I am starting to rewire my 53 f100 using 21 circuit EZ wire kit. Has anyone used this and can give me a diagram on how you hooked it up? I am using all the stock stuff, ignition, light switch gauges gas tank. What do you do with unneeded wires? I started to run the wires to the back but have three wires in that group I won't be using, third light, trunk and rule pump. I do need a wire to run to stock sensor in the gas tank. I need help

 

Not the same kit as yours but the extra wires I left coiled up under the dash. Don't put in the fuse for that wire and your safe. If it is part of a circuit and needs to be live then put a cap of some sort over it.

 

The EZ wiring kit is of good quality, well marked and very reasonably priced. The disadvantage is essentially no real instructions. The tech guy at EZ wire at least was readily available by phone but he is not going to go step by step with you. Iirc Ron Francis had decent wiring info on line. As to extra wires, either coil them up or cut them off. If you choose to cut them off, leave sufficient length at the panel to splice back on if you later add something. Properly wiring and doing it neatly takes time, ask Bob Jones. It took me more time than normal since I wanted a clean firewall and worked hard to hide the wiring.

 

Pappy

here's some notes on what I did, might give you some ideas


https://jniolon.classicpickup.com/wiring/wiring.htm

 

John,
Incredible job AND documentation!

Pappy,
You could not ask for more!

 

thanks, just don't look under my dash !!!!!!

 

Each vehicle is different as to what you have and what you may want in a circuit. I laid mine out but had to extend some of the wires to the rear because of the length of truck. Also, I used some of the wires for things unique to the fire truck. Take your time and for each wire I used I made up an index card indicating color and where exactly the wire went. If it met at a junction or directly to the use in question. Also, as I have stated on other posts, I put my fuse block under the hood for convenience.

 

I checked back on an earlier thread started by Pappy. From that thread it sounded like he was looking for someone to either do the wiring or be a major help. Given the level of the wiring as documented by John, we may have scared him!
Pappy, You need to understand that there is a big difference between a basic wiring effort, more or less wiring the truck as was done in 1953 but with a SBC and the compexity of Johns truck and therefore the detail documented for John's truck. In any case, imho wiring your truck (carefully and neatly) is more than several days work.

 

I used a Kiwi wire harness. They had a great instruct book, and Good responds to questions.
But I will admit, when I first pulled it out of the box, it was like a spaghetti monster and very intimating.
once I got the fuse block mounted, and started to run wires, it all started to make sense

 

I used a stock like harness I bought from Mid Fifty in 1999. It looks like the original but had rubber insulation under the cloth covering. If you're not adding any accessories and staying stick this is a good choice. I got it installed in an afternoon.

 

Pappy's 53, how far along are you now? Tell us where you are and we can walk you through it. Like eating an elephant (one bite at a time) take it one wire at a time.

We've got your back, and you've got this.

Some questions:
What steering column and/or turn signal switch are you using?
Where is your brake master cylinder located? (original under floor or firewall)
What engine/ignition system are you using?
What alternator are you using?
What extras do you have? (power windows, door locks, etc.)

 

stock steering column with stock turn signal switch
master cylinder moved to firewall
350 Chevy 3 wire alternator
stock ignition with start button
everything inside cab is stock
I changed out the amp gauge for voltage gauge
adding in neutral switch

 

A few more pieces of advice for you or whomever reads this later. I used a Haywire kit, but virtually the same as EZ wire. Doing it right is tedious but doing it wrong will be regretted.

-Draw a rough draft schematic as you go. Make it prettier when you get close to done. I know your wires are labeled but there will be many sub-circuits. There will be a day it is handy to diagnose a problem, or tie into an existing circuit. My schematic is in my build binder and 15 years later it is very handy.

-Don't switch colors in a circuit more than necessary. Your truck is negative ground. Black is ground and red is a powered circuit. Make at least some of this intuitive down the road. Don't flip them back and forth.

-I soldered and used heat shrink tubing on every terminal in my truck. That took too long but I always do that when I wire anything because it is then permanent. You don't have to do that, you can use terminals and wire crimps if you wish. Don't use a cheap Harbor Freight kit. Lousy connections working loose is a hassle that never ends. It can cause heat as well.

-When you are about done get some wire loom and wire ties. Cheap loom is better than no loom.

My garage is always a mess but my wiring is not. I've spent crazy amounts of time in a commercial shop trying to repair nightmare wiring hack jobs created by sloppy wiring. Don't do it. A reliable truck is a lot more fun to drive.

 

WHAT FENDERS SAID ^^^ and if you do change wire color or use one of their circuits for something else (i.e. I used fuel pump wire for the transmission cooler feed) make notes in your install manual.

JOHN

 

I used a Painless universal harness but my truck is anything other than stock. Great documentation but I had to figure out all the routing which may not be perfect but seems to work well enough