Painless wiring harness

Kizer

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I was thinking of using a "universal" Ford color coded harness from Painless.
Y'all have any experience?
Maybe suggest an alternate to Painless?
Thank you in advance for your input.
 

franklin2

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No one makes harnesses for these trucks that I know of yet. Universal ones are all you can get and all you are getting is a fuse box and a bunch of colored or marked wire. Nothing is going to plug in. You will have to splice all the Ford connectors in place. And guess where most of your problems are in the old harness? Yep, the connectors. And you are just adding problems with all those splices. You will have to document the whole thing also if you ever want to work on it. None of the factory diagrams will work anymore.
 

Kizer

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Thank you IDIoit! That looks to be a lot better deal.
I'm aware of the documentation issues...confident in my ability to solder...tired of chafed, broken, rotten, heat damaged old ass wires.
 

IDIoit

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thats the kit im using on my truck.
scored a 89 truck with super low miles no title to help with the pig tails.
im looking forward to a cleaner wiring job on my truck.
 

Kizer

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IDIoit, are you using a relay box/bank? I haven't found one that I like very much.
 

Kizer

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Fuel pump, fan1, fan2, headlights, aux lights and trailers lights.
 

IDIoit

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i have used this kit on a 57 chev, a 58 GMC, a 48 ford sedan, and a 56 chevy truck.
headlights, ele fuel pump, and ele fans have been installed without any additional relays.

if youre running 2 fans, i would run additional relays per fan.

trailer lights just get piggy backed off the tail lights.
if you have brakes and a HD trailer, im sure you would be running of a brake controller.

aux lights can be ran off 1 opf the 3 spare fuses.
i dont have much extra lighting, about the only thing with huge amp draw i have is a winch which has its own relays.
and perhaps an air compressor.
 

franklin2

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It's nice to run the trailer lights with relays like they do with the newer trucks, that way the trailer has it's own circuit with it's own fuse. If something bad happens at the trailer it won't affect your truck's lighting.

Some of the guys on here run those large factory taurus fans, and run some sort of controller they buy that controls the speed of the fans, running them faster or slower depending on the temperature.

I suppose you are going to use the ignition coil wire in the universal kit to power the injection pump. But then you have the other wiring on top of the engine that is not standard, like the fuel filter heater, the brake warning switch, the high idle switch/sensor, glow plug controller, etc.

I think if you make a list of what you need to have wired, and what the universal harness is going to help you with, the universal harness may help you with 50% of the wiring on these trucks. Everything else will need to be custom made so then you wonder is it worth it, you might as well custom make the whole thing. Will the taillight harness even make it back all the way to the rear on a 8ft bed pickup?
 

Kizer

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I like relays! Currently running one to each fan and one to my lift pump. I'd really like to add the others that I mentioned in my earlier post.
As stated, I have not yet found a weather tight relay box that I like...may go junk yard diving.

I appreciate the issues that you're pointing out Franklin2, and to some degree, I understand your apprehension. I have the tools and experience to build my own harness...I just hope to purchase a foundation to build on.
 

IDIoit

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everything you posted about can be used with this harness in conjunction with an extra relay box.

kinda interesting, i just may do the same.

i know the 99-2001 SD trucks have another sealed relay box under the hood.

while im in the beginning stages of doing my harness, this would not be all that hard to accomplish.

using the feed wires on the harness to excite the relay.

.
 

Kizer

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Thank you for the heads up on 99-01 SD trucks.
I once had a 97 Jeep XJ....IIRC it had several relays in an under-hood box.
 

snicklas

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I agree with the completely separate truck and trailer lights.......

On my Excursion, I had an issue with my trailer lights for a few months before I even knew.

This truck has the factory tow package, and has the large 7 pin "RV" plug installed on the hitch. I had parked my trailers in the fall (My flatbed to pull the Cubs on, and my Camper) and all was well. Spring rolled around.... (well not exactly spring, it was the middle of March, when we had the camper we would start in mid March, and normally not put it up till between Halloween and Thanksgiving....) and I went and got the camper. I had all the lights working on the truck, but only had stop/turn working on the trailer. It was daylight, so I pulled it to the house and started to investigate. I found the trailer running light fuse blown.... humm.... replaced fuse, turned on lights, POP!!!! So started at the plug and was going to work forward. What I found was, not only did this truck have the factory 7 pin plug, it also had the 4 flat plug. This plug was not in its holder on the hitch, but it was tucked back in along the hitch. It had worn the plastic plug body away over all the years (at this point the truck was 6+ years old) and exposed the conductors. These shorted the next time the running lights were used and melted the plug. I had no idea since the trucks lights were running normally. I removed the bad plug and continue to use the 7 round/4 flat dongle I already had........

Had an 85 E-150 van that was tapped off the chassis harness with one of the Hoppy Tee's.... we ran the 4 round on that van, and the inside of the plug corroded and shorted.... all I had was stop/turn and headlights..... sucked that I worked nights...... had to run both ways with the 4-ways on, till I could get home and get it fixed in the daylight.......

I say if possible, keep them separate......
 

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