painless wiring harness

Status
Not open for further replies.
I Like the Painless kits the best. If you are planning to totally change out your harness then I suggest Painless kits: 20102, 20103, or 20104. All three kits are the bulkhead pass through harness like in our cars so a direct swap as far as fusebox location and engine bay harness location.

20103: 21 circuits would be if you have a stripped down or race only car... No power accessories mech fuel pump
20102: 25 circuits has power windows, locks, fuel pump
20104: 28 circuit has everything 20102 has plus an extra accessory circuit, cruise control, power antenna.

This is a major task and it is easiest if the car is taken apart. I had my interior out including dash so I was not upside down as a contortionist running wires. This for most people is not a weekend job, plan a for the down time if this is a DD vehicle. I removed everything from the car and labeled sections and connectors on the original harness so I knew what was what and went where.
Next lay out the new harness on a table and look at every wire (they are labeled on the wire every foot) and seperate and group the wire by section in your car. They already come with the mfr idea of groupings, but I had a few that I put different places, so it was helpful to organize beforehand. Once I had them grouped I zip tied each sections bundle every 6" so that the wires would stay together and route easier.
Then I mounted the fuse panel in the factory location and ran each section to the area of the car to verify it would work how I wanted, and then did some more wire sorting of where certain wires would leave the bundle. This is also where you plan and add any extra circiuts(ie stereo systems, lighting, air ride, etc) so that they are all neatly run together and will look more professional.
Once I had that done and was happy with the layout I did another step which is not required, I then put each bundle in the braided wire wrap. I like it because it looks really nice and give the wires abrasion resistance and some heat resistance. That process is time consuming in itself, but worth it for me.
Once all the wires are run and routed to correct locations it is time for the real fun to begin... From that point it is the tedious task of putting all the connectors on. I professionally crimped (correct tools, which is another cost if you don't have them already),soldered, and heat shrinked every connection, Some will say solder is not required because the factory never did and if it is a good crimp it is fine. Well my experience is that most people including myself don't get every crimp right. By soldering I know every connection is good and solid. One bad failed crimp will at the least create gremlins in your systems and at worst create a Car- b - Que. Wiring is not an area where the phase "Good enough" has any business. Sorry , off my soapbox...
I changed all joint connections to GM weatherpak connectors because I like them best. I put all the connectors on in a section and then I would test it to verify it worked. Then move on to the next and so forth until done. Take your time, plan your layout. You will either need to reuse the factory connectors from your old harness and splice or buy new ends. I did all new ends. The engine side of the bulkhead harness is done the same way.
Only thing I wish is that I had known all the stuff I was going to add. I have had to sit upside down under my dash adding a few sub groups for additions I have made over time.
Wow, fantastic reply! Thanks so much. That must've taken a while to compose...
Lol
Nothing you mentioned scared me one bit, that's pretty much what I was anticipating on having to do. Thanks for the positive feedback on the Painless brand. There's several other mfg's out there and it's tough to choose one. I wasn't aware they made a 28 circuit, I had always thought 21 was the most you could get, so thanks for the info.
I've got a TON of power accessories to run this time around, so the more circuits the better. Dual electric fans, electric water pump, dual air ride compressors, air ride controller, line loc, and several more interior upgrades will fill all those xtra circuits fast. I'll be compiling a complete list of every possible electrical item I'm going to run before I start.
Awesome response again, thank you!
 
i remember doing a stock rx7 s4 to s5 t2 wiring harness conversion and it sucked even with the dashboard out lol ill have to look into this purchase a little later on i didn't know they were in the upper hundreds range ehh
 
Any updates on this thread/project? I'm framing-off my 78 monte and thinking might as well re-wire the things as well... So, how good is the painless? How difficult was it? Thanks guys
 
i am still in the process of doing mine i am trying to order all new connecters through our local gm dealer ship with some luck but the harness is very good quality just have to finish the frame other things first
 
Ok, let me know what connectors you need to buy as well... I've also read that the various harnesses aren't available so we have to use what we have? The other thing that would be great is to have led's for the rear taillight a but haven't found that either- have them on my chevelle and what a difference. Thanks, let me know
 
Rkt, have you done this yet? I'm getting close to ordering this for myself and was wondering if you have yet, thanks.
 
i forgot about this thread i have not installed this harness yet as this will happen with engine/trans swap. but i did replace our old harness with this one in our nova and i can tell you this if you are afraid of quality and ease of installation don't this is coming from some one that a kill switch was scary.
IMG_20150617_145421.jpg
 
Rkt, have you done this yet? I'm getting close to ordering this for myself and was wondering if you have yet, thanks.

I have not as of yet. I'm afraid I'm still a ways away from the re-wiring stage.

But after seeing the positive response on the Painless 28 circuit kit, that's likely the one I'll get as I think it'll work best for my needs.

Good luck on your build, and keep us posted on which kit you use, and on your progress.
 
Personally i haven't done a chassis harness due to my wiring being in excellent shape for its age, but i used the painless tpi harness when setting up my hsr setup....super nice kit!!!! You definitely get what you pay for and if you take your time when routing the wires it can really make the install look factory!!! This pic shows all of the engine connections needed to run properly and it made a huge difference taking the extra time to do it right!!!
20150809_161739.jpg
 
Wanted to see if there were any updates from the guys who posted in this thread about their harness installations. I was thinking of going with the 50003 harness with the switch panel. My car is pretty stripped down, manual everything, but I need power for the gauges,fans, electric water pump,electric fuel pump,MSD 6012, and stand alone trans controller. Just wanted to see some routing solutions. I imagine it would be filling in the bulkhead passthrough then drilling and putting a grommet in that spot. And I wanted to know how well everything reaches in our cars with this universal kit.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

GBodyForum is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Please support GBodyForum Sponsors

Classic Truck Consoles Dixie Restoration Depot UMI Performance

Contact [email protected] for info on becoming a sponsor