Gauge Question: Is 18 gage really enough?

A

Andres2882

New Member

Jan 29, 2004

316

0

0

Aug 3, 2005

#1

• Aug 3, 2005

• #1

Doing the install on the gauges tonite and I was surprised to see the instructions telling me to use 18g wire to route to the WT sender. Is that thin of a wire really going to be able to withstand the heat of the engine block? Where do most people snake it through?

 

txstang84

15 Year Member

May 21, 2005

1,639

42

69

Tuscola, tx

Aug 3, 2005

#2

• Aug 3, 2005

• #2

i ran mine alongside the oil press wire on top of the intake wrapped with loom going into the cockpit...i'm pretty sure i used 18ga, never had a problem with it

if you wanna run 16ga, there's nothin wrong with that

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

31,179

33

129

Aug 3, 2005

#3

• Aug 3, 2005

• #3

I use 16 for senders just for fun. 18 will carry plenty of current though.

 

A

Andres2882

New Member

Jan 29, 2004

316

0

0

Aug 4, 2005

#4

• Aug 4, 2005

• #4

Man, I busted out my 8ga wire for nothing. I even used 8ga just for the main wire that I used to piggyback from the 12v ignition and the dimmers.

Other question, when I was fiddling around in the fuse box area, I discovered a orange/black wire that was plugged into the #13 fuse. WTF is that about? I unplugged it to see what wouldn't work without it and didnt notice anything. Any ideas? Only thing I can think is that its for the alarm system that used to be in the car before i bought it?

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

31,179

33

129

Aug 4, 2005

#5

• Aug 4, 2005

• #5

Just as an FYI, 18 AWG is good for like 15 amps at 10' (the senders almost all run ground anyways).

You could about power a stock alternator with 8 gauge. LOL. Much better to overkill than under though.

It seems to me that Or/blk is the color of the stereo illumination wire. Not sure if that could be it for ya though. You could Tee into that with a tap somewhere convenient (so you dont have 2 wires jambed into the fuse).

An alarm should not tap into the dimmer circuit (the parking light wire which most installers use is brown and under the dash).

Good luck bud.

 

A

Andres2882

New Member

Jan 29, 2004

316

0

0

Aug 4, 2005

#6

• Aug 4, 2005

• #6

Isnt 18g wire like speaker wire? It's that skinny right? I need a good writeup on car electronics or something. HISSIN, how did you run your wires? I'm thinking it'd be best to go follow the plug wire from the distributor to the coil and then back through the firewall from there.

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

31,179

33

129

Aug 4, 2005

#7

• Aug 4, 2005

• #7

Andres2882 said:

Isnt 18g wire like speaker wire? It's that skinny right? I need a good writeup on car electronics or something. HISSIN, how did you run your wires? I'm thinking it'd be best to go follow the plug wire from the distributor to the coil and then back through the firewall from there.

Click to expand...

Yeah, 18 AWG is like speaker wire. But it can handle a decent load.

I have a mech temp gauge. The capillary tube is in loom and runs between the upper and valve cover on the driver side (since the capillary tube is rigid, it hovers in space).

With just wires to run (elec gauges) I would try and shoehorn the wires through an existing wire loom that goes through the firewall. I use a razor blade and carefully cut an "X" in the rubber on the perimeter of any existing wires. Then fish the wires through the X. If you drill a hole, be sure to use a firewall grommet (parts stores sell them in the electrical connector section).

And your plan to run the OP wire over to the coil and then to the firewall sounds real good (I think I did that - I cant remember). I have some other wires run along the same spot - nice and out of the way (from heat, etc). Good plan Andres.

Here is a chart that gives an idea of what gauge can take what load. I often go at least one step higher than SAE guidelines (not the case with a gauge sender, but going bigger lets me add on to a wire I ran down the line if I need to). No harm in doing that at all.

Good luck bud.

 

A

Andres2882

New Member

Jan 29, 2004

316

0

0

Aug 4, 2005

#8

• Aug 4, 2005

• #8

Thanks, hopefully I'll be able to toss some pics around soon.

 

jrichker

StangNet's favorite TOOL

In Remembrance. Thank you for your contributions

Mar 10, 2000

27,512

2,813

234

Dublin GA

Aug 4, 2005

#9

• Aug 4, 2005

• #9

Some help is at hand...

see http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/1d/db/3c/0900823d801ddb3c.jsp and study the information under the Heading Chassis Electrical, Basic Electricity – Understanding & Troubleshooting

 

tmoss

Gettin Wired

Founding Member

Jun 28, 2001

7,153

32

128

Saint Louis, MO

Aug 4, 2005

#10

• Aug 4, 2005

• #10

The wire insulation type determines if it's suitable for engine bay temperatures - not the rating of the wire for current. Some of the best wire you can use is SIS wire used in electrical control panel boards - it's high strand count and has the indivdual wires tinned, so it's like a version of marine rated wire which is also very good wire and built in the same fashion.

The only place to get the stuff is an electrical supply house (probably not stocked - comes in single strand rolls) or a marine supply house (probably stocked but you'd have to remove the jacket to get to the individual wire strands).

 

jrichker

StangNet's favorite TOOL

In Remembrance. Thank you for your contributions

Mar 10, 2000

27,512

2,813

234

Dublin GA

Aug 4, 2005

#11

• Aug 4, 2005

• #11

tmoss said:

The wire insulation type determines if it's suitable for engine bay temperatures - not the rating of the wire for current. Some of the best wire you can use is SIS wire used in electrical control panel boards - it's high strand count and has the indivdual wires tinned, so it's like a version of marine rated wire which is also very good wire and built in the same fashion.

The only place to get the stuff is an electrical supply house (probably not stocked - comes in single strand rolls) or a marine supply house (probably stocked but you'd have to remove the jacket to get to the individual wire strands).

Click to expand...

The other source for high quality wire as described above is from aircraft repair services or aviation supply companies. A lot of the aircraft wire is tinned strands, high strand count and high temp insulation. Teflon seems to be the most common high temp insulation used in aircraft wiring.

 

A

Andres2882

New Member

Jan 29, 2004

316

0

0

Aug 4, 2005

#12

• Aug 4, 2005

• #12

Sweet, thanks for all your help!

 

S

silver87

New Member

Jul 4, 2004

115

0

0

Northern California

Aug 4, 2005

#13

• Aug 4, 2005

• #13

hey Andres2882, Where are you going to run the power wires for the gauge? I ran the power wires for the lights to fuse 13 but where are you going to run the power wires for the gauge itself?