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School Me On Wiring

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by Mr Vaughan, Apr 19, 2021.

  1. Apr 22, 2021
    Mr Vaughan

    Mr Vaughan

    i've learned tips and tricks, and that maybe buying a kit to start with isn't a bad idea.
    also, i've learned that i need to find a rotted out tub
     
  2. Apr 22, 2021
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    What's Ohm's law? Do you have a multimeter? Can you use it?
     
  3. Apr 22, 2021
    Mr Vaughan

    Mr Vaughan

    don't know, yes, pretty well.
     
  4. Apr 22, 2021
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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  5. Apr 22, 2021
    SoCalNickG

    SoCalNickG Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Whittier, CA.
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    Levi
    I enjoy your enthusiasm for Jeeps. I have read your posts on different subjects and I would like to know about your Jeep. I have some basic questions.

    Is the engine running?
    What about the transmission/ transfer case? Do you think those are working?
    Brakes?
    How bad is the wiring loom?
    Do you have enough room to move it under its own power, once you get to that point?

    Read up on wiring (if you haven’t already) and how to use the meters; wire sizes and where to use them. Find an electrical system layout for your Jeep and use that as a map.
    You are too young to drive (on the street) so your short term goals maybe different than if you are trying to make this Jeep a daily driver for next semester.
    IMHO Get the engine running first. If the next repair doesn’t go the way you want, step back and start the engine. It is reassuring to have a tangible result of your work. If your loom is so bad that the engine won’t start, I say start by making enough of a loom to get the engine running (a trial run before you make an entire loom). It really doen't take that much wire to make the engine run. At your age I had trouble finding two nickels to rub together so buying a couple of hundred dollars’ worth of wire and/or a loom maybe beyond your reach. I would suggest getting to a pick a part yard and strip some cars of the wire. The wire will be decent quality and cheap enough to practice on. Buy some connectors and a crimper (if you don’t have access to one) maybe a soldering gun. I used to do a lot of wiring repairs with a Western Union Splice and solder. Not trying to start a crimp vs solder vs crimp AND solder debate!
    If you are buying tools, IMO buy the best tools you can afford and take care of them.
    FWIW my brother and I ‘tuned up’ our family dune buggy many times just to start the engine and drive it around the back yard. We had to drive it to 'check' the brakes. Yes, very understanding parents.
     
  6. Apr 22, 2021
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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  7. Apr 22, 2021
    Mr Vaughan

    Mr Vaughan

    the engine runs strong, stronger than i've heard before. the transmission and transfer case are out and being rebuilt (by me of course, but the parts aren't all here), so when they go back in it should be mostly fine. we replaced the MC and bled the brakes, now they work fine. the wiring in it works, but it's hanging down and a bit torn up in places and a rats nest in others. i have a crimping tool AND a soldering gun...

    my mother was devastated because the beautiful lawn was getting torn up, especially after it rained, when the ground got slick enough to slide around corners. :sneak: bout ran through the garden that way. :oops:

    the front axle needs work, the rear is good to go. according to my dad the front axle may have been rebuilt in about 2000, after he left home and the jeep stopped being abused as much. it steers nicely, the stabilizer might help that.

    one really nice resource is the brand new shop at the school, which is set up for EVERYTHING. that's where i'm hoping to do some sandblasting.
     
    dozerjim likes this.
  8. Apr 22, 2021
    givemethewillys

    givemethewillys Been here since sparky ran it. 2022 Sponsor

    New Kent, VA
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    I think there's a member in Tennessee right now who is giving away a rough but useable tub. At the very least it could be used for similar purposes as I did. My plan it to also bolt some stands in the cowl sides to rig up a test stand when I start up the jeep, so everything will be hooked up but I can actually work on my tub separately and get to all of the drivetrain parts easily.
     
    dozerjim likes this.
  9. Apr 23, 2021
    aallison

    aallison 74 cj6, 76 cj5. Has anyone seen my screwdriver?

    Green Cove...
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    While on the subject, can anyone recomend a good soldering iron for wire work? I have one of these and maybe I have the wrong tips but I can't get it to heat the wire enough to solder. I assume the tip (a fine point) is designed for electronics work. Do I just need a new tip or do I need a different iron?

    [​IMG]

    Levi - I have always used the solderless connectors and they work...ok. Were I you and just learning, I'd learn how to properly solder a wire connection and make it permanent. These crimp on connectors you get at HF only last so long then you have electrical issues. I've found electrical tape helps and so do the "weather proof" shrink wrap connectors. But I still wish I had figured out soldering years ago.
     
  10. Apr 23, 2021
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    Likely your bench top iron does not have the heat capacity to overcome the heat sink of heavy wire. If you can't heat the joint and solder before the insulation starts to melt back, you don't have enough watts.

    Sometimes it helps to apply a little solder at the contact point to help conduction (the usual advice is to heat the work and let the work melt the solder). Don't use a wet sponge to clean the tip - use one of those copper scrubbie cleaners and wet the tip a tiny bit with solder.
    https://www.amazon.com/LBY-Wire-Type-Soldering-Cleaner-Copper/dp/B078L36CLB/ref=asc_df_B078L36CLB/

    Prep your joint. Hot iron. Get in. Get out.

    No question - a Weller soldering gun. They still sell them, but you can pick one up used easily. I own two of them.

    Weller D550PK 260-Watt/200W Professional Soldering Gun Kit with Three Tips and Solder in Carrying Case - - Amazon.com

    I always tighten the tip before plugging in. Helps a lot.

    Good solder, extra flux. Look here - Headlights Relays In Absurd Detail
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2021
    boopiejones likes this.
  11. Apr 23, 2021
    jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sheboygan
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    this.

    i did this when i put a new wire harness in the '62
     
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