wiring

[jwalterus]

Finally going to fix the wiring properly in the Flood Victim this summer.
I have a donor 1991 F-150 so I can replace the dash (I cut a big hole in the top of mine for a quick gauge mounting plate, it was already cracked), wiring in that truck is immaculate.
My issue is I have access to all the weatherpack connectors at work, everything from 1 wire to 32(iirc) wires, so I could mock up the wiring at home, take it to work, and put on the connectors.
I also have been thinking about doing this with nothing smaller than 12 ga wiring and eliminating the fusible links with marine circuit breakers, I acquired a bunch of them from the camper dealership when I moved them last summer.

So the question is for those of you that have replaced the wiring harness in your truck, would you replace it with a donor factory harness again or would you do a custom wiring harness?

Pros and cons of a custom harness, here's my list I have thought of:
Pros:
Heavier wiring
No fuses or fusible links to ever replace again
Can easily add upfitter switches/circuits into the system
Can easily loom the entire thing for a clean install.


Cons:
Cost
PITA compared to factory harness swap
Would have to change firewall plug
Factory electrical connections would no longer work on replacement parts without pigtails


I'm kind of leaning towards the custom harness, but at the same time, the factory swap would be so much easier....

I figure I'll probably do this in the beginning of August either way.

 

[OLDBULL8]

I also have been thinking about doing this with nothing smaller than 12 ga wiring and eliminating the fusible links with marine circuit breakers,

Fusible Links are used close to the B+ on the Battery when that wire supplies power to something that does not or can't go thru a fuse first.

Circuit breakers are like a SloBlow fuse, they are sized according to wire size and load. You wouldn't put a 20 Amp breaker on a 5 Amp load just because you used 12 Ga wire as an example.
Fourteen to Twenty Circuit Breakers. Where would you mount all them?

 

[jwalterus]

Fourteen to Twenty Circuit Breakers. Where would you mount all them?

Yeah, I could have written that better, I was trying to say I'd eliminate the fusible links in addition to the fuses and go to all circuit breakers.
I was thinking of going to all 12ga and up to eliminate any undersized wiring (such as the headlight circuit), as well as help protect against vibration breaking wires (I've chased more than one, I still have one on my 4wd indicator light that popped up this past winter).
I'd also be going to silicone sheathed wiring as an additional guard against breakage.
The broken wiring might be more of an issue up here than for those of you that don't see -30°F every year.

I was thinking about putting a distribution panel on the passenger fender, since I'd be eliminating the cluster of wiring that sits there right now, it would be simple enough to make a box to hold it. I have a box full of everything from 1A to 150A surface mount breakers, size ranges from half a pack of gum to the size of a pack of cigarettes.
These are all hydraulic-magnetic type fast acting breakers, not thermal spring like most people think about, if I need any slow action breakers, I'll have to buy them.

 

[IDIoit]

custom, never. ive done several rewiring jobs from hotrods to trucks.
getting all the relays and flashers in the correct configuration is a complete batch.
ive found speedways 22 circuit universal kit much easier, and about the same price as a custom harness.
and this almost fits in the stock location.
this is what im using in my truck, one of the easiest kits ive used to date.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Universal-22-Circuit-Wiring-Harness,229874.html

 

[jwalterus]

If I were to go that route, I have a Painless 20104 sitting on the shelf, but that's supposed to be for the 46 Ford I have in progress........

I think I'll be trying that speedway kit the next time I buy one because of the price difference.

 

[laserjock]

Well, I have a hybrid mix.

Remember that your f150 dash harness won't be exactly the same as the diesel harness. I replaced my fusible links with fuses. I may regret that decision later. Right now I'm carrying my huge box of fuses.

Mixing is a pain but full custom if you want your gauges to work is also a problem. Going to have to splice it together somewhere.