The Supra Files.... Getting Wired, part II

 So the slow, tedious job of rebuilding all the engine compartment wiring harnesses continues. You have to remove the harness, unwrap it, clean and inspect all the individual wires, replace any wires where there's insulation damage, clean/replace all the plastic connectors, bundle it all back up, and fit it back into the car.

I got the fusebox mounted and connected, but I can see I'm going to have to pull it out again, and cut apart some of the cable lacing I did, It fits "OK", but doesn't really fit "Nice", so that'll need a bit of tidiness applied. 

 The last harness being worked on is the one for the Engine Control Unit ("TCCS" in Toyota-Speak), and it's pretty bad. This harness goes on the firewall behind the engine, and then has numerous "breakouts" in the harness to connect to the sensors, fuel injectors, cold-start injector, and other bits and pieces on the engine. Since it lays on top of the engine, it's subjected to all kinds of abuse like high temps, oil, fuel, and coolant vapors. Not exactly a very benign environment for a wiring harness.

 

 

These are the six connectors for the individual Fuel Injectors. The plastic has broken on most of them, and the metal retainer is missing on others. 

 

I also have to replace a few wires that were heat damaged, and this shielded cable, which was never properly terminated. This one goes to the Knock Sensor.

So I sourced the correct connectors, bought some high temperature wire, and proceeded to make these nine connectors with 7" long leads on them. These will get spliced into the harness to replace all the damaged ones. 

 

 

 So, the Fun and Games continue with the wiring, and I'm pleased to announce that I finally got off the pad with this project, as other things are getting bolted on the car, and shelves are getting empty in the garage.

 

Keep hydrated, and keeps yer heads on swivels! 

 

Ahhhhh.....RAIN.....!

 And the weather has been gorgeous since my last post. Cool breezes, puffy clouds, blue skies kind of weather. Had a few little spritzes of rain, but nothing to write home about.

Until today.

Yep, some real rain.

And work on the Supra continues. The next post will show you what I've been doing with various system type things.

 

SLW's BFF Passes Quietly

 On Friday, the 29th, and 1215pm local time.

Surrounded by family and friends, and her two dogs.

Things have been a bit hectic here, as expected. 

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes

 Really bugs me when people say "Happy Memorial Day". It's NOT "happy". It's very solemn; There's nothing "happy" about it.

To our fallen I say Thank You for your ultimate sacrifice, and may God hold and keep you close. 

Cold, Wet, Gloomy Day...or two...

 

Been raining here for the last couple of days, and we've picked up over an inch of rain. Temps are expected to be "Below Freezing", so I'll have to go out and cover up the new plants SLW put in before she had to jet back to SoCal and see her bestie in hospice. 

It's getting very near the end for her, and SLW is there for her.  Prayers appreciate for the Reverend that married us.

And work proceeds on My Old Toyota. The headlight modification has been tested, and the headlight assemblies operate very smoothly, and go up and down much faster now.

 Yes, I have to repaint the front bumper. I didn't mask it off from the back to keep the various paints I used from drifting out the grill and setting on the bumper. I was planning on respraying it much later in the year anyway, so I'll just have to give that task a shove to the left on the schedule.

Keep them heads swiveling when outside, and be safe. 

Big Winter Storm Recap / Happy Mother's Day!

 Basically, we got zip, while other areas got 24~30". Estes Park, home of The Stanley Hotel received the high end, with some small pockets of 32~34" in Rocky Mountain National Park. What we got was maybe 3", but we did get 1.25" of glorious RAIN, raising our monthly total to 1.35".

Not much, but we'll take every drop, thank you. 

Our reservoirs are Low-to-Very Low, and the snowpack is one of the lowest ever recorded. And still, "They" want to build row after row of Townhouses, Condos, and apartments. New single family residences are being built shoulder-to-shoulder on microscopic parcels of land, and selling for outrageous prices.

GACK.....that's exactly what we fled from in SoCal. If it wasn't for the snow and different trees, some of these areas could pass for the San Fernando Valley.

ANYWHOOO..... 

 

Big Winter Storm.....

 It started raining last night, and we woke up to soaked streets and snow showers. It continued all day, going from small flakes to nice, big "Hallmark Card" size flakes, with rain in between. We wound up with maybe 2" of snow, and .8" of rain. As of 2000 hrs it's stopped, but the NWS is calling for 6~10", and it'll be all heavy, wet snow. If we get that much, it'll be easy to blow it with the Ariens.

I'll be in the basement shop dissecting my Engine Control Unit to Engine wiring harness. It has a bunch of brittle wires that have to be replaced, and NINE connectors to de-pin so I can put new shells on them.

Stay warm and dry, keep your head swiveling, and be safe!

May the Fourth Be With You....

 Not much going on, but we're getting some rain. Not enough to pick up on my rain gauge, but every little bit helps. We also have a 90% chance of snow on Wednesday, with overnight temps dropping down to 20*.

As of 1900, we received .02", which isn't much, but we'll take it. 

The Supra Files: Starting to Wrap Things Up....

 On the Electrical System, that is.

There are several wiring harnesses in the engine compartment, The "Main" one starts at the battery, connects to a group of wires that feed the driver's side of the car, and travels across the underside of the top of the radiator support, connecting to the alternator, and another harness that feeds the passenger's side of the car.

The next harness also runs along the same path, but handles low current switching for lighting and the horns.

The third harness runs from the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to the engine and is the "electronic" part of the wiring, as opposed to just a bunch of DC circuits. 

This is what it looked like after I pulled it from the car.

 

And this is it after cleaning.

 Each wire was cleaned and inspected. Several lengths had to be replaced due to brittle, cracked insulation. Each connector was cleaned, inspected, and it's O-ring replaced. Then I installed it, along with the lighting harness, back from whence it came.

And I cleaned, inspected, and rewrapped the "Stub Harness" coming out of each fender.

 

 

 

  

This is the next one I'm working on. It runs from the ECU (Engine Control Unit) to the sensors, injectors, and ignition system.

It's a mess. More tedious cleaning, repairing, and putting new connector housings on.

 

And I was able to get the front anti-roll bar and brackets back on the car. The two rods are the "Lateral Locating Links" (aka Strut rod bars) for the front suspension

More to come, when I get a round tuit, which have been in short supply lately.

Keep them heads swivelin', and always check your six. 

Still Here, Still OK, Just Busy

 Groan....The big winds that went through here a couple of weeks ago did some damage. The South run of the backyard fence gave up the ghost under an onslaught of 75+MPH winds. And when the fence blew over it took out one of my Elevated Radials for my 20M/14MHz antenna.

It also uprooted a 60' Blue Spruce down on the corner, causing some traffic delays and people scrambling around to get it out of the road. Really a shame, as it was a gorgeous tree, and the corner looks barren now.

Much progress on the Supra, but it's the "invisible" kind of stuff like the wiring harnesses (two of three rebuilt and installed), clutch hydraulics, getting various things properly routed, mounted, laid-in-place and secured, and sorting out items I haven't seen in two years or so.

More to come with pix...... 

More Wacky Weather.....

 It's Eighty-Five flipping degrees today. All the trees are leafing out, flowers are blooming, and the grass is starting to green up. The humidity has been running in the 10~12% range, and things are tinder box dry. The fires in Nebraska have consumed close to a million acres, but they're slowly being contained.

And it's expected to hit NINETY on Saturday.

Just hope it's not like this all Spring and Summer.........