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$2 wiring harness cover

9K views 20 replies 15 participants last post by  Shadetree engineer 
#1 ·
Over this winter I've been trying to clean up the engine compartment on my '32 pickup. One of the problems I faced was an ugly stock Ford wiring harness, with all it's wires and plug ends, dangling out there on my firewall. You can see the harness just to the right of the ignition module in the first photo below. In this photo the plugs and wires have been collected together and taped up to conserve space - but they are still just an ugly wad.

The second photo shows my $2.00 solution. It's a mini sized bread baking pan (from any Wal Mart or kitchen section) which I simply notched for the wires to enter and exit, drilled mounting holes, and then powder coated with Eastwood's reflective chrome.

I must admit I stole the idea of using hot rod kitchen ware from a good buddy of mine, Jerry West, who owns a 28/29 3 window coupe. My wife and I caught him last year at Wal Mart buying a cake pan - only to find out later he was using the pan to build an indentation on his firewall to fit around the distributor of his BBC. So I call this the official "Jerry West Pro Street High Performance Wiring Harness Cover" (coming soon to a Jeggs near you.)



 
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#2 ·
Great use of the cake pan cboy. There is lots of stuff in the kitchen section that can be used on a rod. Look at all the different shapes the metal pans and bowls come in as well as the cake tins and cooking pots and pans which all lend themselves to creative thinking. The curved funnel like insert in an angel food cake pan is one example. Cut in half, make lips on the cut ends that will fit under a thin u bracket on the firewall and slide it over the bracket and use it as a cover like you used your cake pan. Take a walk through a junk shop and look for interesting brass and metal shapes. They're everywhere.

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#3 · (Edited)
That is too cool, Cboy. One time I had to put a gas tank filler neck in thru the trunk floor of a 34 ford. I made a slosh pan for it out of a stainless mixing bowl from K-Mart. I think it cost 2.98.

This months readers digest has a picture of a guys 66 chevy pickup with 1480 teaspoons riveted all over it. (may 2006, page 78, It's right under the VW Bug made out of wrought iron scrolls and curly-cues).It's not exactly what I would call a resourceful use of kitchen utensils, but what else could a guy do with that many spoons?
mikey
 
#5 ·
looks really good...looks "factory" installed....cboy

another cheapy I've used to clean up the wires hanging below is a piece of schedule 40 PVC pipe, split shape it on the grinder and sanded to conform to the firewall then painted to match the firewall....
looks like you could extend the hidden steering column gasket screw to secure it?

$.50? to see if it looks decent, dang pvc is just so easy to work with
 
#6 ·
This is sorta related...

I go to garage sales and pick up things like small cake pans and other metal or plastic containers dirt cheap.

The inside is great for mixing small amounts of paint, stain, dye, whatever or can be a small drain pan for setting a leaky small part in - like a power steering pump - so it doesn't run all over the floor.

Then, you can flip them over and use the backs for mixing thick stuff like epoxy.

Lids work great for all sorts of things too.

All of the above are good for collecting parts, although if I have a big project, I'll buy a bunch of those "disposable" plastic containers that are in the sandwich bag section since they have lids that seal tightly.


When done, you can either clean them, or if not practical, just toss 'em.
 
#7 ·
red65mustang said:
another cheapy I've used to clean up the wires hanging below is a piece of schedule 40 PVC pipe, split shape it on the grinder and sanded to conform to the firewall then painted to match the firewall....
Have you discovered any similar cheap fix for routing the wiring around a corner that would still retain a nice smooth surface (not a pvc elbo that might stick out like a sore thumb). Actually the wires you see hanging down below the new cover won't actually end up going that direction, they go to the coil and distributer, so I'm looking for a way to cover them all the way from the new cover to the front of the engine. The main problem is I don't want to cut and splice the wires which means I need something, as you suggest, with a split type opening running all the way down the pipe or tubing that would be large enough to allow me to get the wiring inside but yet small enough to it can be hidden from view. The second to main problem is that it needs to make at least one 90 degree angle.

So far I haven't seen or dreamed up anything that would work and look nice (and be cheap). I'm not very fond of that plastic ribbed stuff you can buy for just this sort of application.
 
#8 ·
cboy, how about taking the ribbed plastic tubing idea and make your own out of a plastic or rubber tubing - fuel line might work. Just split the back and insert your wires and the tubing will return to its original shape. This will bend to give you your 90 degree angle change. Keep the split to the bottom and mount it where needed with nice clips. I have seen plastic tubing in various colors in craft stores. High end garden hose may even work (garage sale item from someone who converted to underground sprinklers). Hopes this gets the creative juices flowing.

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#9 · (Edited)
oh, maybe a dozen "cheap" solutions that can look decent....kinda depends on how tight are the 90's? and what "look" you like....industrial?

if bigger 90's are ok, in the pvc section at Lowes there are various wall thicknesses and diameters of clear and tinted smooth wall flexible pvc tubing...paint it?.....really really cheap=split heater hose (yuch)= "rat rod"?

straight split sections of (polished?) 1/2" aluminum electrical conduit and use a pre-bent 90* 1/2" heater bypass hose (split) for the corners, best to mount it at/on the rubber, isolate the aluminum ground = industrial look?

patience? bend all required with a single length 1/2" copper for really tight 90's bends, split it where it won't show with a Dremel tool, sand it, paint it, and DEFINITELY isolate it with plastic/rubber mounts= really smooth look?
hee hee hee....make it "wow!"....solder small copper tube branches for each drop to the termination....whole harness comes off like a tree branch!

get "some" insulation value inside the alum or copper tubing?.....pour and slosh a couple of coats of enamel in it





what motor is it....
 
#10 ·
powerrodsmike said:
That is too cool, Cboy. One time I had to put a gas tank filler neck in thru the trunk floor of a 34 ford. I made a slosh pan for it out of a stainless mixing bowl from K-Mart. I think it cost 2.98.

This months readers digest has a picture of a guys 66 chevy pickup with 1480 teaspoons riveted all over it. (may 2006, page 78, It's right under the VW Bug made out of wrought iron scrolls and curly-cues).It's not exactly what I would call a resourceful use of kitchen utensils, but what else could a guy do with that many spoons?
mikey

More importantly, why would he want to....???????
 
#11 ·
xntrik said:
More importantly, why would he want to....???????
Maybe he's a little ....eccentric? hahahhaha J/K X.
I don't know why he wanted to, maybe he thought they looked like demented vortex generators.
mikey
 
#20 ·
That is a beaut. I was limited on space when it came time to build speaker boxes for the woofers I installed in my car. Two salad bowls, one thoughtfully modified with a little heat, a wad of black stuff to stick it on and I was done. The cool thing is the bowls are 5.7 liter - same as the 351W mill :D
 
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