since brake lights/blinkers, dash wiring, switches etc all changed.

Thanks. That's what I assumed, however I have made asumptions and purchased a few things in my day and :doh:.


I like the one that is in my truck...the one that came from the factory.

Nice option if the wiring is solid. I'm at least the 4th owner and someone has added two extra tail lights, and there are all kinds of extra wires and loose wires hanging out from under the chasis. But it runs well. Just want to get rid of the extra stuff.

Thanks for the help
 

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