Wiring harness swap

[vdubbles24]

I'm wanting to swap out my wiring harness to something newer and simpler, I've been looking at street/hot rod universal harnesses.  Anyone ever done this? I feel comfortable adapting the factory TS switch, and ignition switch to the harness.  But I don't know about the dual coil set up.

 

I tried to post link to said harness but it wouldn't work.

 

Thanks,

Brandon

[vdubbles24]

Just to clear it up, I wan to replace harness to delete a lot of unneeded circuits. This truck is going to be bare bones basic. No AC no heat or blower, none of the stuff just what I need to be safe and legal. I'm building a custom dash that's going to have all after market gauges as well. 

[wayno]

I use the 1980 Datsun 720 wiring harnesses in all my gas engine 520/521 builds as it is for the L20b with one coil.

The circuits for the dash lights and headlights are unique, there are no grounds after the relay on the headlights which includes the brights indicator light, it cannot ground out otherwise it can drain your battery, and the dash/gauge lights do not have a ground either, it takes 2 wires to make them work properly, if you want to ground them out as single wire then you need to find a keyed power source not associated with the light circuit, like if you want them to come on with the light switch then you should use the side marker light circuit/wire in the headlight switch as it is not associated with either the dash light or headlight circuits.

 

That all said, I believe you can get a 1978-80 EI distributor and use that instead of the dual coil distributor, or I have seen guys use the distributor you have, but they only use 4 spark plug wires, I do not know how they did it, but the engine appeared to run fine.

If you are not having issues other than trying to figure out how to wire the modern dash in, I would not mess with changing it out, it's a lot of work with uniquely wired accessories, if it is not broke, don't fix it.

[vdubbles24]

Like I said earlier just running the basics. All lights, aftermarket gauges, air ride.

 

No radio, no heat, no ac none of that. Just looking to clean it up under hood and delete all that’s not needed. Carb is a new Weber kit. Haven’t takin it out of box yet.

[vdubbles24]

As for issues. Almost none of my lights work besides headlights and one rear running light. The harness was hacked into a mess under the dash by the previous owners. I mean it is a disaster.

 

Is there a bare basic engine harness I can buy?

 

My battery is mounted under the bed now and I’m running a aftermarket aluminum fuel cell.

[datzenmike]

We had a guy years ago say the same thing, so he ripped everything out of a good running truck.... and then posted dozens and dozens of times asking where everything connected and how did it work and why doesn't mine work now. It came as a surprise that windshield wiper, horn and heater were actually handy to have!!!! Can you imagine how hacked and fucked up the wiring is in that thing?

 

Replace the harness with a same year harness from a 720 and be done with it..

[wayno]

They don't make a basic harness for a 720, the 720 harness is the basic harness.

I cannot imagine anyone living in Indiana driving a truck without heat.

The wires are all color coded, with a little effort you could splice them all back together, it likely looks worse than it really is.

[datzenmike]

Most wiring involves putting a sound system in where the radio was.... maybe a couple of gauges. Not just the heat but for defogging the windshield in rainy weather all year round.

[vdubbles24]

This is just a summer time truck. I have my Jeep and work car for daily driving.

 

Sorry if I sound nuts.

[vdubbles24]

As for rainy weather. It won’t be out in rain when done. If that makes sense. It has its new home in the garage just don’t tell the wife. Lol

[vdubbles24]

Where is the best place to buy a replacement harness for 83 720 2.4 2wd manual

[datzenmike]

Best place? don't know, but a good place to start... http://community.ratsun.net/user/468-hosestopmsncom/

[2wheel-lee]

You're also losing the defroster/defogger. Have your windows ever fogged up? 

 

You mentioned in your second post that you want the truck to be safe and legal. Legal also means windshield wipers, defroster/defogger, and probably a number of other things you're going to hack out of there. There's not much in an 83 720 that's frivolous, other than A/C and a radio. I don't recall if there was an ST version of that with a clock and power windows/doorlocks. 

 

Although I'm guessing you're just making the truck a total beater offroad truck that you can trash the piss out of it. If you're trying to make it some "show truck" - ha...yeah, right. 

 

What Mike said, either replace the stock harness or fix the one you have. If you can't fix the one you have, you'll have no clue how to wire an aftermarket harness. Find a wiring diagram and have at it.   

[Seeker > 620 KC]

Maybe it doesn’t have any widows either, so he doesn’t need wipers or a defogger ?