Wiring Harness Restoration Options

[bkrantz]

I have a bunch of questions about restoring the main and engine harnesses.

Any material or process to restore flexibility in the wire insulation?

Same for the original outer tubing?

For breaks in wires and large holes in the insulation, I think the best solution (short of running a complete new wire) is to solder-splice the break, and cover it with heat-shrink tubing--yes?

Any good way to seal small holes and cracks in insultation?

When replacing missing or broken spade connectors, crimp only or crimp and solder?

[bbrock]

When I restored my main chassis harness, I removed sheething and tape and scrubbed everything down with soap and water. I follow with a couple liberal wipe downs with 303 Protectant. Like Perry said, gentle heat can also help bring back some suppleness. By the time I was done, the old stiff harness as bright and flexible like new. It looked so good that my neighbor who has restored a couple Mustangs asked how much I had to spend on the new harness. It's surprising how much life you can bring back to them.

In addition to refurbishing my main harness, I built a few ignition/alternator harnesses from scratch. I enjoy doing that kind of stuff. However, when I get around to refurbishing my FI, I'm most likely going to buy a new one rather than try to DIY even though it would be a fun challenge. Like Jeff said, chasing down all those connectors would be a big job.