AAW induced Tourettes

ScottsGT · 11-12-2012, 08:48 AM

Yep, you heard me. American Auto Wire induced Tourettes. I now owe my neighbors an apology for what they heard coming out of my garage yesterday.

Don't get me wrong, it is a great wiring harness. It's just very difficult for a guy my size to crawl up under a dashboard and try to contort my arms to function around all the pedals, through the opening of the dash and get the one branch that goes to the headlight switch and to the back of the car around the air vent can. Then you have to come up with some method of making the harness stay up (read: fight gravity) so it won't get caught up in the air vent controls.

I did go back and read the 19 page thread here, and it did offer one great piece of advise for me. Cut off some of the tiewraps to let the branches go into place easier.

66FSTBCK · 11-12-2012, 09:29 AM

It is pretty hard to wiggle around in there. It helped to remove the seats. I condensed that thread down to eliminate the BS for CJ's website. See link below.

bartl · 11-12-2012, 09:31 AM

Funny, I was having the same problem winterizing my boat motor yesterday...

ScottsGT · 11-12-2012, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 66FSTBCK

It is pretty hard to wiggle around in there. It helped to remove the seats. I condensed that thread down to eliminate the BS for CJ's website. See link below.

I really appreciate your thread and all the time it took for you to do that. It really helped out. I've got the wrap on order, but I'm not going to wrap everything like you did.

Funny thing was I told my kids that this is going to be a piece of cake for me since I wire up electronics cabinets/desks for a living. HA!

66FSTBCK · 11-12-2012, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottsGT

I really appreciate your thread and all the time it took for you to do that. It really helped out. I've got the wrap on order, but I'm not going to wrap everything like you did.

Funny thing was I told my kids that this is going to be a piece of cake for me since I wire up electronics cabinets/desks for a living. HA!

Haha....I have no electrical experience other than that kit and it was head scratching at times! Glad the thread helped you out.

Kelly_H · 11-12-2012, 06:09 PM

I know the feeling! If it's any consolation, I just finished a 3-week project that involved rustproofing the inside of the cowl... from the inside of the car. If you think that trying to get your hands in the dash is hard, try getting them under the dash, through the heater box, and around the top of the cowl hat

I've got a pillow constantly on hand now so I have something to lay on when I'm working underneath the dash

TheDude · 11-12-2012, 07:49 PM

I can somtimes (a huge understatement) come down with a case of it as well, and it gets more interesting when something is thrown or broken.

dzahm · 11-13-2012, 08:52 AM

Just when I was feelin good about my upcoming AAW rewire I find this thread- I think I am gonna cheat- I have yet to install my new cowl- I am strongly entertaining thoughts of rewiring w/o the cowl in (I plan to exercise great caution in welding it in, and will use panel bond in combination with mig) Keep the pics coming-

ScottsGT · 11-13-2012, 10:13 AM

I recommend following 66FSTBCK's write up he posted the link to. Take note of where he said he had to remove a few tie wraps to spread things out. I found this necessary about 1 foot from the block where the leg for the headlight switch, rear harness and accessory harness split off. Those 3 together go around the back side of the air vent can. Protect that group with either spiral wrap, snake skin or corrugated wire loom as the wires can rub or get tangled in the actuator arm of the air vent.
Also in this grouping is the dome light, or courtesy lights. It goes to the drivers door first, then across the dash to the passenger side.
AAW could have done a better job of demonstrating the routing techniques behind the dash, other than the drawing they provided.
Putting the harness in first might not be possible due to the routing around the air can, and I wouldn't do any welding around the pinch with a harness up in there. Although, it is away from it, just wouldn't take a chance on a new $600 harness.
I regret not spending enough time wrapping more before the install. Even thought about pulling it all out and starting over. Seeing how the funds are gone, I might just do that since I have more time than money these days!