Wiring mess!

Discussion in 'General Ranchero Help' started by Clark, Jul 4, 2022.

  1. Clark

    Clark In Maximum Overdrive

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    And folks wonder why we work on our own stuff!

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    Hmmm, wonder why the loose white wire?

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    Is that a huge black snake across the rear of the engine bay?

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    Those battery terminals are just so handy for hooking up wires.

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    Well sure but what is that loose red wire?

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    Hmm, used to have a Ford solenoid here. Is this a solenoid or just a connector of some kind?

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    No use to cutting wire to length when they can always be knotted up into a wad.

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    I believe that lower black snake is the ignition loom formerly from the left side of the engine bay.

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    More dangling spaghetti. The blue box hidden down there is a power relay for the ignition coil.

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    Again, so just let the wires dangle. What can go wrong?
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2022
  2. pmrphil

    pmrphil In Maximum Overdrive GOLD MEMBER

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    Yeah, could use some neatening up (is that even a word?) but I have seen WAY worse - wires strung across the engine, then front to back, all using ONE (red) color wire - had to be a hundred foot spool in there :eek: maybe 2 !!
    At least yours runs and you can clean it up wire by wire. I know, you probably paid good money, but again, it still runs, right?
    And, yes, it's a solenoid. :D
    Interesting place for the coil.
     
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  3. Hillbilly

    Hillbilly In Maximum Overdrive

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    YIKES ! Almost speechless here, you ain't kidding. Those relays are not waterproof, they need to be mounted so the connections are facing down to keep water out. Well, the bright side is it runs.
     
  4. handy_andy_cv64

    handy_andy_cv64 In Maximum Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    The starter relay is for EFI engines, as it is diode-protected relay. But Hellfire and Brimstone, that is a big mess.and yeah, relays need to be set upright, and as high up as possible, to keep them out of both water and dust.
     
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  5. Clark

    Clark In Maximum Overdrive

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    Ok, cut out all the mess and rewired the EFI and ignition systems. Runs too, well after a couple of corrections (the EFI must have power and ground wires connected, ha!). With the proper size and colored wires and I can even tell whats what!
     
  6. Hillbilly

    Hillbilly In Maximum Overdrive

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    More better !
     
  7. handy_andy_cv64

    handy_andy_cv64 In Maximum Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    Noice! Good job on that!
     
  8. Clark

    Clark In Maximum Overdrive

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    One slight problem with this. I wired in LED indicator lights for diagnostics should the Holley Sniper EFI fuel pump not run - as has happened once.

    The positive side of one LED taps into the power line to the pump, after the relay, with the negative side to ground. No problem there.

    I wired the other LED across the relay trigger lines but find this does not work. As Holley wired this, positive ignition switched power runs directly to one side of the relay trigger. The ordinarily ground side of the relay trigger runs to the EFI, not directly to ground, meaning that the EFI interrupts the ground side of the trigger circuit. I would have gone directly to ground but Holley told me that, for safety, I should not do that. Anyway, the LED indicator does not work with this.

    So now I'm thinking I should wire the positive leg of the LED to the ground side of the relay trigger and the negative leg to ground but this all seems odd to me.

    I used to drive VW Rabbits and VW wired devices, like the horn, with power directly to the device and then switches, like the horn ring, to interrupt the ground side. I still think this was both unsafe and bizarre.

    I did recheck the LED polarity so that is not the issue.
     
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2022

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