Main electrical harness Mk4 questions

[Renault lad]

Hello Forum members. I am a recent FF Mk4 builder and have I a few questions on the main harness location with the fuse box, etc.

First, the cable for the alternator appears short when routing it through the passenger hole behind the gauge panel. Is anyone finding this to be the case? If so, ideas to shorten the pathway to the alternator? A photo would be helpful. The alternator cable has to reach the alternator located on the passenger side of the engine up front. Engine is a carbureted 302 from the Engine Factory.

Second, how/where are you routing the solenoid wiring. I am planning to locate the solenoid on the lower frame rail similar to the location from the build school.

Third, same question for the coil wire/efi crank.

Finally, are you finding attaching the fuse box as shown in the build manual difficult when trying to align all the connections? I don't see a simpler way other than to "cram" it in without damaging gauges and connections.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Renault Lad
Build School Class April-2014

[Bren]

Hi Renault,

My alternator cable hasn't been hooked up yet or permanently routed, but mine seems to be just barely long enough. I have a 351W with the passenger side alternator. I ran it through the tiny hole in the driver's footbox, along the 2x2 tube across the tranny tunnel, then along the top of the passenger footbox, then to the alternator. Sorry, I don't have any pictures yet.

As for the solenoid, I got rid of mine because I'm using a mini starter. Just a few minutes ago I explained what I did on David's post here: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?15305-Ron-Francis-Eliminating-remote-solenoid

For the coil wire, I'm using an MSD system mounted on the top of the passenger's footbox, so that's where I routed my wire to. Or will, in the next week or so. It's been mocked up but I think it's plenty long.

Lastly, I installed the fuse box as shown in the manual. It was a real pain, but we got it in eventually.

Good luck on the build!

[Renault lad]

Hi Renault,

My alternator cable hasn't been hooked up yet or permanently routed, but mine seems to be just barely long enough. I have a 351W with the passenger side alternator. I ran it through the tiny hole in the driver's footbox, along the 2x2 tube across the tranny tunnel, then along the top of the passenger footbox, then to the alternator. Sorry, I don't have any pictures yet.

As for the solenoid, I got rid of mine because I'm using a mini starter. Just a few minutes ago I explained what I did on David's post here: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?15305-Ron-Francis-Eliminating-remote-solenoid

For the coil wire, I'm using an MSD system mounted on the top of the passenger's footbox, so that's where I routed my wire to. Or will, in the next week or so. It's been mocked up but I think it's plenty long.

Lastly, I installed the fuse box as shown in the manual. It was a real pain, but we got it in eventually.

Good luck on the build!


Thanks for the ideas.

[edwardb]

I wired my Mk4 build using the Ron Francis harness over the past months. It's all done now. I installed a master cut-off switch in the center under the dash, didn't use a starter solenoid, and added a mega fuse for the alternator. Plus some other mods. So some of what I did may not apply to your build. But I can provide some responses.

First, even though it's a bit of a pain, the designed location for the fuse panel is probably the best choice. It would take a lot of work (and likely mods) to mount it elsewhere. One you get everything settled, it's an OK location. So first start by temporarily mounting the fuse panel in the intended location. Then with all of the extensions removed from the main harness (front, dash, rear, etc.) play around with the best routing of the main branches over to behind the dash. Next I would get my dash layout done, because the locations you choose for ignition and headlight switches will affect the routing of the wires to them. And the instrument layout will to some extent effect how you install the dash harness. Just take it a piece at a time and keep trying different routings until you find what works for you.

For the alternator cable (or any other for that matter) having to add an extension if it doesn't fit your installation is not the end of the world. In my case, I installed a mega fuse on the LH side of the steering column behind the dash. Took the supplied alternator cable there. Then a new wire through the firewall to the alternator. Also simple in my case because I'm using a one-wire alternator. Hope this helps a little.

This isn't the best picture, but shows how I routed the main wires from the fuse panel:

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%20Mark%204%20Roadster%20Build/Electrical/IMG_2400_zps467a4d68.jpg (http://s867.photobucket.com/user/edwardb123/media/Factory%20Five%20Mark%204%20Roadster%20Build/Electrical/IMG_2400_zps467a4d68.jpg.html)

I have all of my wiring pictures in this folder. Perhaps scrolling through it will give you some other ideas. Note there are multiple pages.

http://s867.photobucket.com/user/edwardb123/library/Factory%20Five%20Mark%204%20Roadster%20Build/Electrical?sort=2&page=1

Good luck. For many, wiring and electrical is one of the more challenging aspects of the build.

[Gumball]

I, too, just recently finished wiring my car. It's a late Mk3 and I used the Ron Francis harness. I found it easier to unwrap the entire harness, strip out the wires I didn't need, add wires I did need, then test fit a bunch of times. Once I had it where I wanted, I used zip ties to hold it in the shape wanted, removed it from the car, and re-wrapped it. It went in very easy after all that, without having undue pressure on any of the connections due to squeezing it in place.