Cost of Wiring Harness Installation

[WILD CHILD]

I just built a tube framed Bronco for a guy and pulled his 5.0 and harness out of his old bronco to put in it. He took it down to Baja and it would run for about 15 minutes then die, he would tow it back to his place let it sit awhile and it would start up and run good for another 15 minutes then die again. He took it to a shop in San Diego and they charged him a bunch of money and couldn't find anything. He towed it back to Las Cruces and I loaded up with tools and water and took off through the desert until it died and spent about 45 minutes in the middle of the desert wiggling wires and it was a bad connection on a factory Ford crimp conector in the middle of the harness. I got it back to my shop fixed it and back out in the desert fo anouther test, this time it ran about 45 minutes and it died again after wiggling wires I found another one making a bad conection. I just yanked it out an d replaced it with a new one.

I figure Ford has it down about as good as anybody but is still anit good enough for me.

 

[Steve83]

I've opened up several "old Bronco" wiring harnesses (from '75 to '96), and I've never found a factory splice that was merely crimped - they're all soldered over a crimp.

 

[DirtDonk]

...it was a bad connection on a factory Ford crimp conector in the middle of the harness.

Haven't personally pulled apart an EFI harness (fully anyway) yet, but, like Steve, I've never come across a Ford connection that was merely crimped either. Do you still remember what those circuits you had to re-do were for? And if so, where they were located in the harness? Not questioning you, just wanting to keep my eyes out and correct them when needed.

All the ones I've come across (admittedly, not as many as most of you) were functionally, if not beautifully executed. Hell, even my '71 used some of the cleanest, most robust splices that were intertwined, soldered and then still fully molded in plastic. And that was just for their lowly Bronco! I've seen some pretty butt-fugly connections in later model harnesses for sure, but they were still fully soldered.
I wonder if someone had gone in prior and "fixed" something in that harness? I'm sure you've worked on enough to tell when something's been messed with, but if someone was very careful... You never know.

I've actually got a Mustang harness (forget what vintage) I'm going to tear apart for a Bronco project, so if you remember about where the problems were, I'd like to go on a search-and-destroy mission, compare it to what you found, and re-do it if necessary.

Thanks

Paul

 

[WILD CHILD]

The connections may have been added buy the guy that installed the harmess in his old bronco but the connectors didn't look like anything I have seen before. Both of the conections I had problems with were joining multiple wires together, the first one joined some power wires together ( I think red and white) and they both were in the middle of the chassis loom kind of behind tha passanger side head.

May be differenet in middle america but I have spent most of my life within 20 miles of the Pacific Ocean and I can't tell you how many crip conectors I have seen corroded inside. I solder each connection use liquid electrical tape and shrinck wrap. It takes some time but I have never had one make a bad connection, I have had wires break but never a bad connection.

My customers never minded paying for the extra quality and I like not ever having to wory about it.

 

[DirtDonk]

10-4 on the coastal-corrosion-itis. I don't live that close, but a trip to Pismo now and then, without the requisite cleanup, is all it takes!

Paul

 

[mo-bronco]

Well, I've decided to go ahead and get it done. I talked to a local guy who has a 4x4 place and he's figuring around $400. He says he's got a guy that can probably do it in around 8 hours. He was kind of worried that I'd show up with just a universal harness, but I assured him it's a centech and it's made for the bronco. I take it out Tues for them to work on Wed. He's had a few broncos himself and had a few trucks featured in 4x4 magazines. I'll let you know how they did next week in case anyone wants to use them.

 

[bigmuddy]

mobronco, where are you located?

ben

 

[mo-bronco]

Farmington. About an hour south of St. Louis and an hour and a half north of Cape Girardeau MO. The shop is in a small town called Doe Run.

 

[DirtDonk]

That's a great price. When it's all said and done, make sure to ask the guy point blank if he'd do it again for that price or if, after doing it, he'd charge more next time.
Just for our information.
Thanks

Paul

 

[johnnybgood74]

I soldered every connection and it took bout 3 days of 6 to 8 hours each day. that was from pulling it out of the box to zip tying the last wire.

 

[mo-bronco]

After sleeping on it and thinking it over, I've decided to take some of your advice and try it myself. I just keep thinking about how many other things that $400 will get me. (or pay off a bill or two). My big concern would be wiring the dash. Is it recomened that I take it out to do? It seems that would be a lot easier than lying on my back working on it. It's a centech harness, does anyone know if the turn signal wiring is included in that? I'm thinking I'm gonna move my old bumpside project and back my bronco into the garage, pull the top and have at it. I'll probably be posting in the tech section quite a bit. Thanks for letting me think outloud on this.

 

[DirtDonk]

I think I've heard here that everyone who's done it with the dash out liked it that way. I did it with the dash in and it wasn't great, but not horrible either.

Paul

 

[Explorer]

Much easier with dash out. Plus you can repaint it. It comes with a wiring plug for the steering column, you just have to pull the old connector apart and reterminate the wires to the new plug. Not hard at all, but its not plug and play.