Wiring tractor

[1968Commando 134]

Hello all just wanting some input I am soooo close to wiring my tractor and want to know how yall do it, this tractor is a 1968 commando 8 and I am adding a solenoid I was curious as to how yall did it, did you heat shrink the connections or just krimp them, did you reuse some old wires or just start from nothing, when adding a solenoid how do I get my generator light to still work?

[squonk 42,934]

 

[1968Commando 134]

3 minutes ago, squonk said:

 

Ok thank you,  do you crimp your wires and leave if be or do you heat shrink them as well? 

[1968Commando 134]

10 minutes ago, squonk said:

 

Also when wiring in my starter gen light I have the 5 post switch that you slide connectors over how would I add the generator light wire  to the ignition spade when there is already somthing on that 

Edited May 8 by 1968Commando

[8ntruck 7,495]

Morton, Illinois.  That the home of Morton Buildings?

 

Heat shrink is a good idea.  It gives the wire more support and adds some water resistance to the joint.  @ebinmaine buys 7 conductor trailer wiring harness cable for his tractor wiring harnesses.  He breaks it down Iinto separate wires to build the harness.  Turns out to be less expensive than buying the different colors and sizes of wire separately.

 

I used this method to rewire my 1948 8N last fall.  Worked well.

[1968Commando 134]

7 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

Morton, Illinois.  That the home of Morton Buildings?

 

Heat shrink is a good idea.  It gives the wire more support and adds some water resistance to the joint.  @ebinmaine buys 7 conductor trailer wiring harness cable for his tractor wiring harnesses.  He breaks it down Iinto separate wires to build the harness.  Turns out to be less expensive than buying the different colors and sizes of wire separately.

 

I used this method to rewire my 1948 8N last fall.  Worked well.

Oh well I just bought some blue wire I forgot what gauge it is, I have 6 guards for battery cables and stuff but the points and coil wires will be the blue stuff,yes Morton Illinois is were Morton building was founded it’s a huge part of our town as well as Libby’s pumpkin is made here we are the pumpkin capital of the world 

[ebinmaine 71,247]

21 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

Heat shrink is a good idea.  It gives the wire more support and adds some water resistance to the joint.  @ebinmaine buys 7 conductor trailer wiring harness cable for his tractor wiring harnesses.  He breaks it down Iinto separate wires to build the harness.  Turns out to be less expensive than buying the different colors and sizes of wire separately

 

 

 

46 minutes ago, 1968Commando said:

reuse some old wires

 

 

If the wires themselves and more to the point, the casing, are okay... there really is nothing wrong with reusing them.

 

As a lot of you guys know, I am not prone to doing that anymore. I do not build restoration projects. Trina and I have workers. We are looking for dependability and ease of maintenance.

 

To that end, I absolutely do not recommend using a blue wire for either positive or negative, and I also recommend using different color wires for different circuits.

 

Definitely heat shrink and weather seal your connections.

That won't matter at all for 3 to 5 years but when the corrosion comes back to haunt you, it will be thorough. And tough to find.

[1968Commando 134]

3 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

To that end, I absolutely do not recommend using a blue wire for either positive or negative, and I also recommend using different color wires for different circuits.

So..I shouldn’t use the blue wire for wiring the headlights and the points coil and then grounding the solenoid I should use different color for everything?

[squonk 42,934]

38 minutes ago, 1968Commando said:

Also when wiring in my starter gen light I have the 5 post switch that you slide connectors over how would I add the generator light wire  to the ignition spade when there is already somthing on that 

Double spade terminal.

 

[ebinmaine 71,247]

1 minute ago, 1968Commando said:

So..I shouldn’t use the blue wire for wiring the headlights and the points coil and then grounding the solenoid I should use different color for everything?

 

 

You CAN use it.....

I just WOULDN'T use it.  

 

Part of that is because I'm kind of particular about the way that I wire things.

But part of that is because if you ever come back to fix something, you may regret having all the wires the same color.

 

When I rewire a tractor I put a ground circuit to every component. You don't have excessive ground circuits until the harness starts to look like black spaghetti.

 

I try to make different components have different positive colors as well. I don't necessarily have a super strict adhesion to a system there but usually yellow or orange would be for lighting. Red would be for coil. Or generator.

 

Nothing at all wrong with mixing it up and making it your own but make sure when you come back to mess with it a few years later, you can.

[1968Commando 134]

9 minutes ago, squonk said:

Double spade terminal.

 

Holy crap didn’t even know that was a thing 

[1968Commando 134]

57 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

You CAN use it.....

I just WOULDN'T use it.  

 

Part of that is because I'm kind of particular about the way that I wire things.

But part of that is because if you ever come back to fix something, you may regret having all the wires the same color.

 

When I rewire a tractor I put a ground circuit to every component. You don't have excessive ground circuits until the harness starts to look like black spaghetti.

 

I try to make different components have different positive colors as well. I don't necessarily have a super strict adhesion to a system there but usually yellow or orange would be for lighting. Red would be for coil. Or generator.

 

Nothing at all wrong with mixing it up and making it your own but make sure when you come back to mess with it a few years later, you can.

Ok well for cost reasons I think I’ll just wire it all up with the blue 

[Handy Don 13,483]

During my career designing business systems, I observed that pretty much no project EVER had a “Phase 2”. Hence, I pushed back strongly whenever someone suggested a feature or capability could be added in Phase 2--my response was “Be real--if it isn’t in phase one it isn’t going to happen". As Yoda said, "Do or do not. There is no try”. 

 

I don’t personally care about the specific colors, but it you want to save yourself a LOT of future troubleshooting grief, bite the bullet and keep all the grounds in one color and all the “hots” in other colors. Alternatively, buy a set of durable wire number labels. Then make a list of what you did so you’ll be able to find when you need it. 

Edited May 8 by Handy Don

[ebinmaine 71,247]

1 hour ago, 1968Commando said:

Ok well for cost reasons I think I’ll just wire it all up with the blue 

 

14 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

During my career designing business systems, I observed that pretty much no project EVER had a “Phase 2”. Hence, I pushed back strongly whenever someone suggested a feature or capability could be added in Phase 2--my response was “Be real--if it isn’t in phase one it isn’t going to happen". As Yoda said, "Do or do not. There is no try”. 

 

I don’t personally care about the specific colors, but it you want to save yourself a LOT of future troubleshooting grief, bite the bullet and keep all the grounds in one color and all the “hots” in other colors. Alternatively, buy a set of durable wire number labels. Then make a list of what you did so you’ll be able to find when you need it. 

 

 

Seconded

[ebinmaine 71,247]

@1968Commando

 

You PM me with your address. 

 

I'll send you three or four feet of this trailer wire harness. No charge.

[1968Commando 134]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

During my career designing business systems, I observed that pretty much no project EVER had a “Phase 2”. Hence, I pushed back strongly whenever someone suggested a feature or capability could be added in Phase 2--my response was “Be real--if it isn’t in phase one it isn’t going to happen". As Yoda said, "Do or do not. There is no try”. 

 

I don’t personally care about the specific colors, but it you want to save yourself a LOT of future troubleshooting grief, bite the bullet and keep all the grounds in one color and all the “hots” in other colors. Alternatively, buy a set of durable wire number labels. Then make a list of what you did so you’ll be able to find when you need it. 

Ok well I do have a short spool of red wire not sure what gauge but I’ll look I have a full spool of blue wire I think it’s 18 gauge and then my battery cables are 6 gauge and there red so I think I’ll just see I do work at a car shop after school so they might have some wire sitting around somewhere I will also check what gauge I got at home I think it’s 18 or somthing close to that I assume 

[1968Commando 134]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

@1968Commando

 

You PM me with your address. 

 

I'll send you three or four feet of this trailer wire harness. No charge.

Thanks but I think I will pass but thank you for the offer 

[ebinmaine 71,247]

12 minutes ago, 1968Commando said:

Ok well I do have a short spool of red wire not sure what gauge but I’ll look I have a full spool of blue wire I think it’s 18 gauge and then my battery cables are 6 gauge and there red so I think I’ll just see I do work at a car shop after school so they might have some wire sitting around somewhere I will also check what gauge I got at home I think it’s 18 or somthing close to that I assume 

 

 

You might want to check the specs. I think most of the wire wants to be 14 gauge but the one that goes to the coil could be 12. Battery wires, 6 is fine

[squonk 42,934]

6 hours ago, 1968Commando said:

 

14Ga. is fine for everything on a Horse cept the bat cables

 

 

Edited May 8 by squonk

[1968Commando 134]

1 hour ago, squonk said:

14Ga. is fine for everything on a Horse cept the bat cables

 

 

Well shoot if I used 18 would it be dangerous or like risk of fire or would I be ok? 

[squonk 42,934]

I wouldn't go any smaller than 16

[1968Commando 134]

Just now, squonk said:

I wouldn't go any smaller than 16

Wellllllll crap. Guess I’m going home to dig out a receipt for it

[953 nut 58,510]

Crimp connectors are fine if they are good quality and you have the proper crimper for them  DO NOT  buy the cheap ones sold at Harbor Freight or on line. Buy then at ACE Hardware or a good auto parts store.

[1968Commando 134]

3 hours ago, squonk said:

I wouldn't go any smaller than 16

Well unfortunately night 1 of wiring was a bust I hooked up the solenoid and it didn’t even click nothing at all so I guess I’m gonna have to dink with it tomorrow 

[ebinmaine 71,247]

6 hours ago, 1968Commando said:

Well unfortunately night 1 of wiring was a bust I hooked up the solenoid and it didn’t even click nothing at all so I guess I’m gonna have to dink with it tomorrow 

 

 

Can you post pics of the wiring? 

 

Is the solenoid grounded?