Harness rebuild general consensus

[hatepotholez]

Hello everyone, looking to tackle the wiring harness soon. What is the general consensus on "refreshing" the harness? I was going to do the following:

1. extract the pins from the connector unless its a bullet or single terminal.

2. remove the terminal without cutting the wire with plier or similar tool.

3. possibly dip in warm water and baking soda to remove oxidation, then use Emory cloth to sand the wire down, if wire is shot then add a piece of wire and shrink wrap(what is the best solution here)?

4. clamp in new pins.

5. clean the connector housing with warm water, a brush and degreaser or electrical cleaner.

6. install the connecter into the new pins and apply some di-electric grease.

Then finally check for continuity.

thx!

[madkaw]

Usually the harness is okay except for areas subject to heat or direct weather. I would clean and replace only where necessary . Blades or pins I tried cleaning with sandpaper or mini file to get fresh surface- the dielectric grease after that

[240260280z]

I spliced in connectors from one harness to another where required.

donor harness 280z

recipient 240z

Solder and heat shrink did the trick.

[SteveJ]

I think you'd have more success with vinegar than baking soda. The latter requires scrubbing. Actually, a baking soda solution is good for rinsing after using the vinegar.

Also, if you need new connectors, OEM-Type Bullet & Spade Electrical Connectors for 1960's through 1970's Japanese Vehicles... Bridgestone, Datsun, Hodaka, Honda, Kawasaki, Landcruiser, Suzuki, Tohatsu, VW, & Yamaha has most of the ones you need.

[redzedsled]

You should also consider the dry wiring loom tape with no adhesive. There are brands out there such as Plymouth which can be bought in a 1-1/4" width. The heat of the engine bay will make any adhesive tape very tacky which will in turn, attract dirt and debris. Such grime is an enemy of the wiring harness. Nissan used this same tape that the Corvette and Camaro guys use on their vehicles. Buy the smooth kind and not the fabric type. You can tie off the ends with standard 3M adhesive electrical tape to secure it at the ends. Just my two cents!

Edited October 22, 2014 by redzedsled

[hatepotholez]

Thanks everyone, getting excited about this!!

[er34gtt2000jp]

You should also consider the dry wiring loom tape with no adhesive. There are brands out there such as Plymouth which can be bought in a 1-1/4" width. The heat of the engine bay will make any adhesive tape very tacky which will in turn, attract dirt and debris. Such grime is an enemy of the wiring harness. Nissan used this same tape that the Corvette and Camaro guys use on their vehicles. Buy the smooth kind and not the fabric type. You can tie off the ends with standard 3M adhesive electrical tape to secure it at the ends. Just my two cents!

+1 here!

I got two rolls of this from Eastwood years ago but I don't know if they sell it any more.

[SteveJ]

You can get thinner rolls of the dry wiring loom tape on ebay. I have a bunch in my garage.

[Stanley]

Fabric friction tape no good? Damn, I just bought some to tidy up the coil/distributor harness.

How well does the insulation on the 40 year old wires hold up in the engine bay? Don't know but I'd guess it gets sort of brittle and could crack, leading to shorts or corrosion of the wire, especially if the harness flexes while driving.

For my 63 Chevy truck, nice new harnesses are available for the entire vehicle, not too expensive. It has a lot less wires, though.

[redzedsled]

Fabric friction tape no good? Damn, I just bought some to tidy up the coil/distributor harness.

How well does the insulation on the 40 year old wires hold up in the engine bay? Don't know but I'd guess it gets sort of brittle and could crack, leading to shorts or corrosion of the wire, especially if the harness flexes while driving.

For my 63 Chevy truck, nice new harnesses are available for the entire vehicle, not too expensive. It has a lot less wires, though.

I did not mean to suggest that dry fabric tape was not a good product. My intention was to suggest what I found to be most accurate for my restoration, and what Nissan used in the day. The smooth type blends well into the existing loom should you decide to do a partial wiring loom restoration. I am sure that the fabric type would look awesome as well, especially where you have used it on the distributor lead.

Edited October 25, 2014 by redzedsled

[hatepotholez]

I am assuming the dry wire tape, has some adhesive in it?

[zKars]

This is the stuff I bought.

2 Rolls Factory Electrical Non Adheasive Wiring Harness Friction Tape M | eBay

Decent price and good seller.

The tape is made by Elliot tape.

Michigan Tapes | Adhesive Tapes | Adhesives | Detroit Michigan | Auburn Hills

This product page will give you a good idea of the various types of tapes that are available and their intended usage

It does not have adhesive, it sticks to itself once wrapped. Electrical tape and its adhesive turns into a gooy mess after a while, and is definitely not the correct product for harness wrapping.

The ET stuff feels and works like the stock Datsun harness wrap as far as I can tell.

Edited October 28, 2014 by zKars