Engine Bay (and other) Wiring Help?

[bertvorgon]

Good Morning!

A word on the oil gauge...and any gauge for that matter. A gauge is only as good as the ability to actually see it...AND...to look at it.

I speak a bit from my racing background, but, during intense canyon carving, you are focusing on the road.

The SW gauge has multiple issues. Over time, the brass fitting at the block can crack from vibration, happened to one of our members at the beginning of a road trip, luckily we had enough bits to let him turn around and limp home. The plastic line will harden and fail, slowly peeing oil out till it was too late for one fellow. And, On a trip to a Solo event in Seattle, my good friend saw his gauge all of a sudden filling with oil! The Bourdon Tube had failed internally. Again we had to stop and deal with blocking the oil gauge feed.

What most of us have done is buy the STEEL adapter and then run a steel braided line to a quality gauge..DONE DEAL. This thread may help> http://www.the510realm.com/viewtopic.php?t=27616

Another reality hit many years ago too, that in true heat of combat, do gauges really get looked at through the twisty's and traffic...you are focused on the mayhem around you. One of our road race guys, who swore he saw nothing...the video camera showed that oil pressure was starting to fluctuate....literally had the motor EXPLODE, cutting the block in half. In some ways this also holds for aggressive canyon carving, at least in my case.

This scenario led to us putting quite large RED warning lights right in front of our field of vision, again at least in my case and the road racers. I still drive my car hard at times so it is a safety for me. I have both an oil gauge and, my RED warning light comes on at 40 PSI, so plenty of warning. Overkill now, maybe. The stock warning light, tucked into the dash, comes on at what, 5 -10 PSI...not great if caning on it.

Unless you have a custom dash, it is impossible to put critical gauges truly in line of sight, just reality. Even my oil gauge is to the right and takes the eyes away from the road, even for a quick glance.

Hope that helps some.

[Rush]

Great info! I had no idea. I won't be racing my car or anything like that. I just want to be able to keep an eye on things in general. I have a 3 gauge pod below the ashtray & you're totally right, you never see them unless you're staring at them.

[CP]

Just to add 2 cents to this discussion, I have a steel braided oil pressure line going to my gauge. Never trusted the plastic. I also have my electric fuel pump wire through a pressure switch in the oil system No oil pressure = no fuel and things stop.
Regarding viewing the gauges, I have seen where people have installed the gauges skewed so that in their normal operating state they point to 12 o'clock. That way it only takes a quick glance to see if everything is normal.

[Rush]

Would I look for a 1/8" braided line, then, or is there an adapter?

[CP]

1/8" braided line

[Rush]

Thanks!

[Rush]

Another question, guys! Can anyone tell me what these are? This little round doo hickey goes on the driver's kick panel, I believe. I can't tell what it is using the Haynes wiring diagram. The best thing I came up with was a "clutch switch" (whatever that is) or a temp sensor? Neither seems right. It's a solid thingie with some sort of epoxy (?) in it.

And, the 2 baby blue wires there, what do they go to? I ran the L/W wires to the cigarette lighter but these blue ones, well, I couldn't tell where they go.

Lastly, the door switch on the driver's side had a completely fried wire (B/R) and another black wire. Neither were hooked to anything. The B/R was taped off and the black one was just hanging off the switch in the little cavity there. The very end of the door pin was hanging by a thread (broken) so when I reached my hand in there to feel, the black wire fell into my hand. I never saw where it was connected but it has the same weird ring terminal with spikes that the B/R wire did. I remade the B/R wire and slipped it on the pin. Does the black wire go on there, too? And where does the male spade on the end of the black go? As far as I can remember, it's never been connected and I don't see a lonely female connector hanging anywhere.

I'm assuming that the previous owner disconnected it 100 years ago and taped off the B/R wire after it burnt up.

[James]

I think (please correct me if I'm wrong) is the solid blue is for radio - and then is headed to the heater. The There is also a harness plug for a tach up there somewhere.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByCvxnH ... Oti_-7yanQ

This is useful.....Trying to re-create what someone did in the past is always fun. Datsun owners tended to be less than understanding of what was really happening, or trying to fix it well!

[Rush]

Thanks, James. I don't recall disconnecting my heater when I tore the car down so I'm thinking the plug is still plugged in there but I haven't got a radio so maybe that's it. Once I get power to the car I can chase things a little better.

Mostly I've found fried wires where I suspect the sheathing has worn through but I've run across a couple of weird little things in the wiring (like the yellow scotch-locked wire on the back of the key switch; you can kinda see it in the pic) I hate those scotch lock things. They're ALWAYS a recipe for disaster. I solder and seal every connection or repair I do, and try to use the correct color but I suppose there are others who just clip one of those things on there & call it good. I have no idea what that wire was for so it'll be removed & sealed up.

[bradicuss]

I think the doo hickey is a temperature sensor for the second set of points. That's what I remember hearing.

[MikeY]

Do Hickey is the buzzer for the seat belt warning system. Second point wants to know alot but not temp.
What speed. There is a sensor either right behind the speed on the cable end or mid cable by the wiper.
What gear. And send a signal to that relay on the lower drivers rad relay.
And throttle position. That's the gizzmo on the firewall in the throttle linkage.
Sorry I'm no more help with the other wires. I've found the dome light door wiring.to be a bit of a mystery. I get it right about half the time.

[Rush]

Excellent, guys! Thanks!

One more, if you would; on top of my key switch, I have 2 short R/L wires with spade connectors on them. They look factory. Any idea what those are? I can grab a pic if need be.

[yenpit]

Sounds like the ignition key buzzer wires? I would just leave them be!

[Rush]

Oh! I wonder! They look like they're meant to be plugged together. You're right, I definitely don't need those plugged in! lol!

[loungin112]

@Rush

The Haynes manual for wiring is junk. I've rewired just about my entire car - because the previous owner was a frickin idiot - using a test light and the wiring diagram from Paulo. I think he has been selling them, or at least was in the past. But, I was able to find it via the internet. I must have stared at that diagram for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours... But, got it right eventually.

Don't add draw to the stock fuse box...it can only handle so much. Instead, if you need to add to it, add an extra fuse block properly.