Put The Motorsport Wiring Tools Down | Motorsport Wiring Planning 1 of 5

It's easy to assume the bulk of your time wiring will be spent on the tools, and this is a trap many fall into when it comes to creating their own custom harness not realizing the importance of accurate planning and preparation.
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It's not hard to wire an engine or an entire car, but there is a big difference between a job that 'works' (for now with luck) and one that is far better than anything it came with from factory and can outlast the life of the chassis. That difference starts with planning, and 99% of wiring issues when it comes to damage, bad earths, overloaded wire or connectors etc all come back to poor planning techniques.
With planning being the cheapest part of the process for many, costing only time, it is within everyone's reach to get this right.
Using a Toyota 3UZ V8 powered project for the example, in this step we'll look at the electronic
components that we're using for the project to control the engine, determine their power requirements and current draw, how they need to be connected and what sub harnesses,
if any, will be required. Often this step will be conducted at the same time the electronics package is being selected and this is a sensible workflow since this is the ideal time to ensure that the ECU that you're going to use can actually handle the input and output requirements for your project. This process should start by thoroughly documenting every single input, output and connection that's required for the harness.
You will create accurate documentation for your specific application that includes current draws, inputs and outputs and eventually even the tools that will be required for your specific materials. If you talk to anyone who is struggling with a wiring project or is selling a unused ECU at a loss that doesn't suit them, this will undoubtable be something they have not done.
As well as considering current draw to make sure we spec our connector pin count correctly later on, we take a quick look at our CAN Bus network layout and material, and of course take a step back to consider the project on the whole rather than only zeroing in on the engine to make sure we are being efficient with our future time on the tools and the layout we choose.
We're using a V8 engine swap project for this example, running a MoTeC M170 ECU, which is just 1 of over 40 modules in the Professional Practical Harness Construction Course offered by the High Performance Academy. Hit (or click, your call) the link above to find it in the wiring section of the HPA website, and enrol now for instant access.
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TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - Planning Gets The BEST Results
1:05 - Documentation
1:30 - Do Your Research: 3UZ Example
2:39 - Consider The Whole Project
3:49 - Alternator Considerations
4:15 - Our Safety: C127 Dash Function
4:39 - Inputs & Outputs List
5:41 - Extra Step
6:14 - Current Draw Considerations
6:56 - Example Draw Calculations
8:22 - Starter Solenoid
8:51 - Why You Do This First
9:26 - CAN Bus Wiring
11:27 - CAN Wire
11:43 - Next Step: Routing
11:51 - Just 1 of 48 Lessons
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⚠️ Want to learn more about motorsport wiring? Claim your spot to the next FREE lesson: hpcdmy.co/wiringlessonyt
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LINKS:
Website and Courses: hpcdmy.co/hpa
Podcast: hpcdmy.co/podcast
Merch (HPA tees & hoodies): hpcdmy.co/merchy
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TAGS:
#highperformanceacademy #wiring #canbuswiring #dontletthesmokeout #wiring101 #datanerd #gofasterwithdata #racecraft #learndriveoptimise #motorsport #buildtunedrive #professionalwiring #motorsportwiring

[@hpa101]

What has been your own biggest wiring 'save' that planning avoided, or even your biggest oversight that you wish you had avoided and have learned from? - Taz.

[@buiItnotbought]

I know its not mil-spec but I'm really glad i used distribution blocks for all inputs and outputs in-between the ecu harness and engine/chassis harness. Lets me add on other systems or sensors if i need to in the future without cutting up the whole harness.

[@newagetemplar6100]

From my experience wiring the odd race car etc it is meticulously planning and routing of cables and electrical components . Neat runs / branches / splits . I tend to plan wiring as you would rigid pipe work ie straight/ 90 deg takeoffs for sensors / injectors.
Always temporarily fix the loom into a car allow for alterations at a later date , always use quality multi pin bulkhead connections rather than drilling a massive hole in the firewall and then a crappy grommet .
May cost £200 more in connectors but your loom can be easily split for alterations and maintenance .
BMWs I think still come with lightweight insulated cable so ideal if your on a budget and there’s always excessive amounts of it to standardise your colours .
Simple is neat
Neat is reliable
Reliable is one less thing to worry about 👍🇬🇧

[@gordowg1wg145]

Not wiring specific - but biggest no-no is 'doing something on the cheap' because it's 'good enough' - it often isn't, and just the once can cost many times more than doing it right in the first place.
It's also why videos like this are useful for everyone - even those other people who are 'experts' with a lot of experience, because sometimes we've been taught bad practices that need to be corrected.

[@ShinMufasa]

Love it. I really enjoy the wiring and electronic videos. Thank you

[@hpa101]

Perfect! There are 4 more to follow on from this over the next few weeks for you too 😎
Thanks for the support - Taz.

[@James-on1vy]

Thank you so much for this extremely valuable resource. You helped me plan, layout, and create the engine and chassis harness for my time attack car. Thank you so much for unscrambling the mess of ideas in my head!

[@James-on1vy]

2 things that helped the most are:
1. Splitting it up between power supply and signal sections. I then split it further from power supply to const & ignition power
2. Laying out the harness with synthetic rope was genius and gave me everything I needed to build the harness comfortably and confidently at my work bench.

[@can_with_beans]

I'm watching videos on how to make a wiring harness for a car I don't own at 4:26am. I blame Rob Dahm 🤣🤣

[@hpa101]

hahaha he got you hooked eh! His enthusiasm is contagious. To be fair while some knowledge is specific to a specific project in how it is applied, you will be learning fundamental knowledge that will apply to your own project in a way that suits it I'm sure.
If you don't plan to do any wiring, then it's great you're simply enjoying the entertainment either way. Better for the brain than a lot of what is pushed in our faces these days eh! - Taz.

[@can_with_beans]

Oh definitely better than anything else I could be watching. As a 1st year Uni student with no car, and studying in a completely unrelated field, why not learn how to make my own wiring harness in the middle of exam season! 🤣

[@kaybee9363]

Watching this as background noise whilst building a harness.