I'm in the process of replacing my 2nd reman with a third reman (yeah, just like an airplane engine ... preventive maintainence).

My original wiring harness looks like it's been to Afghanistan, Iraq and back in the last 10 years. I have a spare wiring harness but there's a catch. The guy who sold me the wrecked car removed the harness by cutting it at the firewall. It's a nice clean cut though and the harness is in great shape (sitting in storage since 1996 too).

For me to use this spare harness will require soldering about 55 wires. Anyone did this? I'm competent in soldering, having done a couple of 2 channel solid state amps, alarms etc.

I would rather use this spare harnes cause I don't feel like spending $1000 for a new wiring harness.

 

I don't see why it wouldn't work.

 

Should work fine. Consider the following:

- stagger the joints
- use heat-shrink tubing
- use conductive foil around the shielded cable ground braids

 

Great inputs!!

Question on the conductive foil, how do I do that?

 

Ha, Im not really sure but it sounds like a good idea...

 

A few signal wires <probably the crank trigger wheel, map sensor etc> are wire, plastic jacket, overbraid, plastic jacket in construction, the overbraid rejects alot of RFI interefernce. To splice these you'd peel back the braid and solder the inner wires, heat shrink, install the new foil to connect the old overbraid to keep the RFI rejection up and then another heat shrink tube. My only concern with this type of project would be the pain in the *** that never ends if you have one bad connection when all is said and done...I'd probably at least look around for a good condition used harness first.

 

im in the process of doing this right know take your time solder every connection and last but not least always wrap it shrink wrap double check before you wrap it

 

07-07-03, nice

 

Something like this would make your life a lot easier:



http://www.amazon.com/Delphi-Packard.../dp/B0017NR110

Only has 22 connections, though are there really 55 wires in the harness?

IMHO, crimping (with proper tools and connectors) is far superior to soldering for automotive applications.

 

Thats one of those things where I'd just spend the $800 and get a new harness from Mazda.

I'd also agree with moconnor, if you ARE going to patch the harness, use sealed/bulkhead connectors and crimp with the tools designed for the pins/sockets. I've seen a bunch of solder joins fail on racecars due to vibration.

 

+1 to moconnor crimping is a much better option and a bulk head connection would be an easier option.

 

I used milspec type connectors (mine was for a stand alone but same concept)

My friend used that connector above and is nice but there is a bolt on the other side so you can't completely close it off like a cable and not nearly enough.

Just do what you're comfortable with.

 

Where can you buy this connector?

 

Digi-key

Milspec is evil.

It is actually complex and adds up very fast.

Those are the shells (i went with the pigtail - not the wall mount).

Then u order the ends to them and the pins.

You even choose the level of gold plating on the connectors.

I went with Tyco parts (thermal Plastic instead of aluminum b/c price).

Full out milspec is a bit over board imo.

Just google that part number and there will be tons of sites selling milspec connectors.

I have included my order so that you can get an Idea of what it consists of.

It is two 63 pos and two 28 pos connectors.

That includes tool/connectors/plugs and everything u need minus a Sub-D crimper.

It took me a good two days to finally understand it all (between pattern/pins/terminal types/etc).

now those pins can accept up to 20awg wich might not seem huge but if you use milspec wire it's actually a good amount of wire and these are capable of 7amp continous iIIRC.

The most current I run in a harness is for the Inj common. Course you can order different connectors with differnt size pins and orientaion.

I went with the standard 23-63.

That basically is size 23 shell with 63 connetors....... it's very daunting until you grasp the concepts.

 

Thanks for this. I presume you will also need a mongo expensive crimping tool? I have used Weatherpack a lot and though the quality is high, they are very bulky.

 

One of these places should have what you are looking for.

http://www.amphenol-aerospace.com/default.asp
http://www.connecticc.com/
Waytekwire.com
TerminalSupplyCo.com
DelCity.net