Re: Restoring Rusty
 

remember those pertruding nipples on the back of the big Tach and Speedo gauges, well I had to build things up around them with some 5/16s washers and then use 3//16s on top of them in order to be able to tighten the nuts nice and flush

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

decided to use one of the backing brackets as a bus bar for the ground, this way I won't have to run 6 separate ground wires, I'll just run one to one of these posts

genius i tell ha

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

we are using the bullet connectors for the individual gauge signals

Green = Tach

Blue = Water Temp (water is blue when we draw anyways so I use a blue wire)

Yellow = Fuel Gauge

Orange = Oil Pressure (O - Orane / O - Oil using a little association there to help me remember)

note there is no separate signal wire for the Volt meter, it just uses the black for the ground like the other gauges and the red for the positive key on, and that's it

TOP TIP: notice how the Orange bullet is mangled a little, the crimping tool did that, so why aren't the others mangled as well, well The Greg stuck them in the female end before crimping those for extra strength in keeping their shape, SMART!

ANOTHER TOP TIP: make the Gauge side Male and the wiring harness side FEMALE, that way when you disconnect a gauge the wire that is left dangling under the dash has lesser of a chance to short itself out, as the female end on it should be Shielded, especially on the positive side of things ie the RED wires

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Female hot is always a good wiring practice... I try to do that even with connectors that shroud the male pins like Deutsch, Metripack, and Weatherpak.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

ok let's turn to the business end of this operation, now if you think this is bad this is after I already wire loomed the three windshield wiper switch wires

so the whole time I am working on this thing I hear the Devil on one shoulder whispering delete all the wires going to the cluster plug - you don't need them

meanwhile the Angel on the other shoulder is saying: just unplug the four yiou need, electric tape the plug and tuck it away you may need some of those wires for power to other gauges later on

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

like I said I already wrapped the wiper switch wires in this old 3/8ths conduit, after I did it I ordered some 1/4" on eBay and someday will redo it proper

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

I plan on doing the same for this High / Low beam headlight switch, gosh I hate non home runs, ie wires that Y into other wires of different lengths and sometimes even different colors

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

OK, so we divorced the Light Blue (left blinker) Dark Blue (right blinker) Green (high beam) and Brown with Black Stripe (brake) wires from the cluster plug and snipped off the OE ends off of them and crimped on some Female spade or blade connectors/terminals, these will slide directly on our four warning lights

easy peasy

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

and here is the Green (high beam) warning light wire getting decapitated and re terminated

this will be the blue warning light

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

the Brown with Black Stripe (brake) wire is a two headed snake, I honestly don't recall where both ends plugged into, maybe somebody can learn me

also this is one of them (RED) warning lights that I think only comes on when you're going off a cliff, I don't think it comes on upon starting of the vehicle every morning (I think I'm thinkin' of the Alternator red light there) again correct me if I'm wrong

anywho, I snipped both OE ends off and slapped on a blade female recepticle, this will go to the red warning light

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

and here they are from left to right: brake, right turn, high beam, left turn signal

I also isolated this strand

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

lastly we have the four new wires for our digital gauges, fuel, oil, water, and Tach, these are the mates of those four males we meet earlier

these also are zipped tied together separately, ha ha

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enuff already can we see the finished product Pah Leaze

high RPM? the choke was on, and it's January! ha ha

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so how are the digital gauges? asked no one, lol

well last night I packaged up the broken brand new speedo and shipped it back to Intellitronix, let me just say that their support is awesome, they said that was unacceptable and wanted to make it right, right away, as soon as I provide them with a tracking number of my package they will ship me a brand new unit

and then this morning I was going to drive the truck for the first time since installing them, and this happened to the 4 day's old digital Tach!

(if you can't tell the plastic piece slid down behind the front lens and is blocking the digital display)

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

just a random update, on the account of doing all this wiring I picked up these GB Garner Bender 8" Crimping Pliers part no. GS-388 for $15 bucks at ACE Hardware. Now I won't have to swap attachments on my blue ratchet crimper, I can use that one for proper un-insulated terminals, and this new one for insulated ones

seem to work great, I like em, here is an example of 22-18 gauge terminals being crimped

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

does the 16-14 gauge ones nicely as well

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Your crimps will open up over time.
The tool is good enough to produce serviceable crimps. Your process needs improvement.
You want the indent in the tool jaws to bear on the solid portion of the connector opposite the split so that it deforms the solid portion of the terminal up against the wire strands and the split section instead of forcing the split open.
The lightweight terminals sold by the Borg aren't as durable as the peices you can get from Panduit etc. The alloy isn't as heavy as the industrial brands and it doesn't hold the crimped shape over time.
Voice of experience here.

I've always intended to do a writeup on how to properly crimp automotive terminals. Time time time time...

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

thank yo for that tip, I will definitely start doing it that way, and yes this forum would benefit from a Cimpin' 101 Writeup, please and thank you

G

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

The non-insulated ring terminals with no split are the ones I really like to use on field repairs.
I can add a piece of adhesive lined (sometimes called Marine) heatshrink that extends over the entire crimp barrel and up the wire jacket about 1" to act as a strain relief. The result is very neat and clean and it lasts a very long time.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Prior to your feedback I bought some non-insulated ring terminals online from MOUSER Electronics in Mansfield, TX. Are you familiar with this vendor?

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Mouser is one of my goto suppliers along with Digikey and Newark (If I'm desperate enough to pay Newark prices).
Good supplier for discrete through hole and surface mount parts.
Mouser has a fairly comprehensive supply of Delphi (now APTIV) connectors and terminals. Metripack, Weatherpak, Packard, GT series, as well as Deutsch (and the AMP knockoffs), Tyco Quadlok, ... They actually stock both halves of the odd Delphi Metripack multi-terminal-size disconnect plug that's stuffed behind the Impala RH kick panel that were melted from the defroster wire overheating on my 09 SS.

You can find a fair amount of ring terminals and disconnects and the like at McMaster Carr. Sacramento and the bay area are usually one day ground shipping if you order in the AM because McMaster is only 5 hours away in the LA area. My company is doing a Transit ITS project in Sacramento.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Oh my god Hatzie you so remind me of that epic scene with Shoeshine Johnny from the always hilarious TV Series: Police Squad! You may be old enough to remember it.

I will paraphrase it for you.

Me: What's the word on the street about terminals Hatzie?

Hatzie: I don't know I hear a lot of things about connectors pick a topic.

Me: You know anything about the un-insulated terminals at the Mouser facility?

Hatzie: Good supplier for discrete through hole and surface mount parts. Mouser has a fairly comprehensive supply of Delphi (now APTIV) connectors and terminals. Metripack, Weatherpak, Packard, GT series, as well as Deutsch (and the AMP knockoffs), Tyco Quadlok, ... They actually stock both halves of the odd Delphi Metripack multi-terminal-size disconnect plug that's stuffed behind the Impala RH kick panel that were melted from the defroster wire overheating on my 09 SS.

LOL just had me rollin!!!

Shoeshine Johnny

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Good stuff right there.


Thanks for the insight Hatzie. I too have been doing it wrong for a long time.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

so my warranty repaired/replaced digital gauges (speedo & tach) arrived today from Intellitronix and I think it is worthy to share because their Customer Support and Tech Support has been amazeballz, they even sent me an Oil Temp gauge for FREE