Wiring to Replace or Not, While the engine is out Options

[DennisV]

How problematic is the now 50 year old wiring? Some existing threads seem to suggest they're pretty vulnerable, yet I don't see wiring harness included on most "while the engine is out" todo lists.

Are there any that are consistently so troublesome that they should get proactively replaced even if they appear good? On the 914-6 it appears there are two for the engine bay (complete engine and alternator). That's $500 USD right there.

For reference, I'm not attempting a complete restoration. Just trying to get our car safely and reliably back on the road. The engine, transmission, and suspension components are out of the car. I've found a couple previous owner wiring additions, but they have been easy to remove.

My impression has been that if the wiring, insulation and connectors look good they probably are good. It's not like the copper wears out. Perhaps this is naive.

P.S. New plug wires are already obtained. I have no intention of removing the main harness.

[Cairo94507]

You might consider unwrapping the entire harness (keep it all bundled with cable ties while you work) and cleaning it all and then ringing out each wire too make sure there are no shorts. Then rewrap.

I was fortunate to find a NOS 914-6 wiring harness in the factory sealed bag right after I bought my car. That gave me some serious peace of mind as we went forward.

As for the engine harnesses, I would do the same thing to make sure you are good to go when you assemble everything. Electrical gremlins are the worst. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)