1989 F-250 7.3 Project

BrandonMag

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Nice progress on your truck!
Here's an image that may help your wiring woes. (The numbers are what's important; use 30 for your hot from the battery and 85 to the chassis ground. 86 comes from whatever it is you're using to trigger the component you're trying to energize [usually a switch] and 87 is used for energizing the component itself.):

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hacked89

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Nice progress on your truck!
Here's an image that may help your wiring woes. (The numbers are what's important; use 30 for your hot from the battery and 85 to the chassis ground. 86 comes from whatever it is you're using to trigger the component you're trying to energize [usually a switch] and 87 is used for energizing the component itself.):

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Thanks man. This is actually the exact picture I found on the internet and used as well. It's helpful for others that you posted it here.

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hacked89

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I'll be putting a good amount of time in this week to get it driveable through the winter until I can re wire it in the spring.

Couple questions-
What is suppose to go to the contact point on the brake booster valve? Hot when running? Nothing? Right now it's nothing.
(Edit I'm missing this picture on current device I'll upload it later)

The pics with my hands in them, this connection has been unplugged since I bought the truck. Any idea what it's for? Hesitant to plug it back in.

More pics of wiring mess for your enjoyment.
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hacked89

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Heres the valve in line with the brake booster. I assume it's some valve to prevent vacuum going in the other direction when the truck is braking. But I'm not sure what to connect to it?
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towcat

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if you really like you sanity, i'd save up for a unbutchered OEM harness. having been around towtrucks for the last 30 years, yours has to be the worst i've seen. if you are handy with wiring, i'd build three systems new and eliminate what you currently have. one. lighting circuit. aka. constant on. two, switched on. stuff that needs an on/off circuit. and lastly, a starter energize button. I see you have that already.
I've brought home towtrucks with electrical systems that have been completely burned up at the column sliding switch or at the headlight switch. I pulled all the main power wire off the battery to the solenoid and put one wire to the injection pump and a emergency lighting harness. I didn't have to account for gauges since I knew the damn thing has been running for the last half million miles, and I didn't need working windshield wipers since half the windshield was burn damaged. if you are worried about the lack of gauges, put in a aftermarket oil pressure and water temp for the winter. these are the last of the literal one-wire motors. you only need to energize the pump to run. cut your losses on the mess and start new rather than guess on the abortion that's in front of you currently.
 

hacked89

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if you really like you sanity, i'd save up for a unbutchered OEM harness. having been around towtrucks for the last 30 years, yours has to be the worst i've seen. if you are handy with wiring, i'd build three systems new and eliminate what you currently have. one. lighting circuit. aka. constant on. two, switched on. stuff that needs an on/off circuit. and lastly, a starter energize button. I see you have that already.
I've brought home towtrucks with electrical systems that have been completely burned up at the column sliding switch or at the headlight switch. I pulled all the main power wire off the battery to the solenoid and put one wire to the injection pump and a emergency lighting harness. I didn't have to account for gauges since I knew the damn thing has been running for the last half million miles, and I didn't need working windshield wipers since half the windshield was burn damaged. if you are worried about the lack of gauges, put in a aftermarket oil pressure and water temp for the winter. these are the last of the literal one-wire motors. you only need to energize the pump to run. cut your losses on the mess and start new rather than guess on the abortion that's in front of you currently.
Haha, thank you for your detailed perspective, I will see how sane or not sane I feel like getting in the spring.

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hacked89

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All back together. Just putting new hardware on the fender liners and plastic clips. Got the power door locks working on both sides and windows working on the driver side. I think the passenger side is just off the motor track cause it worked for a second, but that will be in the spring.

The mirrors I got in a pile of parts that came with the truck are rusty and look like crap. Plus theres hardware missing. Does anyone have aftermarket tow mirrors they would suggest that bolt to the doors in the picture? Otherwise I'll grab a set that fit I've found off Google.
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Thewespaul

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I'm aware, was checking if anyone has seen that valve before and knows what should go to it.

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I haven’t seen it on one of these trucks, looks like an aftermaket pressure switch, maybe they put a different connector on the line for low vacuum pressure to hook up to that?
 

hacked89

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Put on a basic air filter setup since anything is better than nothing. And giving her fresh oil as we talked about earlier in the thread for the lifter.
That's it for this weekend.
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