More news on burned out wiring harness - HELP !!!!

[bighealeysource]

Hey all,
This is kind of a continuation of a previous subject of mine
with an update. Looks like the infamous license plate light
issue got my entire harness and not just the red wiring.
I thought I had fixed it by replacing the red wire from the
light switch to the right front running light but apparently
I have damage in the main trunk behind the dash. The red
wire in there has almost "welded" everything else into one
huge wire. By that, it obviously overheated and melted the
plastic covering and fused to the other wires. They are not actually damaged but when I tried to separate them to track
down the bad red wire, some damage was done to one of the brown wires.I don't think I can salvage the original harness but still looking into it. MY QUESTION is what is the best way to replace an entire harness on an almost completely redone BJ8 ? I don't have the interior back in yet but finished otherwise. Any advice other than hari kari will be most appreciated. This whole thing has about put me over the edge and I'm running out of new swear words to describe the ordeal. I'm not even sure how to get the dash off but a crowbar is looking good this afternoon ! Also, any ideas
on trying to salvage the original harness will be most
appreciated too.
Thanks,
Mike

 

[Randy Forbes]

When I worked at Austin-Healey West (circa 1978-79 in San Francisco) I used to install new wiring harnesses all the time. It is MUCH easier to install the new harness than it is to clean up and repair the old one.

I can only expect that the quality of the harnesses available today surpass those of thirty (30) years ago. For one thing, nowadays you can get a harness that looks exactly like the original, braided loom and all (we only had a black pvc sheath back then).

I would just wholesale clip the harness away from all the connections, leaving a trace of the original wire (read: COLOR CODE) and then get the new harness largely in place and start hooking it up, removing the remains of the terminals as I would go.

Once you get started, it really isn't as bad a job as you would think, and a lot easier than where you are with your existing harness.

Edit: I would never remove the facia (dash) to rewire the car, though I would pull the gauges out and do some of the wiring that way. I cannot now remember if I had to pull out the BJ8 console, but I'm thinking that I might have. I definately left the dashboard alone though.

 

[Keoke]

Hi Mike , sorry to hear the whole harness fried but that is usually the case. Consequently, your best option is to replace with new or send it to British Wiring for a rebuild. I think the trade off here is cost.

Yep Randy on a BJ8 the console must come out! But leave the dash alone Mike ,you can drop the switches and gauges out one at a time for ease of connection---Fwiw--Keoke

 

[bighealeysource]

Thanks Randy and Keoke,
I knew I would probably hear from y'all and really appreciate your advice
and recommendations. I'll probably just replace the old harness with a
new one as old one is now so buggered up trying to salvage. AH Spares
is about $200 plus shipping and I have an order getting ready to ship from
them so freight will be nominal. Moss is $384 and wouldn't be surprised they
get theirs from AH Spares. I may have some more questions on this new unwanted
adventure on my BJ8 but will save those for another time.
Many thanks,
Mike

 

[Johnny]

:angel:
Hi Mike. I have a brand new wiring harness I incorrectly ordered two years ago. I thought a BJ7 and BJ8 wiring harness are the same, WRONG. If interested I can save you a bundle if you haven't ordered one already. I sent you a email.