Wire diet tools & supplies

[AZPete]

I'm starting to climb the wiring mountain and want the best tools and supplies. I've got the wiring diagram (thanks fateo66), Mechie3's pictorial (thanks Craig), time and patience. Plan A is dieting the OE harnesses; Plan B is an aftermarket harness. Now I'd like to know the best wire, terminals, crimper, sheathing and other stuff. And, sources like Waytek? Cableorganizer.com? Summit?

Thanks from me . . . . and others following.

[RM1SepEx]

Pete, its possible to just cut solder and shrink wrap everything... I need some additional primary wire to make the light runs longer and since so many people have done the wire diet now I might redo some of mine to clean it up.

Just take your time and remove a ton of that wrapped sheathing, then it's pretty easy to trace the wires out that you don't need. Since you want to keep the AC it will be more complicated than mine was...

[michael everson]

A good way to remove all the covering and electrical tape is with a seam ripper. They can be found at any fabrics store and work great on electrical tape and plastic conduit.

http://www.joann.com/search?q=seam%20ripper

[iWire]

A good way to remove all the covering and electrical tape is with a seam ripper. They can be found at any fabrics store and work great on electrical tape and plastic conduit.

http://www.joann.com/search?q=seam%20ripper

Be careful with a seam ripper. It can work well if the wires are all going in the same direction and are parallel. Most of the harness in the Subaru are not this way (crossing over one another) and can lead to nicks/cuts in the sheath because the seam ripper can't go down a straight path.

[RM1SepEx]

I used a cute pair of medical scissors, the blade section is very short and you could slide/cut quite a bit. Most pieces are just remove the tape and pull the sheathing apart, it isn't a tube but a flat piece of plastic with adhesive

[jbackslash]

I wish there was a tool that could tell me the color of the wires. My biggest challenge is being color blind.

[Triathletedave]

I wish there was a tool that could tell me the color of the wires. My biggest challenge is being color blind.

You need an apprentice for that!

[apexanimal]

what gauge are most of the wires?

[svanlare]

I've been using DelCity http://www.delcity.net for a while for these kinds of supplies, but I'm sure there are other sources for the same parts.

For single wire connections, I like the heat shrink connectors vs. what is at the hardware store: http://www.delcity.net/store/Heat-Shrink-Butt-Connectors/p_801794.h_801795.t_1
and Crimper to go with it: http://www.delcity.net/store/Heat-Shrink-Butt-Connectors/p_801794.h_801801.t_1

For multipin connectors I've been a big fan of the Deutsch AT style, but there was a thread recently with the motorsports grade and Deutsch mini connectors. Connectors and crimper are on the same page
http://www.delcity.net/store/Deutsch-Compatible-AT-Series-Connectors/p_797538

[jbackslash]

You need an apprentice for that!
Main reason I had kids. lol

[RM1SepEx]

I had a friend come over to help where wire color was an issue too... do we all suffer from color blindness? :rolleyes:

[skullandbones]

Pete,

I did some modification on a donor Mustang harness (work not well spent) and also on a new after market EFI harness to rearrange the circuits to my needs. I think your 02 harness will be somewhere in between as far as difficulty due to age. What I found is that multiple cutters made the job easier. The seam ripper is a good tool but can cause more damage than you would imagine based on it's innocent appearance. I was a sail maker for about 20 years so I used one every day so I got to be good with one. I also used a scapel from an old anatomy kit and some disposable ones that had even smaller blades and were a little more flexible. Also, I found different sized needle nose pliers saved the tips of my fingers.

There is one more tool I would consider. If you are soldering, get the best one you can find. They need to heat fast and focus the heat in the right place so finding a good one may take a little searching. Have fun with your wiring project.

WEK.

Note: it's also much easier to work on a bench and have a self supported magnifier. I did it both ways and the bench saves the back and the magnifier sharpens up the tired eyes.

[AZPete]

Thanks for the hints. I've spent $200 for goodies from DelCity per link from svanlare.
If you are reading this and have not discovered the invaluable thread by Mechie3 - it's a must!
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?11880-Wiring-Guide-06-WRX-Sedan-with-Auto-AC-HVAC

[Scargo]

My sheathing~insulator stripper.
26486
You start with about a five or six inch long piece of a hacksaw blade. Using a thin Dremel grinding disc, cut into the blade as show and then sharpen the one edge and more importantly, the rear area of the notch, while smoothing and rounding all the rest of the outside edges. You can make it more angled than the rather perpendicular notch I show. The sharpened "nose" should be no more than about 3/32" wide. Slip the other end into some tubing or wrap it with duct tape to form a handle.
To use, slip it under the insulation and with mostly a pulling motion, lift and pull. This tool is great for stripping multi-conductor cables and you pull rather than push.

[wleehendrick]

That looks a lot like a SCUBA line cutter. I have one as part of my gear. Sure a big leg-mounted knife is cool, but I keep a line cutter on my chest for easy access to cut through monofilament fiishing line (which is invisible underwater). When I get to opening up my harness, I'll give it a try. Here's one (https://www.scubatoys.com/store/detail.asp?product_id=Zeagle_Line_Cutter).

http://www.scubatoys.com/store/knives/pics/Zeagle_Line_Cutter.jpg