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Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 933
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Special hell for users of electrical tape
Lately my tachometer has been "fluttering" at random intervals. And every once in a while the "fluttering" tach has the effect of shutting down the stereo system - completely! Not even background light. So I decided to begin my fault isolation by rewiring the stereo head unit so that it was powered directly from the battery. And by running a ground wire to the chasis just for the head unit.
Then... I ran into electrical tape hell. Someone in the cars history had wrapped "bundles" of wire together in a makeshift harness with yards of tape. As I began unwrapping the electrical tape I found a) Multiple short lengths of speaker wire joined together to make a longer length. Some of the lengths were only 2" long. b) Wires which had been twisted together and then wrapped in small lengths of tape. No solder. Just twist & tape. c) Old electrical tape peels off on its own. But it leaves a sticky mess behind when it goes. Really sticky. Really messy. No wonder the wife laughs when I say this job will only take 30 minutes. And I still don't know if this will fix my tachometer "flutter". But at least it will get rid of the crap that was there! So what sort of Hell is there for people who use electrical tape instead of solder and shrink wrap? 
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C.H. Boost Addiction - honestly, I have it under control 1989 911 Turbo Cabriolet Mods include: Kokeln IC, GHL Headers, Hooligan muffler, Modified K27 7200, BL WUR, LC-1 & XD-16, Bilstein Sports (4), TRG sway bars, Oversize torsion bars, Strut brace |
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07-31-2004, 05:03 PM
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Non Compos Mentis
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Off the grid- Almost
Posts: 10,602
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I hear it's sticky and black there.
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07-31-2004, 06:14 PM
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Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 666
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I have posted this before but you just never know what a PO will do....This was an alarm system that I yanked out after looking at all the splices and terrible joints.
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Paul S "Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the people doing it" |
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07-31-2004, 06:17 PM
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Peoples Republic of Long Beach, NY
Posts: 21,140
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If I plan on a possible re-visit to the taped area I fold the end over itself so I have about 1/4in flap. That makes the re-visit easier.
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Ronin LB '77 911s 2.7 PMO E 8.5 SSI Monty MSD JPI w x6 |
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08-01-2004, 10:59 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Just East of Atlanta
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before taping, I solder...that really pisses everyone off...it's a good quality joint...BUT if you ever try to undo it...hee hee hee...
tough luck BB... I got my cowl area in...just need to grind, sand the car down and prime. sjd
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Porsche sold, moving back to muscle cars for a bit. |
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08-01-2004, 12:35 PM
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You didn't buy the car from this kid, did you?
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08-01-2004, 02:57 PM
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Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, USA
Posts: 4,499
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Remember friction tape? Much better than the plastic stuff.
Stephan
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Stephan Wilkinson '83 911SC Gold-Plated Porsche '04 replacement Boxster |
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08-01-2004, 03:09 PM
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I've found a much better solution by surrounding the electrical tape with several layers of duct tape. This of course after I ensure that all wires running through the makeshift wiring harness are of the exact same color and guage.
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76/3.0 tarcabvertible 64 corvette conv. 72 Alfa GTV 79 Jeep Cherokee Chief |
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08-01-2004, 06:42 PM
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Location: West of Seattle
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It's especially important to use a gauge totally different than is already there, of course. If you're splicing into a super-fine gauge wire, you should use 3" chunks of solid-core wire. I've found that works really well. The other thing I make sure to do is rewire stuff so it makes more sense to me, and I don't label it or update my electrical diagram.
Dan
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'86 911 (RIP March '05) '17 Subaru CrossTrek '99 911 (Adopt an unloved 996 from your local shelter today!) |
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08-01-2004, 07:53 PM
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you mean theres diagrams?
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76/3.0 tarcabvertible 64 corvette conv. 72 Alfa GTV 79 Jeep Cherokee Chief |
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08-01-2004, 09:44 PM
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Registered
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Peoples Republic of Long Beach, NY
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Quote:
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Ronin LB '77 911s 2.7 PMO E 8.5 SSI Monty MSD JPI w x6 |
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08-02-2004, 04:45 AM
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 9,569
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Third circle of Hell, right next to the people who paint over the wiring harness to give it that "blacked-out" look.
Slightly above the ones who "updated" to post -74 bumpers. Many circles above the lowest, those who cut up 64-68 SWB cars and added miami vice bodykits in the '80s. For every car with a 959 tail and a 2.0 with Webers, this one's for you!
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'66 911 #304065 Irischgruen ‘96 993 Carrera 2 Polarsilber '81 R65 Ex-'71 911 PCA C-Stock Club Racer #806 (Sold 5/15/13) Ex-'88 Carrera (Sold 3/29/02) Ex-'91 Carrera 2 Cabriolet (Sold 8/20/04) Ex-'89 944 Turbo S (Sold 8/21/20) |
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08-02-2004, 06:08 PM
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Bland
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Quote:
Another good one is people who splice multiple wires by only taping the first one individually, and then wrapping more tape around all previously spliced wires and the new splice each time a new splice is made... 
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06 Cayenne Turbo S and 11 Cayenne S 77 911S Wide Body GT2 WCMA race car 86 930 Slantnose - featured in Mar-Apr 2016 Classic Porsche Sold: 76 930, 90 C4 Targa, 87 944, 06 Cayenne Turbo, 73 911 ChumpCar endurance racer - featured in May-June & July-Aug 2016 Classic Porsche |
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08-02-2004, 06:22 PM
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unclebilly,
I'm sure I have seen your technique on Hotrod Horsepower Magazine TV. Its common practice here in Georgia. Luckily I know that to properly make the splice a wire nut should be used. Preferably a few guages too large to facilitate future offshoots.
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76/3.0 tarcabvertible 64 corvette conv. 72 Alfa GTV 79 Jeep Cherokee Chief |
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08-02-2004, 06:44 PM
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Bland
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Oh yah, wire nuts... I forgot about those...
We leased our commercial shrimp fishing boat to this joker who used wire nuts to install a new bilge pump (the connections were under salt water regularily  ).
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06 Cayenne Turbo S and 11 Cayenne S 77 911S Wide Body GT2 WCMA race car 86 930 Slantnose - featured in Mar-Apr 2016 Classic Porsche Sold: 76 930, 90 C4 Targa, 87 944, 06 Cayenne Turbo, 73 911 ChumpCar endurance racer - featured in May-June & July-Aug 2016 Classic Porsche |
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08-03-2004, 08:11 PM
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Unregistered
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: a wretched hive of scum and villainy
Posts: 55,652
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Those guys aren't nearly as bad as a hack with a can of "liquid electrical tape". Try peeling that crap off of a poorly spliced joint.
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08-04-2004, 07:01 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6,950
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Re: Special hell for users of electrical tape
Quote:
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08-04-2004, 07:46 AM
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Who is John Galt?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Knoxville, TN
Posts: 638
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A buddy of mine rewired an entire datsun 1600 roadster using a single spool of yellow wire. One wire at a time...
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'79 911sc Targa '02 slk230 kompressor '84 Tamiya Falcon A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. |
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08-04-2004, 04:41 PM
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Eastwood sells a nice vinyl tape with no adhessive for wirinig harnesses. just like many OEM applications
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Robert Williams 70' 911T |
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08-05-2004, 08:46 AM
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Wildman Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Chitown Burbs
Posts: 1,878
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When I was doing resto work on my '74 Kawi, I discovered numerous splices of different gauge, different color wire in the harness. Thank God I didn't have to trace anything.
A couple of spools of the correct wire, a soldering iron & a couple hours got it straight. IMHO, it boils down to laziness & cheapness - too lazy to hit Radiocrack & spend a couple of $.
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Mike Andrew 1980 SCWDP 2024 Suby Forester 2018 BMW X1- Wife's 2000 Boxter - Sold |
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08-05-2004, 09:09 AM
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1971 Porsche Targa 2.5L
Porsche
Alfa
Jeep
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Crop Duster
Kachow
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1970 Porsche 911T
