Wiring Harness

[dmdeaton]

Are the new wiring harness's from the major suppliers ok?
And has anyone tried the modern style fuse blocks?

[DaWizard]

Ya know, I am not one to bitch much about prices, but that is WAY WAY too much for a fuse block and 2 wires. I can buy a fuse block that has LEDs that tell you which fuse is blown for less than $15.00 from my friendly electronics store and I got sheet to anchor it too for way less than that.

Just my opinion, and I'm sticken wit it!!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/6-Way-Car...&wl13=&veh=sem

[Tom Wesenberg]

What year?
My 28 and early 29 have the drum taillight, so I was sure to buy the lighting harness from Sacramento Vintage Ford, as they have their own wire harness making machine, and make the correct full length all the way to the taillight. Other major parts houses need a slice near the rear fender. If you have a later car with Twolite headlamps, then I think you'd be fine with any of the major parts houses.

[CarlG]

Another vote for Sacramento Vintage Ford.

[CM2]

Im happy you both had luck with Vintage..I go to the store/warehouse in person,I'm not that impressed.I only buy chemicals from them..engine paint.They have no quality control,if the part they buy is junk that's what you get.

[H. L. Chauvin]

When I replaced my original wiring harness with a new one on my 1930 Model A , I noticed after installing same, when going from parking lights to dim to bright, the light switch movement appeared to be a little bit stiff because of the new sharp edges on the outer holes in the round disc below.

I looked at my old slightly worn one with worn, rounded edges, and took a Dremmel tool and eased the sharp edges of these multiple light switch holes below in order to make it easier to change from dim to bright etc.

New harness worked fine.

[Mitch]

I used the Brattons harness along with their headlight connectors. Everything went smooth

The light switch turned easily without modification, just add a little dielectric grease.
Headlights plugged in and made a good contact. None of the usual issues or shorts ya hear about.
I would buy it again from them

[H. L. Chauvin]

FWIW: One (1) Experience on Newly Manufactured "Different" Model A Parts

For many, many years there was a former Model A Forum Heresy written over and over that "all" newly reproduced headlight sockets were garbage; search only for originals; and "never" buy "new" headlight sockets ...... very discouraging Model A "Fake News" was repeated and broadcasts for years on Forums, at least weekly.

Then later, about 11 years ago, I called Mr. Walt Bratton only to find that he reported that the headlight sockets he offered had absolutely no complaints from Model A owners within the past seven (7) years and he highly recommended them.

It was like for seven (7) years only Mr. Walt Bratton knew the World was round and not flat! LOL

After 11 years, I have had absolutely no headlight socket problems ...... however, never a bad idea, (with any 85+year old vehicle), to run a separate ground wire soldered to the headlight sockets and extending to a good ground.

We are really blessed to be surrounded by "several" hard working Model A parts suppliers who are constantly trying to improve what they have to offer.

Never a bad idea to call a Model A parts supplier owner or his technician for an opinion ...... they are experts mainly because they kindly respond to thousands of parts complaints every day ..... and furthermore, they learn from getting at least maybe one (1) or two (2) compliments each year!

[Mitch]

Then later, about 11 years ago, I called Mr. Walt Bratton only to find that he reported that the headlight sockets he offered had absolutely no complaints from Model A owners within the past seven (7) years and he highly recommended them.

Agree 100% only to add that his wire pigtail ends work well using his connectors. Your mileage may vary on mating some other brand harness pigtails to his connectors..Just a thought with no first hand experience since i use their harnesses

[dmdeaton]

I am not going for points and adding turn signals, I will check Brattons and see what he has. What about the quarts headlite bulb conversion? I am not sure I want to go LED on the headlites.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I am not going for points and adding turn signals, I will check Brattons and see what he has. What about the quarts headlite bulb conversion? I am not sure I want to go LED on the headlites.

Do they make 6 volt positive ground headlamp LED bulbs to fit Model A's?

[DaWizard]

Not that I have found.

[Beauford]

Found.... https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...c-car-bulbs/6/

[slammin]

That Logo Lites panel does look nice and would allow a very clean wiring addition avoiding some of the rats nests I've seen in photos. But I'm sure one could find components on the internet that could be assembled into a panel for less.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Found.... https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...c-car-bulbs/6/

I bought some of those a few weeks ago to try in my Studebaker instrument panel, but they didn't transfer the light through my ultraviolet lens.
Those are the smaller bulbs with the bayonet socket, but I didn't find any of the larger headlamp socket bulbs.

[tbirdtbird]

Thought members here would be interested in the type of braiding machine used to cloth wrap the harnesses. Today, the harness manufacturers cloth braid the modern thermoplastic wire to make it look authentic. Back in the day, they only had rubber for a covering, and they knew it wouldn't hold up, so they cloth braided it.
Then once the individual wires are made into a harness, the entire harness is cloth wrapped with the same machine, as in days of old.

This machine is from the 1840s, I acquired it and restored it many years ago. There are a boatload of places that they wear, and when that happens they hopelessly jam. As the spools dance around the table, the threads alternately go over and under one another for the weave. I have seen machines with as many as 24 spools.
I happen to have red thread on there right now with a white tracer, we needed to cloth cover modern plug wire with the correct cloth covering for a 1954 Packard ambulance. When it is powered, without the white tracer, your eyes get tied in knots and you have a lot of difficulty figuring out just what is going on

This machine is a big hit at equipment shows when I run it with a small Briggs and Stratton.
Normally back then there would have been multistory factories loaded with these machines that were run by overhead shafts and belts, and it was deafening.

A harness company of today will have several similar machines.

I had posted this to another location a while back but it was removed

The guy I bought the machine from has a job whereby he scours the country for one of every kind of old machine ever made, and he sends them to a rich industrialist in Japan who has a mega museum of machinery. He told me that the correct color of industrial machines from that era was black and that they would ALWAYS be striped, and the stripe would be red. So, it is.
In the home, all machines such as singer sewing machines would ALWAYS have gold striping. A different era, when there was pride in everything people did


dave1.jpgdave2.jpg

[BudP]

This is quite informative! Perhaps, sometime in the future, you could make and post a short video of this machine when running. Thanks for posting.

[Jim Mason]

Do you make model a harness to print?

[tbirdtbird]

we only needed to cloth wrap the spark plug wires. Did not make a harness. Happened to have the braider handy since we appreciate machinery around here.

Right now I just have string going up the center to simulate modern thermoplastic wire. You can run anything up the center you want, it will braid on top of anything. You would need a rack full of colored thread to make an actual correct harness per se, and thus several machines else you'll be changing the threads often! And they are a pain to re-load

A harness maker of today, such as RI Wiring (I have been in the production room there) would have these machines converted to electric motors

[tbirdtbird]

Jim, I misread your question. No, I don't do harnesses, I would need a rack full of many colors of thread. I could if I had the thread selection. You have to buy VERY large master spools of thread, then wind the bobbins from there, a very time consuming process.

I wound my red and white bobbins on a lathe at slow speed

[dmdeaton]

Is there anywhere to buy this modern braided wire bulk other than the vendors charging .75 to $1 a foot?

[tbirdtbird]

you might try contacting a harness maker such as RI Wiring directly to see if you could buy an entire spool of whatever color you wanted
(401) 789-1955

There are other harness companies also.
RI Wiring was begun by one of the Pease brothers, the other one restored cars

[Tom Wesenberg]

Dave, that harness covering machine is just too cool.
I saw a large machine like that with dozens of spools of thread at a threshing show about 10 years ago.

[tbirdtbird]

Believe it or not, there are gigantic braiders just like the one pictured that wind huge cables such as the Trans-Atlantic phone cable, using whatever copper and fiberoptic strands they need. The technology has not changed at all. These braiders are massive and turned on their side so the cable can be fed through

[Afordman31]

That is one of the most impressive things I have heard about...........never gave it a thought about how it is done. Thank you for sharing.

[Mitch]

I agree with the others,
Thanks Dave

[tbirdtbird]

at some point i'll try to put a vid together

[Mitch]

That would be super neat. A vid with some pics and information on a tech thread