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Wire Tuck, Engine Bay Smoothing Advice

  • Thread starter Thread starter FoxMustangLvr
  • Start date Start date Apr 27, 2014
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FoxMustangLvr

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#1
  • Apr 27, 2014
  • #1
I'm wanting to know if anyone has done the engine bay smoothing and wire tuck and ended up regretting it? Did you do the wire tuck and have issues?
Did you have issues with accessing any important stuff in the fender wells?
Would you recommend hiding everything or are there some things that shouldn't be hidden to make maintenance easier over the years?

My engine and T5 is out of the car right now and I'm thinking that now is the time do hide wires and start welding up holes and smoothing. My battery is already relocated in the trunk with a kill switch. It will be worth it to me to put in the work but if other people have done it and then found it to be a pain to access everything and functionality became an issue then I might reconsider or maybe not hide everything.

My car will be an April-Sept fun car. Not a DD.
Thanks in advance!
 
Last edited: Apr 27, 2014

madspeed

Colonel Mustard
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#2
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  • #2
No issues here. Ive got my coil and solenoid hidden as well. No regrets. Just need to do the bay shave next winter
 

MikeH686

Mine is only two inches though.
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#3
  • Apr 27, 2014
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I've done both the tuck and the smoothed aprons I left my coil in the bay in the stock location because I actually don't mind it there I put my harness down through the trans tunnel instead of routing it to the fender and then through a hole in the door jamb any questions I can snap some pics and show you but everything is rather accessible
 

Gearbanger 101

Straight Outta Locash
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#4
  • Apr 27, 2014
  • #4
Did the wire tuck....haven't smoothed the engine bay yet. My advice....get yourself a top quality soldering gun and get acquainted with it. You're gonna be lengthening a lot of wires!!!
 

madspeed

Colonel Mustard
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No lengthening for me but i didnt do the main harness on the firewall yet
 

bentley429isBAC

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#6
  • Apr 27, 2014
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Only wire I lengthened was the maf. Dont regret it at all. I did not smooth the engine bay though. Pretty much have 0 desire to do that.
 

madspeed

Colonel Mustard
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#7
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Ah, I did need to lengyhen the maf harness, but its due to relocating it during my turbo install
 

MikeH686

Mine is only two inches though.
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#8
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I used one of those pre wired kits I can't remember the company they are out of business now because of poor customer service but made a decent product and it was meant to be tucked so everything is a foot or more longer
 

madspeed

Colonel Mustard
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#9
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I could use one of those. Next step for me is to run the main harness inside the cab and through trans tunnel
 
Last edited: Apr 27, 2014
Reactions: MikeH686

MikeH686

Mine is only two inches though.
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#10
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This it's very time consuming I did it when I had the whole car apart to get everything laid out that's also when I took the main chassis harness and put it inside the cab as well which when you see my thread is why I have a hole drilled in the door jamb strictly for the chassis harness which is mostly the headlight harness
 

madspeed

Colonel Mustard
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Well worth the effort if you at all plan on showing your car
 
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rbohm

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#12
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considering that for the most part you rarely have to access the wiring harness, hiding it really doesnt cause any issues. and if you make any repairs that are needed when you move the harness around to hide the wires, as well as doing any preventative maintenance, you should head off any possible issues for a long time to come.
 

FoxMustangLvr

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#13
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Last time I tried to solder the solder wire wouldn't stick to the wires. Is that indicative of a cheap iron? Or not getting hot enough?
 
Last edited: Apr 27, 2014

MikeH686

Mine is only two inches though.
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#14
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Could be that your not holding the iron on it long enough
 

Bullitt347

I have been doing it wrong this whole time
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One of the things I did was to move the starter solenoid to the passenger side on the back side of the shock tower down as low as it would go. This way the battery cable from the trunk was shorter, and the positive cable to the starter was much shorter as well. Less amperage draw with the shorter routing.
 
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mikestang63

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#16
  • Apr 27, 2014
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I did it on my 87 vert show car about 15 years ago. I didn't have to lengthen any wires except for the fenderwell MAF. I followed alot what two guys I new did with their cars on the Corral years back- almost stock and another guy named Dave. Both have amazing cars. I think Dave goes by Sonic Cherry now. I think they have websites with articles on how to...

They key is you have to seperate the wire looms and re route them behind each shock tower and then tuck them up very high in the inner fender. It helps to have the fender off but can be done if you have alot of patience with the fender on. The passenger side was very easy. The driver side not so much if I recall.
 

FoxMustangLvr

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#17
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MikeH686 said:
Could be that your not holding the iron on it long enough
Click to expand...

The solder would melt but just run over the bare wire and fall off. I have a cheapo $8 iron.
 
Last edited: Apr 27, 2014

mikestang63

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#18
  • Apr 27, 2014
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MikeH686 said:
Could be that your not holding the iron on it long enough
Click to expand...

That's what I told my ex all the time. Now make me a sammich.
 
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MikeH686

Mine is only two inches though.
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#19
  • Apr 27, 2014
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Bullitt347 said:
One of the things I did was to move the starter solenoid to the passenger side on the back side of the shock tower down as low as it would go. This way the battery cable from the trunk was shorter, and the positive cable to the starter was much shorter as well. Less amperage draw with the shorter routing.
Click to expand...
That's what I need to do to mine when I move the battery to the trunk I'll probably get a ton Francis distribution block for all the attachments to the solenoid then move the solenoid to the passenger side wheel well. Thanks for the quick inspiration
 

MikeH686

Mine is only two inches though.
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#20
  • Apr 27, 2014
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FoxMustangLvr said:
The soldier would melt but just run over the bare wire and fall off. I have a cheapo $8 iron.
Click to expand...
Then it's gotta be the solder
 
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