engine and drivetrain Cleaning wires harness

[ziff73]

I'm at the point of straightening out and cleaning the wiring harness before I wrap it all up to look pretty. It's in the car still and the car has fresh paint on it, so, what would you guys use to clean the dirty wires? I have the normal dirt and grime, but also overspray from the PO having painted the engine bay black in the 80's....yuck. It's all back to original Manila now, and would like the wires to look nice, also... I've used a little goof off, and it cleaned it okay, but not awesome...would paint thinner help get the overspray off? would it damage the wires at all? Thanks guys

Stephen

[73Inka]

clean it with simple green let dry and wrap it with hockey tape or remove the old tape and re-wrap.

[BillWilliams]

73Inka has is spot on. Your paint looks beautiful. The simple green or other cleaner will or should remove your "moil" (mud and oil). I like the hockey tape idea on your light car because the other option, friction tape, will leave black marks on your car, which are removable, for months to come.

Paul Wegweiser taught me to place "wedding rings" around the wires when re-wrapping. Take the old tape off, clean, put "wedding rings" around the wires every foot or so with the hockey tape to keep the wires organized while you re-wrap.

[wegweiser]

I use regular 3M vinyl tape for the "wedding bands" and when possible have used lacquer thinner to clean off the really gross sections of wiring. I've seen no long term ill effects from using it. If you really want to get serious, you can solder on new BMW female connectors using BMW part number 61 13 8 608 021. These particular connectors have a tab so that they lock in to the alternator/voltage regulator plugs. Can be used all over however. Much better than crappy blue/red/yellow-collared Pep Boys / Radio shack connectors which still gross me out. Old connectors can be removed from the plastic blocks using thin dental picks to "bend back" the locking tab on the metal connector's spine.

BMW used to actually SELL their wiring tape. It's a semi shiny, very high quality, thin, adhesive cloth tape under part number 61 13 6 902 588 for a 25 meter roll. I think it's NLA, but I have 2 rolls of it I'm saving for my non-restoration of the F Bomb. When I bought it, it was about $4/roll and an absolute BARGAIN. You'll find that when taping the areas where the harness "T's" off, that cutting the tape into 1/4" wide strips works better than trying to wrap the 1/2" stuff around complicated junctions.

[jimk]

Use something neat instead of that old gummy stuff.

http://www.wirecare.com/

[Napes]

I think you're right, Paul. That P/N for adhesive cloth tape from BMW does come up NLA from at least one online BMW dealership. I wonder if someone like Walloth & Nesch, in Germany, would know of the OEM source and have access to the tape.

Bob Napier

[ziff73]

Great info, thanks! So, I'll not use the friction tape I bought and get some hockey tape, instead. Thanks for the detail Paul, great pics!

I can't wait to actually finish my baby and get to attend some get togethers and meet the people that i'm always talking to on here!

Stephen

Here's a pic of the 1600 on her way to a new life. Glad to have the original color back on her...

[TobyB]

Maybe I'm lazy, but I find friction tape does OK for my level of concern.

BMW has used plastic tape since the E30- but just in the engine bay.

Maybe for extra weather resistance?

t

[eastsidebimmer]

I re-wrapped most of the exposed harness on my recent 68 refurb project. The early cars have a "candy cane" style wrap so I replicated this when possible. After removing the old cloth wraps I used a rag with lacquer thinner and cleaned the looms, then added wedding bands with good 3M standard electrical tape then wrapped in the same direction using about 9mm width cut from a roll of hockey stick tape. This stuff will also rub off on the pant too, the texture is smoother than friction tape from lowes, etc so I like it better. Here's a pic from the trunk area:

[vinceinIL]

Uh, Ben, that trunk area looks clean enough to eat from....

Very nice!

vince

[ziff73]

Holy crap, that's a nice trunk....how often to you find yourself saying that? Ha!

[eastsidebimmer]

Holy crap, that's a nice trunk....how often to you find yourself saying that? Ha!

Thank you--here is the "before" shot (after 8 hours on a frame machine)

[ziff73]

Wow! I just read your repair post. Geeez... I'm very happy to see your car on the road again, looking so nice! Congrats!

Stephen