any tips and tricks for splicing into old brittle wiring?, need to replace the wiring to the tail light switch Options

[bradtho]

first thing first, I've tested the reverse light system and the switch works fine. If I squeeze the snapped wires together I can get the backup lights to turn on.

So I need to replace a section of this harness. I've used a solder iron before and had success, but its not like I really know what I'm doing.

1) I'm going to need to remove the pin connectors and put them on my replacement wires. I'm assuming I can separate them from the old wires reasonably easy with a normal solder iron and simple re-solder to new wires. anything else I should expect here? My understanding is these pins are NLA, so want to make sure I don't ruin my good existing set.

2) the wire is pretty stiff all the way back to the engine tin. I'm hoping to replace as little as possible, maybe start with just 2in and see if I can get it working. Is that a bad plan since it's likely to break again? the wires inside the engine comp aren't nearly as stiff. I'd like to keep the existing harness. solder? butt splice?

Is this a losing battle with 40 yr old wires?

[nathansnathan]

I have been fondling my wiring harness recently. I patched the 72 harness which was damaged prtty badly with the 71 parts car's which was fairly brutalized.

I find crimp on to be crap. All of the worst parts of the 71 had crimp ons instead of the good stuff. I would rather solder on a wire connected to a stock connector than do the connectors myself, but if I do, I like to use the noble soder on connectors with heat shrink as insulation - I think the factory did them that way on the hot leads.

Where the wires are exposed at the ends gets a bit dry. I rubbed them with glycerin. It cleans up the stickiness from the loom tape and softens the ones that aren't too far gone. Too far means they have cracked. It helps to slowly bend the wires as you're rubbing them. It sort of opens up the pours. At worst, you get some whitness where the brittle insulation stretches, but if you are holding the wire in a paper towel soaked it glycerin, it is magically healed as that happens. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) It works well for the plastic protective sleeves too.

I got some 3M 1755 cloth electrical/friction tape and cut it to size using an exacto blade clamped to lathe. Heat shrink tubing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) Wiring diagrams are on the bird site.