hey all. im in the middle of a 455 swap and decided on splicing in new wiring to the harness of my 72 lark. just thought i should throw a few questions out there so i can avoid starting a fire when i get this beast started. the diagram is what i could gather. im not running ac and not concerned about the headlights or wiper motor at this point in time, just the wires traveling to the regulator, starter, alternator coil and distributor. so here are my questions: does the diagram look correct? what gauge wire should i use for each (abcdef) i will be converting from points to hei. where should i tap in my new wire and what gauge should i run with? i also that it would be cool to make quick disconnects to all the wires going down to the starter. would this make sense, or is it overkill? thanks for taking a look and enjoy all the colors!!!!
Hi Pete, Go to www.madelectrical.com for all of that info. I bought several things from him, and he will help you on the phone also. Very knowledgeable. I ended up rewiring almost all of the firewall forward with his kit, which still uses some of the wiring harness. We have HEI and an internal regulator alternator that I got from Duane on the board. For the starter, I used a remote solenoid so there is not power going to starter all the time. But our battery is in the trunk so that might be overkill for you. If you don't find what you need on the Mad site, I can dig out the wiring guide and it will have all the sizes you are looking for. I think I know where it is.
very cool site mark. a lot of good reading there :TU: a lot of good ideas too, but i think i found what i need for the moment. it seems the standard (at least whats available on the site) is 8 and 14 gauge. is that what you remember wiring?
8 gauge can carry 40 amps 10 gauge can carry 30 amps 12 gauge can carry 20 amps 14 gauge can carry 15 amps Or something like that. Wires C and D can be smaller like 14 gauge - they only carry 5-6 amps or so for the coil. C should have a resistor in it for the points. A and B will be bigger (like 8-10 ga) and will need fusible links near the starter. They carry all the power for everything from the battery. E and F can be small also, 14 ga.
thanks for the write up! thats exactly what i was looking for! which line should my hei be tapped into?
Hi Pete, I would like to caution you on the wiring job; Keep it tidy and most importantly, where possible, be sure to make un spliced runs (termination to termination) and solder all connections. Limit splices , but where required, take time to solder them also to ensure the mechanical connection is sound. Crimped connections are highly un advised, fail by corrosion or wearing loose over time. Wiring gremlins are some of the worst ailments in a vehicle and usually born within crimped connections. They show themselves after time and at the most inconvenient times like miles from home late at night, out with the family, etc. Keep us posted and show pics of your work when done:TU:
thanks for the advice mark. im gonna try and keep it as clean as possible and solder all the connections. im sure more questions will follow :TU:
Pete, for the $160 or so they cost buy a new harness. Many cars have burned to the ground because of makeshift harnesses. Well worth every cent. M + H makes quality stuff. Looks original as well.:af:
hey all. with a little extra money coming in (year end bonus) and finding out what a pain in the ass soldering is, I've decided to spring for a new engine harness. now my question is, WHICH ONE TO GET??? the car itself was originally a 72 350, a/c car. it now has a 71 455 that will not run a/c or heat. so which harness do i spring for? can someone point me in the right direction? it would seem simple enough to purchase a non a/c 1971 455 engine harness, but i imagine the connection at the fire wall would be different??? uzzled:
You could call M&H and they will build what you need. It will take them a couple of weeks though. You aren't going to have a heater? Guess you don't need one out there anyway.
You could call M&H and they will build what you need. It will take them a couple of weeks though. You aren't going to have a heater? Guess you don't need one out there anyway.
hey mark. i cruised the mad website and found exactly what i needed. unfortunately, i called all day and couldnt get ahold of anyone. do you have any contact info for em? the connectors im looking for are the packard electric devision "56" http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/flat-blade.shtml i looked at the m&h website as well and couldnt find any specifics. guess ill hit the horn again tomorrow and see what i can find.
My guess is that Mad electrical is a one guy shop and he is probably gone for the holidays or something. really nice guy when I finally got him, and the kits were really nice. I called M&H and they built my firewall forward piece based on what I needed. I ended up not using the M&H piece though. Just used parts of my original and reworked everything. Battery in the back with remote solenoid is cool.
im thinking thats the route im going. i unbolted the harness from the firewall to take a closer look. i figured if i can get my hands on those connectors i can clean up the plastic housing and it will be good as new, with no splices in-line.
not at the moment. went with a stock points unit for the time being. finding a resistor wire is proving to be difficult. ou: unless im looking in all the wrong places.
