Ok my friend did a real **** job of wiring up my car. All i really need to know is how much power do I need to run to the wires under the passenger side (right by the ecm) The wires running from it all go to control the engine, injectors fans ect. I know that orange is power/hot at all times. the other wires I saw under there include:

Green - wire we spliced in for power to fuel pump
Green/White
Pink/Black
Brown
Maroon
White/Black
Blue
Orange/Black
Black (ground I would imagine)
Green/White
Tan/Black
Black/White
Purple/White
Black again - another ground

If i can just splice a fusible link or power it somehow else without my car having the symptoms of a bad alternator would be great, cause all the power it was drawing befor wouldn't let me even crank after awhile and leaves me stranded. Or if ANYONE has any idea of what I need to do to get this beast working properly, let me know please this is car has taken over 9 months and I just want my baby back, Im also having problems with the clutch but if I can figure this out I can at least bring it somewhere (its not impossible to drive, just a pain in the a$$)
Thanks again everyone

 

Before anyone types up a real long reply, what year are you dealing with? I know the car is an '83, what about the TPI? I doubt wiring changed much, but I'm sure there were some.

 

the engine is an 88 350 tpi, MAF

 

OK, so exactly what I just got done transplanting.

I took a long time doing mine, because it involved getting extra length of the right color wires, so that diagnosis, if necessary, is exactly as the service manual describes.

Putting everything on one fuse or a fusible link is about the worst possible thing you can do. Not all of the fuses that feed that connector (IP connector IIRC) are the same amperage. Most are 10 amp, but I believe there is another amperage in there as well.

What you need to do is go buy an "auxiallary" fuse panel. One of the small ones that holds 6 fuses, and allows you to run power to each fuse, individually. You can find these for $5-6 online. If you need a source PM me I can probably find one.

Being an '83 car, I can't comment on exactly what your fuse panel looks like. However, it SHOULD have ports in it that are "unused". Not places for fuses, these are single prong terminals. (I know 80's GM trucks, but I also know cars are the same, if not slightly more advanced the same years)

You need to probe those, and find out which terminal has power at what time. Most of the wires for the system are ignition hot only, so you need to make sure that you don't use the wrong accessory terminal. Some can be hot at all times, or dimmed with headlight switch, etc. Later truck fuse panels (after around '85) have all of the accessory ports along the top of the fuse panel. Earlier have the ports spread out all over the panel. The later ones have more terminals, so I could run each wire to a seperate terminal. Without the additional terminals, you would have to splice to feed wires to your auxiallary panel, from one fuse panel feed...no problem really because you would still be using seperate fuses further "downstream".

Once you figure those out, go to the wrecking yard, and get the appropriate connectors from junkyard vehicles. The accesory ports are keyed, so certain plugs fit in certain cavities. Make sure to get ones that will fit!

Then, you can run the correct wires from your fuse panel to your auxiallary fuse panel. Solder and shrink wrap ALL connections, and again, using the right colored wire will help diagnosis later if something DOES go wrong.

You want to do this because if you gang up all your fuses, if something goes wrong, you will have a horrible time digging under the dash trying to find it, AND the service manual and others won't be able to help you, because yours isn't done the way everyone elses is. Besides the fact not all the circuits use the same fuses.

Power draw should not be an issue no matter how you have this stuff wired up though. I am running a dual fan TPI setup ('88 MAF as a matter of fact) on a 78 amp alternator, and I have NO problems. If you've got cranking problems, something else is going on in my opinion.

You really need the complete wiring manual to understand all of it, but this might get you close. I know it is similar to '88. VIN F
Wiring

Wiring is a big thing to me, there is no excuse for doing it the wrong way when the right way is known. You will only make problems for yourself if you try to take the "easy" way out. Believe me, you do NOT want to rip all the wiring out of the dash because something is mis-wired. Plan, get materials, test-fit, (wire length, etc) then execute.

 

if you have some pictures do you think you could post them? Im more of a visual learner.

You are basically saying I need a bunch of wires that match the colors I am running and then need to put them in another fuse panel and then wire that to an unused port on my current fuse panel. If i interpreted this wrong correct me. Thanks again.

 

Im still confused as to what goes where and what is powering what. If anyone knows precisely what Im missing inform me.

 

I'll see what I can do about getting pictures...I may need reminding, probably won't be around this weekend!

But yes, you seem to understand what I said pretty well. I am picky when it comes to wiring, so in reality the wiring colors don't matter...but I did it the way I did because it makes sense. (I also used the same gauge wiring)

Did you check out the wiring diagrams I posted the link to? If you look at them, you will likely see all the fuses that you need for the wires on that connector...the fan one I KNOW I saw on those diagrams. Those are what I worked off of to make my wiring "harness". Of course, I have the '88 electrical manual, to make sure I didn't run into wiring differences.

 

Well, for the "auxiallary" fuse block, this is what I can find online right now:

Ebay

I do NOT like that style because the terminals are expose...running 12V off the fuse panel to those terminals, you could easily have it come in contact with ground.

Ideal IMO

THAT is the style I used, almost exactly. But as I recall (might be able to check tonight) you need 5 terminals for TPI. Mine is a 6 terminal setup, as I have one spare.

I would suggest emailing that seller and see if he can get or has them. He emailed me back when I asked about them, so hopefully you could get an answer too. Whichever company is making that fuse block obviously makes he 6 fuse one as well.

I like that style because the wires go in from the bottom. Much less likely to be bumped if you are moving things around.

Before I installed mine, I drilled the holes in the little terminals (probably for the locking button on blade connectors, yuck) out slightly larger, so the bare wire could be threaded through it. (the wire feeding 12V from the fuse panel to the aux. fuse block and the wires going to the connector you are having problems with)

Once I did that, I theaded the wire through the hole, wrapped the wire back on itself so it couldn't come loose no matter what, THEN I soldered the wire to the terminal. After that, I used shrink wrap tubing on each terminal, so there was no metal at all exposed, except where the blade fuse touches.

Like I said, I'll try to get pics of my install this weekend for you.

 

How are those pics coming?

also how many amps do most of these run and how much do they vary, I have a ton of fuses and might just go pickup a Fuse panel from autozone, and how many of them are actually used?

 

Took the pictures, should have them up tomorrow for you, barring any after-work interruptions!

 

Perfect! I will be waiting although I have to work 5-11 pm Central time. I plan to get some of my aesthetic work done. I bought this stuff called scratch out, haven't really tested it yet, but tomorrow will tell! Priority number one is wash car.
Number two is clean inside and out.
And last but not really important cause I want this beast to sound mean is hook up the exhaust at the Y-pipe she is really loud :rockon:

 

Finally!

This is the auxillary fuse panel. Couldn't get a straight shot, but you get the idea.
aux. fuse panel

This is the truck fuse panel. Notice it is sort of divided into two sections: lower section is fuses, shunts, and circuit breakers. The upper is all the accessory terminals. This is about an '85 truck fuse panel. I know an '83 truck fuse panel will NOT be seperated like this...the accessory ports will be scattered about the face of the panel, and there won't be nearly as many. Hopefully if yours is like the '83 truck, there are enough. I know the '83 truck I had a choice between at least constant 12V and ign. 12 volts, which IIRC, is great for all circuits fed by the IP connector.

Truck Fuse Panel

Here is just a closer pic of the accessory ports. Notice that each port is color coded (some rubbed off with age) but more importantly, all ports with the same color, are "keyed" alike. You can clearly see from left to right, that the brick red, green, and bright red ports are all "keyed" differently. Each connector for those slots is plastic obviously, and cast with an "ear" that fits into the slot in the fuse panel. Hope that makes sense. If not, the "key" for the brick red port is at 9 o'clock, green is 3 o'clock, and bright red appears to go out from 3 o'clock, then go towards 6 o'clock.

truck fuse panel 2

In any case, using a voltmeter or test light is absolutely critical when wiring this sort of stuff up. Test the port twice, then wire it up. Also make sure when using these accessory terminals that you have power with the key in the right position...for instance both injector fuses need 12v in run AND start. Some ports may apparently be hot in only one or the other, but I didn't run into that problem. However, mine does have a terminal that dims with the dash lights, and that could wreak havoc as well obviously.

Hope all of that helps!