Electrical consolidation?

Has anyone done something like this? I'm considering it because I have a 1st gen and it will give me a chance to get familiar with the wiring.

It'll involve moving all the relays, fuses, computers (ecu), outlets, accessory switches, to a single location. This will be either around the centre console, center-lower dash area, or in/around the glovebox. Maybe a small ammo can, or pelican case to house it all. If I route the OBD2 socket here, I can permanently mount a OBD2 scanner to this box. Maybe even perm setup an old cellphone or small tablet with service manual and OBD2 app.

It gives the ability to maintain, diagnose and troubleshoot a large number of issues (esp electrical) from a single location.

Looking for feedback.

 

Have you done anything like this before? This sounds like a ton of work with many chances to mess something up. I like the idea of consolidation and simplicity but at that point I think you’ve passed simplicity

 

I have not. I know basic wiring though. Hoping to learn more through this. It's just an idea for now. But looking for feedback.

 

I’ve never done a project to such a scale, but definitely a good way if you wanted to dive into wiring. Maybe start with something a bit smaller like wiring in a fuse box that you can run relays to and from and wire a switch panel to simplify wires running through the firewall.

 

I can't count the number of ways this has to go wrong... one bad connection, nevermind the challenges of trying to figure out what wire is what since the colours won't match, and fault-finding? Green/blue-tracer turns into red, yellow-tracer, but oh... wait... there are five red, yellow-tracers. It's a cool concept, but it is NOT practical.

 

As a guy who does what you’re talking about for a living...don’t do it. Leave it alone. The electrical system is perfectly serviceable and functional as is. If you were taking that system and implementing it into a buggy or completely custom build then yeah. You literally have very minimal to gain and a lot that you could make a mistake on.

don’t do it. If you want to learn get the factory service manual and go to the wiring section. Learn what all the symbols are, the layout, and how these diagrams translate into what you actually see and touch in your truck. After you are fluent then expand from there

 

Bad Idea !

Then it is your Truck you would need lots of pictures lots of new schematics even then you will be the only person to do any work on your truck most of the electrical parts only you might know where they ended up.

if you wanted to sell the truck it might bring the price of the tires

 

this sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. I’ve never had any problems troubleshooting my truck with the stock wiring. If you think you can pull it off then my hats off to you, Godspeed.

 

My old Pro Rally car managed to melt its wiring into one chared mess. Then, driving on a levy, suddenly I thought, "what is that bright light?" A second later, the car was engulfed in acidic smoke. Thankfully I had an Emergency Battery disconnect that killed the ignition and all power, so the car didn't go in flames.

I was able to get home with the help of my navigator. We wired up a driving light switch to the field connection of the alternator. I had a voltmeter in the car. His job was "when the voltage gets to 11V, turn on the power. When it gets to 15V, please turn it off. So he got to play voltage regulator for the six-hour drive home. Carb'd, but had electric fuel pump and ignition coils to keep powered up.

It took me three months to rebuild a new harness. Intense work of laying out schematics, figuring placement, and taking my time not to make any mistakes. What a frigin' nightmare!

Even with your own "free labor," you will still need the proper TXL wire, wire stripper, crimping tools (please lord, don't tell me you use pliers). I'm old school, so I have an old Weatherpack (GM 1980s vintage), but these days would use metripack for the smaller size.

I'm getting way too old to spend three months on such a project. That's a hard pass no.

There is a reason I have a set of bonding brushes in my tool kit.
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