Bo1226

iTrader: (2)

Hey guys I need some electrical help. I have an 83 camaro z28 that has a Non CC 350 carbed motor. I want to completely eliminate all the wires in the engine bay that I dont need, but not sure which ones go where. Right now all the wires for the ECM is just wrapped up stuffed down by fan motor because they go all over the place...mainly to a bunch of relays(I think) on the drivers side firewall between brake booster and drivers side fender. I don't know which of these I need if any? Not sure if any or all of these control anything needed...ie lighting, starter switch, charging, etc... Basically I know what is needed for engine to run as I have an engine stand that I start the motor on before I installed it in car. What I dont know if if all these other wires somehow work in conjunction or if they are all completely unnecc. I have maunual gauges, belt driven fan, no ac. Any help would be appreciated as I want any relays, wires, etc gone that I dont need. Thanks in advance for all the help.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

My big advice is to get yourself some wiring diagrams so you can be sure of what you are removing.

That being said...if you have absolutely no computer controlled anything, than the entire engine harness can pretty much come out. The harness should come out without cutting it. Atleast it did on my 87 TPI car. Just start tracing it back...thats all. When I did my LS1 swap, I found the wires were bunched together according to what they did. Engine wiring was a single harness. That came out. I think it goes inside through the fender.

Then there is the HVAC stuff. that all comes out over by the HVAC box. Pretty self contained. Then you have your light wires...which on my car were over on the drivers side chassis rail area. Of course your wiper wires and and horn wires and all are over there too.

I was able to eliminate all but like three of 4 of myw ires from the bulkhead connector over on the firewall. Literally the only thing in my engine bay wiring wise is HVAC, lights, horns, starter wipers... and the rest is LS1 harness. It was pretty well cleaned out

Just double check a wire...and then remove it if you dont need it. I felt the thirdgen harness to be somewhat scattered as far as how it was layed out. But once you dig in...its not too bad. If you run into particular wires that you arent sure of...post up with some pics and we'll help ya.

J.

Bo1226

iTrader: (2)

I've tried looking at diagrams and I'm completeley stupid when it comes to reading them. I'm actually pretty good w/electrical and doing all my own electronics wiring, etc. but when it comes to reading diagrams I'm lost lol. So can all of the connectors (bulk head, relays, whatever they are on the firewall between the brake powerbooster and drivers side fender come out? What are these? I think there are 3 different ones in a row then 1 more right below them. What is HVAC? A big majority of the wires that are just laying near my pass side fender which run to the ecm go over to these connectors but the problem I'm having is some wires seem to split off from these and run elsewhere other than these connectors on the firewall.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

The relays over by the brake booster are usually for maf sensors and all that. They can probably come out. If you start taking the harnesses apart, you will probably see where the "spidered" parts go. Most of them you can pull out. You cant just pull out the bulkhead connector... your starter and ignition wires come out of there.

HVAC is heating/ventilation/air conditioning. Those wires are over by the blower motor and heater box.

here are a couple pics...just for the heck of it. Im not sure if your 83 will be much different. Remember...this is an 87 TPI car.

Here is the HVAC wiring. If you dont have a/c, but you have heat, there isnt a ton you can do with it. I would just leave it alone.


Here is over by the booster. That box on the left is for my pop up headlights (firebird). The rest is what I was left with after deleting wires from the bulk head connector. The purple wire is my starter wire. The other ones were power wires from the fuse block...I think they go to the HVAC stuff. So I left them. There was a wire for the fuel pump. And a couple others. But I was able to clean it up pretty good


In this pic, you can see running along the chassis rail another bundle. I left this alone. This was for lights and horns I believe. Its bundled nicely though...so it didnt bother me anyway.



I know that probably doesnt help ya much. If there are wires that you cant get rid of...there are ways to hide them to make them look neater. But if you just go through it and follow the wires, you'll figure it out. You dont really need anything for engine wiring from what it sounds like. So if its attached to the engine harness...it can probably go.

Wiring is hard to talk about over teh computer. Thats why the diagrams are your friend. They are a pain to read sometimes...so I understand it can be frustrating.

like I said...start disecting things, and when you run into a road block, post up a pic and we'll tell you if you need it or not. You shouldnt have to cut much...so if you arent sure, hold off.

J.

Bo1226

iTrader: (2)

OK great I appreciate the pics and replies. I will just start slowly and anything I'm not sure about I will post a pic and ? and see if I can get some help then.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

You got it man...

Its not as bad as it looks. It just seems intimidating when its all together like that. Once you realize where it all goes, and slowly start taking it apart, you'll see that its not too bad. Just take your time. Sort of like measure twice cut once... Well this is trace the wire twice, unplug/cut once. haha.

When I first started building my LS1 harness, I probably stood there staring at the ball of wires wondering how the heck I was ever going to sort it out. But..little by little, I just kept picking out circuits and what not and eventually it sort of became clear. Same with taking out the thirdgen wiring. You'll get the big stuff out of the way, and then the few small areas left over will make sense.

Good luck!

J.

MTCAMARO

iTrader: (1)

It's been a few years since i did this to my car,but i seem to remember that the main harness and the ecm harness were pretty much two separate harnesses when you get the loom off and start looking at things.I unhooked the connector in the passenger side inner fender and pulled it into the engine bay.I think the only places where it met the main harness was at a connection roughly in behind the distributor and at the power distribution block behind the passenger side headlights.I remember eliminating some of the relays as well,but reused one to run the electric fan i retained.I also used a vacuum switch for trans lock-up.FYI,i was going from '86 2.8 multiport to carb so others might be different and my car was already hacked up pretty bad by the previous owner.I think if you just follow the wires from the left side and get rid of what you don't need,you'll do fine.

Bo1226

iTrader: (2)

OK thanks for input. I plan on getting started next week, so we'll see how it goes.