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Replacement Wiring Harness

BritsUpNorth

Silver Level Sponsor
Hello all,

I'm looking to replace the wiring harness in my '66 SV. I'm thinking of picking one from Advance Auto Wire as I'm also planning on re-wiring my TR6 and AAW is highly recommended in Triumph circles. Does anyone here have any experience with the AAW harness for the Alpine? Also, I'd welcome any recommendations for on-line tutorials, guides, etc. for doing the actual work. Thanks in advance.

Ed
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Pete's Performance Wiring is a great improvement for the Sunbeam. Lot's of restoration Guys have utilized it with great results.

Paul A (better knowns as Pete) made them and sold until recently, if I am correct, Steve Shuttleton (sunalp) has taken over from Paul A.

I am not good at Auto wiring but I a very happy with mine. The Blue Boy V6 has the complete harness and I had great support when doing the installation.
 

65beam

Donation Time
Three of my cars have new wiring harnesses bought from Sunbeam Specialties. These are stock setups using the original fuse block.
 

chimpodunker

Donation Time
I did one of Paul's harnesses over the winter and was very pleased with how easy it was and the help that Paul gave me answering any questions or problems with my install. The twelve fuses and relays in the kit were a great improvement over the original two fuse wiring harness. All wires were labeled and there were separate bundles to engine compartment/front end, dash, and rear. I highly recommend this kit.
 

loose_electron

Donation Time
Paul/Pete wiring harness does the job nicely.

The original electrical design is not safe.

Add a 350A fuse near the battery, and a 40A fuse near the starter solenoid, (connected in the line where the power feed branches to the ignition switch) and you will have a safe and reliable electrical system.
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Jerry, are you referring to the stock wiring or Pete's harness for the added fuses?
 

loose_electron

Donation Time
Jerry, are you referring to the stock wiring or Pete's harness for the added fuses?

It is a valid change for both of them.

The 350A back near the battery serves as a safety if the primary battery cable that comes up to the starter relay chafes through to the chassis ground anyplace along the way.

The 40A in the wire that feeds the ignition key power serves as a safety if any of the wires associated with the ignition key get shorted out.

For both new and old wiring setups, none of this is fused. The 350A is plenty to cold crank the engine with, and the 40A is actually a fuse for the entire system power except the starter current. You may want to juggle the 40A number a little if you got old fashioned bulbs that suck a lot of juice, but 40A is twice what my car sucks when running everything, but I have LED lights everywhere and Speed Hut instruments.
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Thanks for that good bit of Info....Jerry, I am not at all "smart" on electrical stuff.

Appreciate your opinions and advice and suggestions. Sure others do also.

Now, I need to take a good look at getting something done. for that added protection, just in case,
 

SoCal'beaming

Donation Time
Thanks for the info as well. One question though ... as Dan said, I'm not that savvy with electrical stuff ... the 40a is easy but what type of 350a fuse is best?

.... David
 

loose_electron

Donation Time
Thanks for that good bit of Info....Jerry, I am not at all "smart" on electrical stuff.

Appreciate your opinions and advice and suggestions. Sure others do also.

Now, I need to take a good look at getting something done. for that added protection, just in case,


Thanks, well, "electrical stuff" is how I earn a living. My bread and butter $$$ is designing new medical devices these days, but I have done a fair amount of custom cars, experimental aircraft, boats and whatnot along the way. Got through college making money fixing British (Dad sold Sunbeams) and French (He also sold Peugeots) cars.

The 350A fuse near the battery is a standard setup that gets used in boats and planes when the battery cable has a long run to get to the starter motor or power distribution panel. Most modern cars do not have such a setup because the battery is right near the starter and fuse block.

Big beefy fuse in a small holder "ANL Fuse Holder" would be a good search term for use on EBay - Here's an example:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-350-AMP-...967519?hash=item3fa3f95a9f:g:yaEAAOSw7UZbOhm2

I used something similar to the above and mounted it underneath the car, right where the battery cable comes out of the metal box and snakes under the car.

As for the fuse near the starter relay/solenoid that feeds power to the ignition switch, an AGU fuse holder works nicely, here's a sample:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/AGU-Fuse-H...m=183546601502&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Once you get it all running you can put an ammeter on the line, measure the amps hen everything is running, and guesstimate a good fuse value at 2X what you see when it is all turned on. I ended up with 40A
 

loose_electron

Donation Time
Here is a picture of my setup. Top left of the picture (above the brake MC) there is a bus bar (inside the red plastic) where the battery connects to that feeds the starter solenoid/relay (underneath the bus bar) and the alternator ties to that. Top center of the picture is the Pete/Paul Fuse block and relays. Between the Pete-Fuse block and the bus bar you will see an in line fuse with red wires in-out of it. That fuse feeds the starter switch.
 

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Alpine 1789

SAOCA President
Diamond Level Sponsor
Thanks for sharing these, Jerry. Adding master fuses to my car has been on my 'to do' list for a long time. Hopefully, this will get me over the hump to do it this spring! I do have one question for you: The 350 AMP fuse holder you linked to indicates it is for 1.0 gauge wire. While I have a Pete's harness in my SV, I still have the original battery to starter cable. What gauge is the original cable?
 

Barry

Diamond Level Sponsor
Thanks for sharing these, Jerry. Adding master fuses to my car has been on my 'to do' list for a long time. Hopefully, this will get me over the hump to do it this spring! I do have one question for you: The 350 AMP fuse holder you linked to indicates it is for 1.0 gauge wire. While I have a Pete's harness in my SV, I still have the original battery to starter cable. What gauge is the original cable?



Jim,

I think that "1/0 Gauge 1 FT" in the eBay listing refers to the size of the short cable that is part of the "install kit" rather than to the size of the terminals on the fuseholder. It seems reasonable to think that the cable and fuseholder would "match", but .....

FWIW, 1/0 ("1 ought" aka "0 AWG") battery cable should be fine for the current / cable length of a Series Alpine.

Also FWIW, 1/0 battery cable is not the same thing as 1/0 building cable or 1/0 welding cable.
 
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Barry

Diamond Level Sponsor
Here is a picture of my setup. Top left of the picture (above the brake MC) there is a bus bar (inside the red plastic) where the battery connects to that feeds the starter solenoid/relay (underneath the bus bar) and the alternator ties to that. Top center of the picture is the Pete/Paul Fuse block and relays. Between the Pete-Fuse block and the bus bar you will see an in line fuse with red wires in-out of it. That fuse feeds the starter switch.


I like the idea of the bus bar instead of connecting everything to the hot terminal on the starter or solenoid.
 

Alpine 1789

SAOCA President
Diamond Level Sponsor
I think that "1/0 Gauge 1 FT" in the eBay listing refers to the size of the short cable that is part of the "install kit" rather than to the size of the terminals on the fuseholder.
Thanks, Barry. I am trying to determine if the fuse holder will be appropriate for the stock battery cable. As you say, "it seems reasonable to think that the cable and fuseholder would 'match'", and I just want to be sure that a fuse holder made for a 1/0 gauge wire would also be suitable for the stock wire.
 

Barry

Diamond Level Sponsor
Jim,

The diameter of modern 1/0 gauge battery cable is about 0.460" for the bare wire, so the connector on the eBay ANL fuse holder is at least that big. I don't think the factory S-V battery cable is bigger than that, but it is easy to check. Be careful when measuring a "hot" battery cable.

Unless originality is critical, I think it would be a good idea to replace the factory battery cable; the copper strands may still be OK, but the 1960's insulation is probably getting "crispy". A new 1/0 battery cable would fit the eBay ANL fuse holder the same as the 1 foot piece of 1/0 battery cable that comes with the kit.
 

Alpine 1789

SAOCA President
Diamond Level Sponsor
Thanks, Barry. I 'replaced' my original cable a few years ago, but with a different stock one that I had laying around that had really good insulation. I am sure a completely new one would be a wise decision, but for now, I'll probably be happy with a couple of extra mega fuses as an extra bit of protection.
 

Barry

Diamond Level Sponsor
Thanks, Barry. I 'replaced' my original cable a few years ago, but with a different stock one that I had laying around that had really good insulation. I am sure a completely new one would be a wise decision, but for now, I'll probably be happy with a couple of extra mega fuses as an extra bit of protection.


Understood about using the "old but good" battery cable. Just (carefully) measure the bare wire diameter to make sure that it is not too big for the ANL fuse holder.
 
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