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?

[JeffBowlsby]

Your intent and motivation is admirable. For the engine bay harnesses, do yourself a favor and keep track of your time and costs for researching all aspects of this project, workmanship requirements, special tooling, circuitry analysis and sourcing specific parts, some of which it is doubtful that you will be able to locate, at least not without buying in bulk quantities with long lead times. When you ultimately realize that you may end up with a spliced, taped together harness with incorrect parts on your classic car, at a cost (if you value your time) of significantly more than purchasing a new harness, consider...please consider...just buying a new replacement.

Candidly this post is in part self serving, but I am also trying to help you in an unself-serving way as your brother in this 914 community for over 20 years. All of this has already been done for you and the end result is available to you for a reasonable price, quickly, with the benefit of skilled and experienced workmanship. Unless you just like the journey and thats cool too - the journey is priceless - total respect for that.

In that regard some free advice, worth only what you paid for it (nothing!)...split corrugated conduit, and its clunky connectors, have no place on our cars. Nor do the red/yellow/blue insulated 'squish on' terminals from the Orange or Blue box stores. These indicate the ultimate DAPO wiring hack job.

[Superhawk996]

Your intent and motivation is admirable. For the engine bay harnesses, do yourself a favor and keep track of your time and costs for researching all aspects of this project, workmanship requirements, special tooling, circuitry analysis and sourcing specific parts, some of which it is doubtful that you will be able to locate, at least not without buying in bulk quantities with long lead times. When you ultimately realize that you may end up with a spliced, taped together harness with incorrect parts on your classic car, at a cost (if you value your time) of significantly more than purchasing a new harness, consider...please consider...just buying a new replacement.

Candidly this post is in part self serving, but I am also trying to help you in an unself-serving way as your brother in this 914 community for over 20 years. All of this has already been done for you and the end result is available to you for a reasonable price, quickly, with the benefit of skilled and experienced workmanship. Unless you just like the journey and thats cool too - the journey is priceless - total respect for that.

In that regard some free advice, worth only what you paid for it (nothing!)...split corrugated conduit, and its clunky connectors, have no place on our cars. Nor do the red/yellow/blue insulated 'squish on' terminals from the Orange or Blue box stores. These indicate the ultimate DAPO wiring hack job.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Jeff is being honest that he's biased. I always appreciate that! However, the advice from both Jeff and Mark is priceless even though it is free.

I'm have no $ interest or bias that puts money in my pocket. So many of the posts on this forum are related to wiring that is past it's prime. Insulation that is stiff and craked is just a problem waiting to happen. Spot patches and paint on insulation are temporary fixes at best but somethies it is the cheapest and most expedient thing to do. I completely understand. These cars were never intended to have a 50 year service life.

Personally, I'd love to replace my whole harness if that were feasible but replacment with a 50 year old NOS harness would be equally useless. At a minimum, I'll be buying a new harness for the engine where the heat, solvents, and age have really taken thier toll.

Since I love to stir the pot, I'll post a link from earlier in the year on crimp vs. solder debate.

Link below has a great list of small parts as posted by @bbrock and the whole raging debate of crimp vs. solder complete with links to NASA documents and links to F1 wiring harness workmanship and standard practices.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...342568&st=0