Materials for Super C wire harness

As I was examining my tractors wiring when trying to determine what the problem was, I realized that many of the wires are very old and do not look good, many seem to be falling apart and many connections are loose.

I think it is only a matter of time until more wiring goes bad, and I need to do more troubleshooting. Therefore, I think I will take some time to replace all the wiring on my Super C.

I do not want to simply buy a harness, I want to learn about the wiring so I want to make my own wire harness. I know it might be a little difficult or time consuming, but I want to learn.

Basically, my questions are...

Should I use different color wire or just use tape and numbers to mark the wires, if at all?

What gauge wiring do I need? Can I just buy one big spool and use all the same wire?

I appreciate all your help,

John

There are very good reasons to use the same basic colors that were on it in the first place. It is easier to trace, stays
readable for years, and is easier to construct. I use 2 sizes of wire. !0 gauge for all charging system circuits: gen/alt
to amp gauge amp gauge to starter switch. I use 12 gauge for all other circuits. This is oversize, but reliability is more
important than originality. It is also easier to strip and make connections/terminal ends than smaller wire. There are
companies that can supply the colors needed in modest lengths on the net. Terminal ends should be rings that crimp on and
then get soldered then a previously slid on shrink tubing is slid in place and shrunk. (get a small tubular heat gun Not
har drier, not big 2000 watt blower either. It will be used for shrinking the tubing. Put a drop of liquid tape (really)
on each connector to seal the open end of the terminal end. Don't buy terminals with insulation on them, it just gets in
the way of the shrink tubing, and prevents soldering (mandatory). Make each connection 1.5 to 2" longer than needed, so
there is no strain on the wires. Put new screws in place of rusty ones. takemasking tape and label each wire you take off
with a sharpie. (both ends!!!)
You can remove the original, and stretch it out on a 1X12 with 3/8 staples holding the ends. replicate every wire and that
bit of extra. Good luck. Jim

Yeah, what Nicholson said. Check out
Digikey. Just put w and .com into search.

Jim passed on some good information.

What I would add, be sure to use the right kind of wire. It needs to be the low voltage automotive wire, the kind found at the auto supply, not Home Depot.

It's special fine strand, extra flexible for vibration resistance, forms easily and doesn't want to spring back or coil back up. That keeps stress off the connections, makes for a much easier installation. Never use solid wire.

You can also buy black plastic split wire harness loom. It covers the harness, holds everything together, gives the wire protection, and looks professional.

Avoid zip ties, tape, and plastic one hole loop straps for holding the harness in place. They look good at first, but eventually fail with age and heat. If you need to secure the harness, use rubber covered steel loops.

Look at where the existing harness is run. If it looks out of place, it probably is. Factory wiring is always routed away from heat, sharp edges, pinch points, moving parts, and tucked in away from getting snagged by tree limbs. Keep that plan in mind as you route the new harness. Sometimes it is easier to leave a long enough loop under the dash so the dash can be removed, turned upside down for the wiring instead of working overhead. Comes in handy if the dash ever needs to be removed later for any other reason.

Take time to study some wiring schematics. Don't assume that because it's wired the way it is now, it is right. Lots of things can be done wrong over the years. I think your tractor has been converted to an alternator. That means there will be some abandoned wires going to the regulator that will need to be omitted from the new harness, and some changes made to accommodate the alternator wiring. There is plenty of information on this online, and we can walk you through it.

Hope this helps, stay in touch, ask all the questions you need!

Thanks for the help everyone. I will keep everyone posted.