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Thread: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

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    Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    I want to connect sensors to gauges/data logging in my Rampage/Maserati build. These include vacuum/boost, temp sensors for the pre and post intercooler intake air charge of the AWIC, EGT, AWIC coolant vs ambient air, exhaust pressure and so on.

    So, no engine in car yet, lots of working room, L body of course, how do you all do it?
    Best places for firewall penetration?
    Best tools for job?
    Best types of bulkhead bushings?
    Best ways to deal with under dash issues?
    Last edited by johnl; 08-20-2017 at 12:55 PM.
    John Laing

    "The sole condition which is required in order to succeed in centralizing the supreme power in a democratic community, is to love equality, or to get men to believe you love it. Thus the science of despotism, which was once so complex is simplified, and reduced . . . . to a single principle."
    -- Alexis de Tocqueville

    "One of the methods used by statists to destroy capitalism consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls are necessary."
    --Ayn Rand

    "To evolve, you don't need a Constitution. All you need is a legislature and a ballot box . . . . things will evolve as much as you want. All of these changes can come about democratically; you don't need a Constitution to do that and it's not the function of a Constitution to do that."
    -- Justice Antonin Scalia

  2. #2
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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    John,
    Probably the best and most sanitary place would be running it through the factory bulkhead connector. Not sure what your using for electronics LM or SMEC, but the stock 40 pin connector is only using like 31 wires on a 4 dr. GLH, and of course the 50 pin connector (if you've upgraded your dash connector) will obviously have much more room. 14-18 gauge male and female connectors are still available. It also would be nice to have a dedicated weather-tight bulkhead connector for all your non-stock wiring. Your power brake booster could probably hide the connector from view if placed below that.
    On my GLHS Omni I ran all my MSD electronics shift light, MSD 6AL, (less power and ground), timing control, through hole I drilled through firewall behind passenger fender near glove box liner.
    Todd

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    Super Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff contraption22's Avatar
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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    You can also cut a small hole and add an additional grommet for wiring. Also you can find some multi-pin bulkhead connectors you can use.
    Mike Marra
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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    If you're using a rod-shifted manual transmission, there is a rubber plug in the firewall where the cable for a factory automatic shifter would have run. Also, if you convert to an electronic speedometer, the hole were the speedometer cable was works well.

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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    I would run all that through where the factory LM harness would have gone through. I know Rampages didn't have LM's, but the punch out for the hole should be there still I think.
    Rob M.
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    Super Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff 135sohc's Avatar
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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    OTC makes a wiring fishing tool set, including for going through existing connections/grommets.
    https://www.otctools.com/products/wi...-threading-kit
    1994 Shadow Sedan. 2.2 N/A, A568 400,000 miles. "the science experiment"
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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    Thanks all for the input.
    Back when, Dave G converted the Ramerati to SMEC for Charlie W.

    And, BTW, I did find that Dave also cut and lowered the seat pans, as AJ asked about in my "reborn" thread.

    I like Todd's idea, so if you don't mind, what's the part number for those 14-18 gauge male and female connectors to use the SMEC's unused pins and the SMEC bulkhead ? I bought some a long time ago to convert my '85 GLHT to '87 LM, are those the same ones?
    John Laing

    "The sole condition which is required in order to succeed in centralizing the supreme power in a democratic community, is to love equality, or to get men to believe you love it. Thus the science of despotism, which was once so complex is simplified, and reduced . . . . to a single principle."
    -- Alexis de Tocqueville

    "One of the methods used by statists to destroy capitalism consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls are necessary."
    --Ayn Rand

    "To evolve, you don't need a Constitution. All you need is a legislature and a ballot box . . . . things will evolve as much as you want. All of these changes can come about democratically; you don't need a Constitution to do that and it's not the function of a Constitution to do that."
    -- Justice Antonin Scalia

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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    I win a cookie! I knew Mr Grove told me about lowering the pans cause Charlie is tall-you know back when people used to talk on the phone

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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    There's pics for ya AJ - Dave Grove did a nice job of it.

    Now I'm thinking it best to just get a bulkhead connector of some sort at the junk yard and make up a single stand alone/separate accessory sensor harness.
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    John Laing

    "The sole condition which is required in order to succeed in centralizing the supreme power in a democratic community, is to love equality, or to get men to believe you love it. Thus the science of despotism, which was once so complex is simplified, and reduced . . . . to a single principle."
    -- Alexis de Tocqueville

    "One of the methods used by statists to destroy capitalism consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls are necessary."
    --Ayn Rand

    "To evolve, you don't need a Constitution. All you need is a legislature and a ballot box . . . . things will evolve as much as you want. All of these changes can come about democratically; you don't need a Constitution to do that and it's not the function of a Constitution to do that."
    -- Justice Antonin Scalia

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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    John,
    The male connector is part # 3843396-18 (18-20 gauge) and 3843396-14 for 14-16 gauge. There is about 4 wires that use 12 gauge, but I haven't been able to find a male or female connector for this. The 14-16 gauge connector will work, but should be used with some double sided shrink tubing. As far as the female side goes, 3843601 (18-20 gauge), and 3843607 for 14-16 gauge.
    Last I checked Terminalsupplyco.com had them. They provided Chrysler with them. Didn't list them in their catalog, but had lots in stock. I talked to a Annette T. If you need her email addy, PM me and I will forward that to you. Now the bad part, last time I wanted to order some, they wanted a minimum of 100 of each size. That is like $200. They were around .50 a piece.
    Some of the auto parts stores like Napa and Car Quest have a Dorman cross for them, but they are in like packs of 2 or 5. LMK if you want to order some from Terminal Supply, I would be willing to split an order with you. I mostly need female connectors at the moment, but would be willing to purchase these to have them on hand. I'm making a 40 to 50 pin adapter to plug a 88+ L-body dash harness into a S-60 L-body under hood harness. I like the idea of not splicing either of the harnesses. That way it is also fully reversible.
    Todd
    Todd

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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    on finding another bulkhead connector to use , older mopars used one about the size of our 40/50 way but the engine side had three separate plugs that attached to it instead of one big one like ours
    that might let you subdivide the connector to use for whatever purpose you want and you could unplug some stuff to work on it while leaving other stuff still connected

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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    Quote Originally Posted by johnl View Post

    Now I'm thinking it best to just get a bulkhead connector of some sort at the junk yard and make up a single stand alone/separate accessory sensor harness.
    That's what I did for all my gauges. I used this: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/prf-40011

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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    Bad news. All the Chrysler terminal parts #'s I listed in post #10 are now discontinued and are no longer available from Terminal Supply Co. Last time I checked, they had thousands of each and apparently since they were such a slow mover, they were thrown in the dumpster to make room for something that sells better. I hate that...
    Todd

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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    Just like the window scrapers for the 2-door Ls . . .

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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    may the decrimper tool design contest begin ..NOW
    GO!

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    Super Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff 135sohc's Avatar
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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    Give up on originality and use something that will always be available... weatherpack, metripack or even MS stuff.

    The dorman ones are ok.
    1994 Shadow Sedan. 2.2 N/A, A568 400,000 miles. "the science experiment"
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    Re: Wires Through Firewall - Best Place? Advice Needed

    Thanks all. Apologies for my absence from a thread I started. I got diverted to other priorities. I ordered that Painless 12 pin from Summit and I still have to get the junkyard to find a bulkhead connector.
    John Laing

    "The sole condition which is required in order to succeed in centralizing the supreme power in a democratic community, is to love equality, or to get men to believe you love it. Thus the science of despotism, which was once so complex is simplified, and reduced . . . . to a single principle."
    -- Alexis de Tocqueville

    "One of the methods used by statists to destroy capitalism consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls are necessary."
    --Ayn Rand

    "To evolve, you don't need a Constitution. All you need is a legislature and a ballot box . . . . things will evolve as much as you want. All of these changes can come about democratically; you don't need a Constitution to do that and it's not the function of a Constitution to do that."
    -- Justice Antonin Scalia

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