Have you done a re-wire of engine/dash harness?

[White Spyder]

It was a beautiful day here today and I took the Chrysler out for a drive only to find that my Amp meter repair did not work. It is still dancing. Additionally it is not downshifting as it should when I come to a stop. (Had this issue before and replaced that harness and the governor. All was working well till now) I think it is time to re-wire. Rhode Island wire has a dash/engine bay harness that I am thinking about using. Has anyone used one of these to re-wire their car? I would appreciate the chance to pick your brain.

[Plymouthy Adams]

unless you are getting your car judged I would not spend the money for their harness...it is so easy to duplicate the old one yourself..your call though....

[Darbone85737]

                                                                      

after

 

 

 

I bought the Rhode Island harness for my 1949 Plymouth. Expensive? Yes.  But to me having nice, proper gauge and colored cloth covered colored wiring with correct connectors in  the engine compartment gave it a finished appearance.  My car will never be judged except by me but every time I look under the hood it's worth it to me seeing the detail.. 

 

The package came with an excellent schematic diagram with labeling that makes it easy to ensure everything goes well.  I hate wiring but I this job was much faster and easier than I expected. The hardest part was getting under the dash. I took the front seat out and made it easy.   

 

The headlight/parking light harness also includes wiring and dual contact base for turn signals.

 

 When the job was finished everything on the car worked as it should. 

Edited March 29, 2015 by Darbone85737

[White Spyder]

Not having the car judged at that level. But having it pre assembled is what I am looking for. I did buy their harness for the transmission and liked it. I am just wanting to get more information on the difficulty of the installation. Getting the old out as the new goes in. Making sure it is tucked away correctly ect.

Example, is it best to start on the passenger side and disconnect a connection and connect the new? Then move to the next connection? Also the connecting blocks to the other harnesses, do the unplug with ease as a unit or one wire at a time and are they marked?

Thanks in advance.

Edited March 29, 2015 by White Spyder

[Plymouthy Adams]

probably not and be in the affordable range that would prompt me to purchase..but again..building a harness is not a big deal..

[Darbone85737]

I started at the ignition switch and worked outwardly from there.  The old harness was still connected so I just removed the wires circuit by circuit, replacing with the new.   That's where I found it helpful to have the same colors and gauge as the original .  The hardest part was getting under the dash. The ignition switch can be pulled out after removing the screw underneath it but the armoured cable limits the amount you can go. Once I had  it completed under the dash I pulled the old harness out through the firewall, fed the new harness into the engine compartment and continued. 

 

I don't think it took me more than 2 hours to do the entire job working slowly and checking the schematic each time I finished with a circuit.

 

I got quite a grin when I turned the key, the dash gauges moved, the key turned the starter, the engine turned and I was able to turn on the headlights and switch from low to bright beams.

 

There aren't really that many wires involved and I can see how it wouldn't be hard to make a harness but for me this was the way to go

[Lloyd]

I bought an RI harness a couple months ago and just today took it out to look at it. Only unwrapped the engine and Dash harness which came as one piece. At first it was confusing as anything, thought maybe I had got in over my head but it came with a complete wiring harness schematic and another piece of paper that was divided up into categories and each category was the individual branches of the wire harness with connection, color and wire gauge. This helped a lot once I figured out what I was looking at. Then I spread it out over the existing wire harness in the engine compartment referring to the paper and each branch and it fell together like pie. The schematic gives you such information as which terminals to connect the color wire to such as generater A terminal: Red, Generater F terminal: Green/W.

I think I could almost put it on even if I stripped all the wire off first, but I have no intention of doing that. But I will lay out each harness and compare it to the old one before I start disconnecting anything.

Havnt started it yet but I felt better after I could see it really was not going to be as much as I thought.

[mayflower48]

Bought mind from R I also.  Very nice people to do business with.  Everything fit like a gloove. Did the whole car front to back.  Installed battery turned on the key and everything worked first time.  There work is outstanding  in my book.  Would spend the money with them again to do another car.   And yes I know making a harness is not that that hard of a deal.  All you have to buy is the right wire size, in the right color, and all of the correct wire ends and your in business.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Rhode island and Yand Z are excellent.

[Mark D]

Curious as to the cost of an RI harness.

[busycoupe]

RI Wire has full catalogs online at their website. The dash harness for a '48 P15 is $204.00.

[White Spyder]

I ordered the engine bay harness and the engine/dash harness.  They make then at time of order and are backed up a few weeks.

Edited April 2, 2015 by White Spyder

[White Spyder]

I received a copy of the wiring diagrams today and have some grave concerns.  I have documentation from Chrysler that the car is a 1948 Windsor with the Highlander option. The diagrams have some signifigant differences from what I am finding on the car and the wires on the car are original.  Below is a photo of the ignition switch.  As you can see it has one lug and 3 wires.  They go to the radio, headlight switch and the fuel gauge.

 

 

The diagrams show an ignition switch with THREE lugs and SIX different connections; amp meter, a circut breaker, fuel gauge, horn relay,backing light, (there is none on this car) and ignition coil.  I have also found differances in the amp meter connections.  The diagram shows two lugs with three connections each. Mine has the two lugs but only thre connections on the left side and two on the right.   The diagram showsthat the third connection on the right  goes to the clock, on my car the clock is powered by a connection to the headlight switch.

 

I've sent an email with photos to Rhoad Island wire with the photos and more to see what they think.  What do the masters in this group think????

[pflaming]

I have rewired my truck twice, I didn't trust the harness after the fire. I'm too lax so lots of debugging time. I would not wire a vehicle I was going to sell, professional kit good sales point.

I added a lot of things, over under tail light/ signal light, dash fan, tach, toggle switch turn signals, alternator idiot light, so they complicated things.

Edited April 2, 2015 by pflaming

[Dave72dt]

Wasn't '48 a transition year, early and late models? If so, that may be a reason.

[pflaming]

"It's a a beautiful day . . ." in the neighborhood. White spider.

[Young Ed]

Wasn't '48 a transition year, early and late models? If so, that may be a reason.

 

For p15 plymouths there is certainly an early and a late wiring. The early ones have the horn relay out by the horns on the hood latch brace and mine has it near the starter relay on the inner fender.

[White Spyder]

I am getting a bit nervous as I have yet to hear back from the vendor.