| Author | Message | ||
| John & Barb Tesser (Bigrigger)
Registered Member Username: Bigrigger Post Number: 565 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 97.91.68.252  Rating: N/A |
Does anyone know if they make a loom that will completely replace the existing wires in our GM 4107? I am having one thing after another go wrong shutoffs, high idle, guages, warning lights, dead batteries, all pointing towards 45 year old wiring being bad someplace between the batteries and the dash. Another part of the problem is pulling off the side panel by the drivers seat I see a mess of old wires with 3M connectors grabbing power for this or that. I figure rather than piecemeal it out one at a time, maybe i can just get a whole new loom and start with that. Probably just idle dreaming? John | ||
| Bill Gerrie (Bill_gerrie)
Registered Member Username: Bill_gerrie Post Number: 565 Registered: 3-2006 Posted From: 216.198.139.38  Rating: N/A |
John When I replaced the engine 5 years ago with an electronic one I had to run 3000 feet of wires. It replaced most of the orginal stuff. The biggest problem is the ends of the wires, not the wire itself. It took all winter to do it but no further problems associated to wires. Nobody I know makes up wireing harrnesses for buses except you and all of your time. Bill | ||
| Steven M. Toomey (Pabusnut)
Registered Member Username: Pabusnut Post Number: 36 Registered: 3-2005 Posted From: 96.25.34.30 Rating: N/A |
Not that I am an expert, but the factory wiring diagrams are a great place to start. I eliminated a lot of wiring for things that no longer exist on my 4905. I have also used it to trace down shorts, or open circuits, which in my case is almost always related to bad grounds! I've discovered a lot of bad components, but so far no failed wiring. Steve Toomey | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 1418 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 75.202.68.75  Rating: N/A |
I replaced all the OEM wiring in our coach. I started from scratch after removing the OEM wire. I used the wiring diagrams as a starter point then added wires as needed for additional equipment that we added, plus a few spares. A list was made up listing all wire colors, gauges, numbers, and function. Jack | ||
| John & Barb Tesser (Bigrigger)
Registered Member Username: Bigrigger Post Number: 566 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 97.91.68.252 Rating: N/A |
Good ideas all. Steve i like that idea of eliminating unneeded wires as things like door chimes and tons of other bus related things are no longer even in use. Bill did you realize thats about 3/4 of a mile of wire??? Oye vey! I guess its like the old trucking song says "there ain't no easy run"... Thanks guys, John | ||
| Fooey (Foohorse)
Registered Member Username: Foohorse Post Number: 604 Registered: 1-2010 Posted From: 174.255.242.211  Rating: N/A |
John the original wires on our GM buses is very high quality stuff I have seen similar in the Rolls Royce cars from the Silver Cloud on down and the problems are always at the individual connections and earth points. I would check there instead of undertaking a huge project replacing with something great with not so great. and for those about to comment on Lucas it is well known that Lucas was the leader in electrical components est 1872 they built the best money can buy. but then bosh came around with cheaper and lucas was not ready to compete so they lost their way. China is our Bosh today | ||
| L James Jones Jr (Jamo)
Registered Member Username: Jamo Post Number: 224 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 74.67.218.12  Rating: N/A |
I have found with my bus that what the wire was labelled for originally at one end, might not be doing the same thing at the other end anymore. Seems I open a can of worms everytime I think it's June 1953 and this bus just came out of the GM plant. | ||
| John & Barb Tesser (Bigrigger)
Registered Member Username: Bigrigger Post Number: 567 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 97.91.68.252 Rating: N/A |
Thanks for the info Fooey and Jamo, I have stared death in the face and not been as intimidated as i am by that mess of wires! Like the song said "One of them looked like a can full of worms, the other one looked like malaria germs" John | ||
| Dal Farnworth (Dallas)
Registered Member Username: Dallas Post Number: 776 Registered: 7-2004 Posted From: 98.20.54.81  Rating: N/A |
It's not hard to do. Think of it as if you were making a dug-out canoe from a log. 1. Get Log. 2. Remove anything that isn't canoe. 3. Anything that is left is canoe. | ||
| L James Jones Jr (Jamo)
Registered Member Username: Jamo Post Number: 226 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 74.67.218.12 Rating: N/A |
I thought of gutting her once. I was rewiring my '68 MGB, and the wiring harness for that does the same stuff as the 4104. I figured I could just splice in 30' between the terminals and run the whole mess in one smurf tube. Guess you'd have to add a few for reverse, warnings, etc. Just seems like a lots of snarl for what I'm running now...not counting the conversion stuff, of course. As previously mentioned though...more terminal problems than actual wire problems for me, and the problems I have found have been mostly due to inferior PO's work since the conversion. It's all fun though, eh?? | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 1613 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 97.213.123.204  Rating: N/A |
I, for one, am glad I am (not yet)) a PO.....seems they get a lot of, uh, well,... commentary. As FF says it..or did in the past, "do it your way"...I, for one, did! Buyer beware!!!  FWIW RCB | ||
| Don McCart (Don_and_cary)
Registered Member Username: Don_and_cary Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2011 Posted From: 204.195.96.66 Rating: N/A |
When removing the unwanted wires don't just cut them loose. That is what they did in our 4107. Tie the wire back, label it, and use it later. There probably will be a time in the future when you will want a wire from point A to point B and you will have a spare there to use. We attached all the unused wires to a junction panel and updated the original wiring diagrams to show all the changes we made. | ||
| Dr. Stephen Wilson (Mex_busnut)
Registered Member Username: Mex_busnut Post Number: 1 Registered: 6-2011 Posted From: 200.95.163.60  Rating: N/A |
We have removed all of our old wiring, which ran under the center aisle floor. There was a bunch of patched cables, a few bare live wires sparking against chassis and some cables that were not connected at either end to anything. So far, we have laid 16 brand new runs, and have them protected inside the corrugated hose that has a full-length split down its length. (This hose is cheap at our local rubber supply place). We will probably add another 6 cables. From what I have read on the boards, it is always a good idea to have a few spare runs already installed, in case you need to make a quick repair along the highway, or if you need something for a future project. | ||
| Bill Gerrie (Bill_gerrie)
Registered Member Username: Bill_gerrie Post Number: 571 Registered: 3-2006 Posted From: 216.198.139.38 Rating: N/A |
Stephen Welcome aboard. How long have you been working on your bus? Looks great. A friend of ours has a 1995 Dina. I think there is only 5 in Canada. Run as many spares as you can. You will use them in time. Busnuts are always adding things that require wires. Bill |