ConcoursMustang Forums
Restoring - General discussions that span across many different groups of years and models => Processes, Products & Techniques => Topic started by: 1970 Snake on December 11, 2018, 01:18:39 AM
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Has anyone found a good way to remove undercoating and/or sound deadener sprayed on the wire harness connection plugs, bulb sockets and wiring, with out damaging the harness components?
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+1. I would really love to see a good article or an idiots guide to restoring wiring harness. I need to do two cars worth and I know I am going to screw it up without adult supervision and expert advice. Anyone?
Thanks,
Dan
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Been addressing this problem now for 10 years, and haven't found a good solution. If it is a light coat, lacquer thinner and lots of elbow grease will work.
The one thing I haven't tried yet is gasoline; it did work well on body underside undercoating.
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I use lacquer thinner on the heavy stuff and then move to isopropyl alcohol.
I also use GoJo as it is fairly mild and removes dirt.
There is nothing easy here. You have to test if the thinner will remove the tracer color.
If you get too heavy handed with any of the methods friction will remove the tracer color.
Soaking the plugs with lacquer thinner works well. Don't let the thinner get higher than the wires. Do note that after a long period of time the plugs will get stained and take on the color of the undercoating. Then paint is your only remedy.
To get between wires at the plugs I use a Q tip.
I've heard others have success with Ultrasonic cleaners on the plug side.
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Do not use "Goof-Off". It is strong enough to remove the stripes on wires in about a minute.
Jim
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Been addressing this problem now for 10 years, and haven't found a good solution. If it is a light coat, lacquer thinner and lots of elbow grease will work.
The one thing I haven't tried yet is gasoline; it did work well on body underside undercoating.
I have always used kerosene but not gasoline so I can't say if it works better or not. It makes me feel a little safety conscious to use gasoline. Kerosene makes me feel a little more confident but have to stay vigilant to safety measures (good ventilation ,no open flames etc.) while using. It still is not a miracle solvent for the undercoating product but works well in conjunction with other products once the undercoating is softened up. Just what works for me.
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Do not use "Goof-Off". It is strong enough to remove the stripes on wires in about a minute.
Jim
I tried to remove some glue from my plastic dash with this stuff.
I left it on too long and it melted the plastic!
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Mineral turpentine works very well at removing tar/bitumen coatings and is good on wires and doesn't attack the striping. Wires in the engine bay tend to be faded/discolored through age and heat and I found that by gentle sanding with fine wet&dry paper removes the upper faded layers of plastic (though you have to be wary of not sanding too much plastic away). The sanding then leaves the wires looking dull and so I put the shine back on with car polish and yes, it is a very slow and time consuming practice. It is something you can do in front of the TV at night while bonding with the family.
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+1. I would really love to see a good article or an idiots guide to restoring wiring harness. I need to do two cars worth and I know I am going to screw it up without adult supervision and expert advice. Anyone?
Thanks,
Dan
Hi Dan if you find any information on restoring wiring harnesses please let me know as I have been searching as well
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Sure thing, There is some good advice coming in for cleaning with chemicals and the sonic cleaner and what not to use. I am also looking for best way to take apart, mark, repair, re tape etc.... What to use, not use. I know there is a company that re-weaves the rear harness with the outside protector material but I cannot remember who it is. I called them once and the gentlemen was super nice and very reasonable.
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Sure thing, There is some good advice coming in for cleaning with chemicals and the sonic cleaner and what not to use. I am also looking for best way to take apart, mark, repair, re tape etc.... What to use, not use. I know there is a company that re-weaves the rear harness with the outside protector material but I cannot remember who it is. I called them once and the gentlemen was super nice and very reasonable.
That's probably Rhode Island Wiring.
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Sure thing, There is some good advice coming in for cleaning with chemicals and the sonic cleaner and what not to use. I am also looking for best way to take apart, mark, repair, re tape etc.... What to use, not use. I know there is a company that re-weaves the rear harness with the outside protector material but I cannot remember who it is. I called them once and the gentlemen was super nice and very reasonable.
One of the members has been recently dealing with getting his rear main loom rewrapped. Biggest issue was was the colors of the weave, multiple correct colors arranged in the original pattern.
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Yes, and I'm close. Like all things, it's not that simple.
I have received a number of spools of various threads in order to get the size (diameter), plies, texture and color correct.
One of the colors (none of which are black on my 67) is close, but it looks like I need to dye that spool to get the correct saturation. Of course, dying is not just dipping the spool into a vat.
Once I have the color right I will send my spools off to have them re-spooled onto their machine particular spools.
This is fun, right?
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Sure thing, There is some good advice coming in for cleaning with chemicals and the sonic cleaner and what not to use. I am also looking for best way to take apart, mark, repair, re tape etc.... What to use, not use. I know there is a company that re-weaves the rear harness with the outside protector material but I cannot remember who it is. I called them once and the gentlemen was super nice and very reasonable.
In order to ready my harness I first took some cord, taped it to the harness and marked the cord with tape any place a wire or set of wires popped out. This also includes any plastic fasteners. I also marked any place a wire was attached to the outside of the braid with tape (like on the 67s with trunk light). I then used a set of very fine, sharp-nosed scissors to cut off all the weave. Then I cleaned each and every wire. You will need to use 3/4" black cloth friction tape and tape the harness every 2 feet or so. Lastly I used the same tape to re-attach plastic fasteners and to wrap where wires broke out of the harness.
You must use friction tape and not the glossy plastic stuff or it will be seen through the new braid.
I have sourced a really nice 3/4" friction tape as used on VW/Audis which is pure back.
Any wire attached to the outside of the braid like the 67 trunk light wire is taped on with 1 1/2" black friction tape from 3M (on my 67, at least).
That's the prep work required before you send it in to re-braid it. Do note that none of the colors the re-braiders have in stock match the colors of your original braid.
Hence the issues I've noted in the previous post with colors.
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Everyone (Especially Bill),
Thank for the great advice and warnings. The string technique sounds like just the ticket. That and lots of pictures makes me think I can tackle this now. I appreciate everyone's input. Last question from me on this I think.
If I have to replace any hard plastic connectors, is it best to go OEM restorable or is there new reproduction that is "spot on exact" that is recommended?
Thanks
Dan in Kansas
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If I have to replace any hard plastic connectors, is it best to go OEM restorable or is there new reproduction that is "spot on exact" that is recommended?
Thanks
Dan in Kansas
The reproduction wiring harnesses, like made by Alloy Metals, have plug ends that appear too shiny to me. Maybe less flexible too?
Specific wiring harness pig tails / plug ends are available used.
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Good evening,
Started to test some cleaning theories on scrap wiring pieces before tearing into wiring harness restoration. I do not know if anyone has a good system or method for cleaning wiring connectors etc... So I decided to try a cheap, don't cringe Marcus, (Harbor Freight) 2.5 liter ultrasonic cleaner to see how well it did. Attached are the before and after pics.
I filled it with warm tap water to the line, added a cap full of bleach, a cap full of greased lightning and a teaspoon of Oxyclean. Test one was on a black and blue connector and wires. 8 minutes and a wipe down with a paper towel. Looked pretty good. So then I thought ultimate test was a white connector for test two. I did not change out the solution. I ran it for 8 minutes then quickly hit it with a toothbrush and then another 8 minutes. Wiped it off with a paper towel and was genuinely impressed.
However I do not know if thee is a better solution?
Is there something less corrosive than water to use?
Will the ultrasonic cleaner damage the connectors inside or the wiring?
Will water ruin a harness?
Is it better to just submerge the connectors and hand clean the wires with stuff recommended earlier in the post?
A friend in Australia recommended an electricians pen for cleaning corrosion on the brass and metal connectors. I order two and will post before and after pics of that tomorrow.
Where is the best place to send tail light harness to get the proper weave once completed?
Thanks,
Dan in Kansas
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I would not submerge any crimped connector/wire in a water solution, as the water will wick into the copper strands and cause corrosion. Molded plugs are probably OK for what you are doing, though.
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Glad I used test pieces and thanks for answering question number four. I thought that was going to be the case. Is there any fluid I could use that would not corode wiring?
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Glad I used test pieces and thanks for answering question number four. I thought that was going to be the case. Is there any fluid I could use that would not corode wiring?
Perhaps a quick-drying solvent of some sort, but I still would not submerge any crimped pins for any length of time. Most pins are still available via electronic catalogs, although the 90* female spades used on brake switches haven't yet been found in the right gender (left/right).
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The bleach is what I suspect would cause problems.
TOB
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Thanks for the feedback so far.
I thought the bleach might affect the wiring colors or coating. It did not, they came out bright and undamaged. However, I did not think about what it would do to the copper wires or metal connectors. I wonder if Alcohol would be a good substitute for water or is it all just a crap shoot and am I wasting my time. A friend suggested Isopropyl Alcohol because it evaporated quickly and then a spray of electrical cleaner? I want to believe the cleaner will do a better job than I can by hand but I don't want to ruin a harness over it.
I'm going to try rubber grommets and plugs tonight to see if it works as well on them.
Any answers out there on best place to get the tail light harness loom done?
Thanks,
Dan
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Dan -- as mentioned before, Rhode Island Wiring (RIW).
I don't recall seeing the year of your car since different years may well have different colors on the braid.
Take a very bright flashlight and shine down a length of your harness. Take a few strands off the end under your sill and take a magnifying glass or loop to each strand and see if you can figure out the color. Camera flash will also bring out the color, but brighten the tones.
For my 67 the repops are black since the Ford blueprints call out black. However, that is not what was used on most 67s I've seen. It has a definite green tint to it along with a paper(!) twist. I call the 67 colors khaki (paper) and dark army green in a "V" weave pattern.
If you have paper in your braid then RIW has the paper. I think their paper is a bit too bright so I opted for a slightly more muted color of 4 ply thread.
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Awesome, Thanks, Both cars are 1970 Dearborn. Mach 1 and Boss 302. January build Mach 1 and March build B2.
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I'd think placing the harness in a warm oven for a little while would evaporate out any water that may enter through the connectors. Don't think short term wetting will cause any noticeable corrosion as long as it is dried out right afterwards.
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I've had fair to good luck with a paint remover, Krud-Kutter (available at Home Depot). It works on grease, oil and dirt but will loosen paint if it stay on for more than a minute.
Rhode Island Wiring does a good job on 1959 and earlier car wiring harnesses. I hope they decide to expand a couple decade into the future.
Jim
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Gents,
So far Wiring unlimited and RIW have been recommended. I have been to both sites and neither do much for 60s-70s but appear to specialize in earlier as Jim stated. Having said that I am going to try to restore the harness myself. Zero experience in that, but all the great advice makes me think I can make it happen. My known big issue is the weave on the tail light harness and wherever else is supposed to have weave for a 1970 Sport roof. If I do succeed in restoring the wiring my guess is they know how and where to weave the harness. I know its a simple phone call to the places but I would love to hear from satisfied or dissatisfied members whom have gone down this road. How they did it, who they used etc...
Not trying to make an epically long thread but the great advice keeps coming in and it is a lot cheaper than mistakes.
Thanks all and Happy New Year.
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Gents,
So far Wiring unlimited and RIW have been recommended. I have been to both sites and neither do much for 60s-70s but appear to specialize in earlier as Jim stated.
At this point I'm lost.
I thought you wanted to have your loom re-braided?
If so, then RIW can do that -- just pick the colors you need. Their web-site and what they can do are two different things. Call 401-789-1955 and ask for Marcia.
If you needs ends put on, that's another matter and you need to talk to other vendors that can do Ford ends.
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Bill,.
Sorry,. Didnt mean to cause a fuss or confusion. Just looking for the best place to go and both seemed focused on earlier years. Getting it loomed correctly is the goal, I'll call and talk to Marcia. Appreciate all the advice and patience.
Dan
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Update,
Just talked to Marcia from Rhode Island Wiring. Wow what a wonderful lady and extremely helpful. Thanks Bill Once I get these done, I know where they are getting braided at. I told her she was mentioned on this forum.
MTF soon on cleaning process and the electricians pen outcome.
Dan