TroyCo
Member
By the way, so much knowledge flying around here - I love it!
New Wiring Harness Options
- Thread starter TroyCo
- Start date
Do you have the correct crimping tool? It's a must...
TroyCo
Member
I dont' know. Here's what I use:
Klein Tools crimper.
Klein Tools crimper.
As long as it crimps them properly, you're good.
TroyCo
Member
Been using these for years. Worked well on just about any wire I've crimped. Hopefully it's Mopar Approved. 
TroyCo
Member
Trying to decide if I do the MAD conversion, or a hybrid of the two? Thoughts? Opinions?
If you want a functional Amp gauge, but the safety of not going through the bulkhead, then do the bulkhead bypass for the black and red wires.
If you don't care about a functional Amp gauge, do the complete MAD conversion.
@cbarge is the best to advise you here.
Regardless, get rid of high power stuff going through the bulkhead.
If you don't care about a functional Amp gauge, do the complete MAD conversion.
@cbarge is the best to advise you here.
Regardless, get rid of high power stuff going through the bulkhead.
Some other reading. The "Nacho" bypass explained in depth. Similar to @cbarge 's bypass and (IMHO) better than the MAD bypass. You want to read the entire thread.
Some considerations about the charging and wiring upgrade and your worries about
TroyCo
Member
After reading that thread, I have to agree. Thanks for the link.
TroyCo
Member
So now here's the question: seeing as how I'm replacing the bulkhead anyway, what's stopping a fella from feeding those original 12 ga power wires through their own separate holes through the firewall, similar to the bypass? At least this way the new bulkhead will likely never melt again. Thoughts?
TroyCo
Member
Ok. I just want to get this right. I've read @cbarge's thread and it differs from nacho's method, which I believe I've done right. So if I understand nacho's method correctly, I run a 10ga wire from the alternator direct to the neg. terminal on the ammeter, and a 10ga wire with fusible link from the starter relay to the pos. terminal on the ammeter? And also keep the original ammeter wires intact?
You need to retain the original black wire coming off the amp gauge because it feeds voltage to the rest of the car from the big splice. Then it runs to the alternator (through the bulkhead). To make it safer, and eliminate it from the bulkead, I ran a NEW black wire (protected by its own new fusible link) through a grommet in the firewall and butt-spliced to the original black wire just inside the passenger compartment, eliminating its run through the bulkhead, but retaining the required factory big splice.
If you're running a new red wire from the stud on the relay to the amp gauge (with a fusible link of course, and through a grommet in the firewall), there is no reason to retain the original red wire. Just eliminate it. Anything potentially of high amperage of that nature running through the bulkhead is a fire risk.
If you're running a new red wire from the stud on the relay to the amp gauge (with a fusible link of course, and through a grommet in the firewall), there is no reason to retain the original red wire. Just eliminate it. Anything potentially of high amperage of that nature running through the bulkhead is a fire risk.
TroyCo
Member
Is the old red wire the one that contains the original fusible link?
I am not sure of 67 and up, but it's similar - on a 66, to aid in diagnosis and servicing the fusible link is at the relay and goes into the bulkead, and the red wire runs from that spade in the bulkhead to the amp gauge.
I suggest to run a new red wire through the a grommet to a terminal block, and a fusible link from that terminal block to the relay.
I suggest to run a new red wire through the a grommet to a terminal block, and a fusible link from that terminal block to the relay.
TroyCo
Member
This is how I have it set up so far, as per nacho's diagram. The only difference is neither of the old 12ga wires are going through the new bulkhead, but instead an additional grommet other than the single one pictured.
I need to "walk back" my comment about @cbarge 's bypass as the Nacho bypass is different. I think I was going back to a previous method that Nacho was using.
Absolutely nothing wrong with either method. Just a different approach. My car was wired quite a number of years ago and was done using a little from MAD, Ehrenberg's, and Nacho's methods with some common sense tossed in and I think I ended up similar to how cbarge does it.
Apologies to cbarge for mixing that up.
And to anyone paying attention, you'll probably note that I edited that about 5 times as I thought about it.... LOL! It was that long ago!
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That sounds right to me. You can also drill through the bulkhead disconnect and use that as a pass through for the wiring, but it sounds like you've already drilled the holes (LOL)
Your diagram has the redundancies in it that are unnecessary and in my opinion, unsafe.
Eliminate the red wire that runs through the bulkhead.
Take your new black wire, run it through the firewall grommet, and butt-connect it to the black wire just down from the splice (just before the bulkhead), and eliminate the black wire that runs through the bulkhead. The factory welded splice is retained. Add a fusible link to the black wire for extra safety.
Eliminate the red wire that runs through the bulkhead.
Take your new black wire, run it through the firewall grommet, and butt-connect it to the black wire just down from the splice (just before the bulkhead), and eliminate the black wire that runs through the bulkhead. The factory welded splice is retained. Add a fusible link to the black wire for extra safety.
TroyCo
Member
I figured seeing as how all the connectors and the bulkhead are being replaced, I would lessen any chance of the new ones melting again. Plus having some extra acc. slots never hurts. Two birds stoned at once, as succinctly put by this classic Mopar enthusiast.
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