Rewiring an RA28

[o_man_ra23]

Depends LeeRoy, if you can get the bearings for $3 each, alternator for $50, and ignitor for $50 (used to pay $25 trade when I was working at a Fraud wrecker) then thats under $110. If you can find me a brand new alternator for around that price which pumps out 85A and is internally regulated, Ill buy one.

[LeeRoy]

Yeh but if this is something that your unable to do yourself then it will significantly increase the cost. I had an alternator refurbed and it was around $100 if i remember correctly. Theres ef, el, and au falcon alternators on ebay that have been refurbed and theyre asking $150ea for them.

A new commodore alternator (vn/vs) from repco is just under $200.

As you said though if this is something you can do yourself then for the price of a new one you can buy two second hand ones and refurb them yourself. If this was not something that you were able to do yourself then id probably opt for a new one. FYI i picked a falcon alt from pick and payless for $50.

So frag dog whats the verdict with rewiring your 28?

[frag_dog]

Well I already have the old loom completly out. So either way, the car is going to be re-wired.

I picked up an unmelted VL fuse rail from the wreckers for $20. I looked at heaps of other cars trying to find some that would have a fuse box i want but nothing looked good. With VL item, i have space for 16 fused links, plus room for about 12 standard Bosch relays. I figure I'll mount it inbetween the strut tower and the wiper motor. This way its right next to the Alternator and Starter. Only problem is its reasonably close to the exaust mainfold. A bit of heat shelding should take care of that.

I'm going to order a loom off Wolf in the next month. I really would like to have the body loom done by end of Feb. I realise that it will probibly take longer, but you gotta have goals....

I've started doing up some schamtics on the PC in a program called Smart Draw. It doesn't look too bad but its a bit fiddely. Anyone know of any decent Electrical CAD programs?

[o_man_ra23]

We do all our electrical schematics at work in Autocad 2005. Just the standard one. Its a piece of cake really, especially if you have the aus standard symbol set (not really necessary for doing car schematics though)

[frag_dog]

I think i have just about sorted out the Indicator / Light stalk plug. Here's what I have:



Number Colour Function
----------------------------------
1 Blue Wiper +12v
2 Blue Black Wiper Slow
3 Blue Brown Wiper Fast
4 Green Red Horn
5 Yellow Headlight +12v
6 Red Headlights On
7 White Parker Lights On
8 Red White High Beams On
9 Red Black High Beams Off
10 Red Yellow High Beams On
11 White Black High Beams +12V
12 Blue Red Wipers Off
13 Blue Windscreen Squirters
14 Black Windscreen Squirters
15 ----- ---------
16 Green White Hazards
17 Green Yellow Left Indicators lights
18 Green Black Right Indicator lights
19 Green Flasher Unit
20 Green Blue Flasher Unit Prime
21 Green Red Flasher Unit
22 Green Orange Hazards

I still need to sort out some of the power inputs and outputs because it all doesn't quite make sense to me just yet...

[Stan_204]

Hell,

There is alot of interesting stuff that i will be calling on down the track, when i am given the task of rewiring a TA22.
There are some great ideas here.

[frag_dog]

The parts for the wiring have started to arrive...

I got the Wolf Loom yesterday. The way the engine loom was setup before, all the wires ran from the front of the engine to the back, along the firewall then thru the firewall hole. I was thinking of running it either infront of, or behind the strut tower, then into the cabin thru the quarter pannel wiring hole.

The plus side of running thru the quarter pannel is it keeps the wire away from the heat, however, its longer.

Which way is the prefered method?

Also, will mounting the coils (4 of them) near the rest of the EFI wiring cause issues?

[o_man_ra23]

Keep it away from the heat, your not running anything which will come to HUGE dramas if it is a bit longer.

[frag_dog]

The project is moving along pretty well. Getting there with the schematics.

Question time again

I'm thinking of putting the fuse box inbetween the strut tower and wiper motor .



However, thats almost straight over the top of the turbo manifold. The heat shield that was in it barely covered anything so I'm thinking of making a new one...



Will this 'trap' heat under it and cause issues for the turbo, starter motor or engine?

[LeeRoy]

I dont know how much work youve done or if what im about to suggest is possible but anyways.

I would avoid mounting the fuse box on the hox side of the engine bay for a few reasons.
1. The heat will shorten the life or the fuse box, wires, and all connectors.
2. The majority of the wiring you plan on doing is on the passenger side so by mounting it there you will need less wire and it will take you less time.
3. The majority of the cars standard wiring is on the pass side.
4. There is a grommet for the wiring on the drivers side firewall.

It probably be highly inclined to mount it in the same spot but just on the Drivers side.

Its actually quite contradictory to what ive done personally as ive mounted my fuse box on the pass side where your feet go but my wiring runs through the rails, with the majority of it being in the cabin. My aftermarket ecu will be run through the firewall behind the engine.

[frag_dog]

Where I've put it there is on the passenger side. I understand what your saying about the heat, problem is, other then in the back, there isn't alot of room to mount it. I could mount it behind the headlights, or in the back next to the battery but then all the wires are going to be pretty long.

I plan on putting some of this: http://www.heatshieldproducts.com/heat_shield_cloth.php stuff (or something like it) on the inside of the heat shield, and probibly around the fuse box as well to be safe.

[LeeRoy]

Sorry dude i meant to say put it in the spot behind the strut tower, but put it on the drivers side as opposed to putting it on the pass side with the heat. Even if you can protect the fuse box from the heat, every wire you run to the engine will either run around it (making for long wires) to avoid the heat, or pass across hot zones. Really you want as little wiring as possible where it can be subjected to the elements be they water, heat, dirt, movement, or whatever else you can think of that will be detrimental to their lifespan.

Should you go ahead and mount it on that side id be buying some actual heat shield material like Thisand also wire covering like This. You could just bend up some alloy or steel plate (id go stainless) to shield everything if you didnt want to buy some actually heat shielding stuff. That and some heat tape would help drop temps and prolong life but drivers side would be my preference.

[frag_dog]

Yeah I thinking of doing some pretty major heat sheilding. The paint on the bonnet has been completely stuffed by heat (crows feet type cracks).

The way im going to have the fuse box setup, I'm going to try as many wires going thru the firewall and going back into the engine bay on the otherside, or thru the quarter pannel hole.

With the brake booster and master, cluch slave and fuel pressure reg, there isnt any room inbetween the strut tower and firewall. I can't put it on the otherside because thats where the coils and ignition modules are going to go.

Surge tank has to go somewhere else as well, but thats another kettle of fish...