Re: Wiring a Race Car Q: (and maybe a build thread)
[Re: moparx]
#3255786
09/04/24 12:11 PM
09/04/24 12:11 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,639 Las Vegas
Al_Alguire
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,639
Las Vegas
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Duetsch connectors are much cleaner smaller and many bulkhead fittings for firewall pass throughs. I use Milspec connectors for the bulkhead stuff. I also prefer a "floating ground", no chassis grounds on the car. Everything gets power and ground directly to the battery.
"I am not ashamed to confess I am ignorant of what I do not know."
"It's never wrong to do the right thing"
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Re: Wiring a Street/Strip Car Q: (and maybe a build thread)
[Re: Dragula]
#3255833
09/04/24 04:00 PM
09/04/24 04:00 PM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,898 Spahn Ranch
RMCHRGR
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,898
Spahn Ranch
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Deutsch stuff is great. The tooling is not cheap though so it's a bit of an investment if you want to go that route. I didn't go for the Mil-Spec connector. The black firewall plate is from Maven. My Duster will be running Holley EFI so 85% of my wiring is a mixture of Deutsch and Metripack connectors. All the wire is TXL.
'71 Duster '72 Challenger '17 Ram 1500
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Re: Wiring a Race Car Q: (and maybe a build thread)
[Re: Al_Alguire]
#3255877
09/04/24 09:37 PM
09/04/24 09:37 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,754 Fulton County, PA
CMcAllister
Mr. Helpful
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Mr. Helpful
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,754
Fulton County, PA
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Duetsch connectors are much cleaner smaller and many bulkhead fittings for firewall pass throughs. I use Milspec connectors for the bulkhead stuff. I also prefer a "floating ground", no chassis grounds on the car. Everything gets power and ground directly to the battery. I was going to invest in Deutsch a while back, but many of the numbers were unavailable. I don't want to get stuck not being able to get what I need. Probably a better situation now. But I've stuck with the weatherpack stuff. I already have a bunch of that on hand. Plus it's cheaper. I wouldn't care but some of these guys think a big roll of red wire, an assortment of connectors from down at the auto parts and a half a day is all you need. I use a couple of points in the car to place/weld bolts to provide an attachment point for battery and heavy grounds. But I also don't rely on the body for grounds. I use wire or cable to connect everything in the car with copper to the battery(s). The only exception would be an OE type light or similar item. Is there a real benefit to not having any ground point attached to sheet metal when a copper ground circuit or loop is used throughout the car? Or are you just ensuring everything is connected to the battery with copper?
If the results don't match the theory, change the theory.
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Re: Wiring a Race Car Q: (and maybe a build thread)
[Re: CMcAllister]
#3255940
09/05/24 10:19 AM
09/05/24 10:19 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,639 Las Vegas
Al_Alguire
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,639
Las Vegas
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Everything goes back to the battery, but done through bulk head connectors that are connected directly to the battery. Nothing is grounded through the chassis. Other than I still run a ground from the frame to the battery. Dont need it but my head tells me to We don't ground the battery in any of the dragsters.
"I am not ashamed to confess I am ignorant of what I do not know."
"It's never wrong to do the right thing"
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Re: Wiring a Race Car Q: (and maybe a build thread)
[Re: Al_Alguire]
#3255974
09/05/24 12:34 PM
09/05/24 12:34 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,696 Motor City
6PKRTSE
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,696
Motor City
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We used all Deutsch connectors on my car and did my best to hide most of the wiring.
1963 Belvedere 440 Max Wedge Tribute 1970 Charger R/T S.E. 440 Six Pack 1970 Challenger R/T, 528 Hemi 1970 Charger 500 S.E. 440 4 BBL 1970 Plymouth Road Runner 383 1974 Chrysler New Yorker 440 1996 2500 RAM 488 V-10 4X4 2004 3500 Dually Cummins 4x4 2012 Challenger R/T Classic.
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Re: Wiring a Race Car Q: (and maybe a build thread)
[Re: 6PKRTSE]
#3256227
09/06/24 02:07 PM
09/06/24 02:07 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,529 Taxes & Virus's R-US, NY
Dragula
OP
I Live Here
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OP
I Live Here
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,529
Taxes & Virus's R-US, NY
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Well, I got the rest of the wiring almost completely out from under the dash now, and damn if that switch panel wasn't the last item to come out...It was in there a little too good. But now I think I found my main issue with the cooling system. So, I think I had the water pump on, when I kicked the car over with the starter....I think that is what killed the cooling system switches on the ARC Panel....The fuse wasn't blown, but melted to the posts, and so was the wiring. The switch has a high and low, and the low is burned right out. This car had been rewired more than a few times, and nothing was isolated from each other.
Hoping the new Leash board takes care of issues like this.....I am going to change how I have some things activated as well..I had an epiphany while thinking about this today.
The new plan, use the new switch panel to activate just the ignition, water pump, driver fan, and EFI. The water pump will be actived when I flip the ignition switch on, but have its own relay and fuse...The head lights and running lights I will put back on the OEM switch, high beams will be on the OEM floor switch, and the radiator fans will be tripped by the Holley efi instead of manually...Too many times I have forgot to turn on the fan or water pump or both. Fog lamps, not sure yet. Maybe put those on the switch panel too. The Leash board has like 8- 70amp circuits, so I think I can do some trickery here.
Are you guys able to fire the car up with the fans and water pump on?
Also, I am going to deleted the big 5" tach and put a digital shift light in, and just try an make things nicer.
Last edited by Dragula; 09/06/24 02:21 PM.
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Re: Wiring a Race Car Q: (and maybe a build thread)
[Re: Dragula]
#3256622
09/08/24 01:52 PM
09/08/24 01:52 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,529 Taxes & Virus's R-US, NY
Dragula
OP
I Live Here
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OP
I Live Here
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,529
Taxes & Virus's R-US, NY
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I am having zero fun trying to fit ANY of the switch panels I have back into the OEM dash. Its awful. The damn hole is so big, nothing fits. I ordered some carbon fiber plates. Going to use one to mount one of the switch panels in there. What a huge pain in the butt....
Last edited by Dragula; 09/08/24 01:54 PM.
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Re: Wiring a Race Car Q: (and maybe a build thread)
[Re: moparx]
#3256772
09/09/24 11:30 AM
09/09/24 11:30 AM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,529 Taxes & Virus's R-US, NY
Dragula
OP
I Live Here
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OP
I Live Here
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,529
Taxes & Virus's R-US, NY
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You are not kidding. Its like car yoga with wiring included.....Where is a good place to get 2ga wire from for the starter, and what do you guys like for car batteries now a days?
Last edited by Dragula; 09/09/24 11:31 AM.
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Re: Wiring a Race Car Q: (and maybe a build thread)
[Re: Dragula]
#3256817
09/09/24 02:19 PM
09/09/24 02:19 PM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,778 On the parachute mount
n20mstr
master
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master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,778
On the parachute mount
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not related to wiring , but more to comfort when doing these types of jobs. Get yourself some old towels and lay on them instead fo the metal floor of the car. IT will make the job a little better
....BAD A$$ STREET CAR.....
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Re: Wiring a Race Car Q: (and maybe a build thread)
[Re: Cab_Burge]
#3256953
09/10/24 10:38 AM
09/10/24 10:38 AM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 20,742 north of coder
moparx
Buying your homeless and unwanted bolt on battery terminals
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Buying your homeless and unwanted bolt on battery terminals
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 20,742
north of coder
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batteries have gotten outrageous in pricing these days. lately, i have been using scrapyard batteries that i can get for $20.00, that are only a year or two old. using the small size from late model foreign cars [not sure of the group size], they seem to kick my 10.5 compression 383 in my charger over with ease. i know it's not a 15:1 compression engine, but those $20.00 batteries work great for me. just my personal life experience with the batteries i have used. your mileage will vary.
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Re: Wiring a Race Car Q: (and maybe a build thread)
[Re: moparx]
#3256957
09/10/24 11:11 AM
09/10/24 11:11 AM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,529 Taxes & Virus's R-US, NY
Dragula
OP
I Live Here
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OP
I Live Here
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,529
Taxes & Virus's R-US, NY
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batteries have gotten outrageous in pricing these days. lately, i have been using scrapyard batteries that i can get for $20.00, that are only a year or two old. using the small size from late model foreign cars [not sure of the group size], they seem to kick my 10.5 compression 383 in my charger over with ease. i know it's not a 15:1 compression engine, but those $20.00 batteries work great for me. just my personal life experience with the batteries i have used. your mileage will vary. The cost of batteries, tires/slicks, motor parts, pit spots, gaskets, fuel, and basic repairs etc just went crazy this year. The money is the main reason I took this year off. Between that and all my support folks retired and got out. Very difficult to do all this solo like I used to. So I will fix what I can this year, and try and have somthing ready for next year. Been wanting a reliable street/strip car I could try Drag Week with, but this is not the year.
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Re: Wiring a Race Car Q: (and maybe a build thread)
[Re: Dragula]
#3273264
11/30/24 08:00 PM
11/30/24 08:00 PM
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Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 183 Sticky South
Rodenteliminator
member
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member
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 183
Sticky South
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Battery Cables USA for your cable, they have anything you need as far as size cable with a couple of covering options, terminals, shrink wrap and great service, I got 2 different orders from them and both within 3 days, check them out.
Sorry honey I spent the rent
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