MTFCA Forum

I want to replace the driver’s side wiring harness on my 22. The old one is showing some wear and tear. I am going to install a 25 amp fuse on the main power lead, which involves cutting the new harness.

In my spares I have a brand new harness that has the little ford metal tags on it. I don't see these for sale in the normal dealers. This car is not a show car so I don’t need the nth degree of authenticity. Is this something that I should not cut up to install the fuse? The new replacements without the tags are cheap, though it takes a little time to get them here.

Any information/advice appreciated.

Snyders used to sell them. Yours is probably a repro from them...likely 10 or more years old. Installing a fuse only requires cutting the main wire at the foot switch, about 3" in...splice the fuse holder in and ziptie it to something nearby. I can access mine from underside, easily, or if muddy, through the floorboard, though it's never blown, frankly. Check it and make sure the main yellow wire is 12 gauge...many were made wrong with 14 gauge wire.

You didn't mention, but yes, you can install the fuse under the hood, but you really want to protect things as close to the source of power as possible. The FunProjects instructions said to do it where I mentioned, and John R is not wrong on this stuff and I find it easy to take his advice without overthinking it or arguing with him.

I drove a lot of years without one, and now think it is cheap insurance. Go to enough tours and you'll eventually come across someone who insisted it wasn't necessary. You can sometimes find them next to a burnt car, on the phone to their insurance company. I've seen it twice...both nice restored cars. Once was enough to convince me.

Thanks Scott, that is my plan. I just wanted to know if this harness was desirable for someone doing a restoration and if I shouldn’t cut it up.

My car is nice but it’s not a fully correct car.

I give you a lot of credit for considering and asking.

Reno Speedster wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:24 pm

Thanks Scott, that is my plan. I just wanted to know if this harness was desirable for someone doing a restoration and if I shouldn’t cut it up.

My car is nice but it’s not a fully correct car.

Since you don't care if it has the tag, list it for sale in the classifieds for your cost of a new one (item price+tax+ shipping+ small profit)
and buy a new one. If you don't get a buyer on the tag one you have, I will buy it even though I don't need it. It is a desirable item

Thanks guys. I will order up one of the current production ones and put this one up on the classifieds.

It’s now up on the classifieds. I have a used right side one with the tags that I replaced because one of the timer leads had the insulation worn through (it was assembled the wrong way and was abraded by the timer adjuster). If it’s of use to anyone get in contact.

The loom tags are removable and can be refitted with no damage if you are careful. On Henrietta all three looms still had the original tags, two aluminium ones and a brass one. Her looms were not usable, so I eased them out of the loom sleeve by lifting the centre of them with a screwdriver and pulling the tag out from under the covering.

Replacing the meant bending the tags up in a U shape, parting the loom covering fabric without damaging it and then inserting the ends of the tag into slots created in the covering. Then the U shaped bend is flattened out and the legs on the tag are captive under the loom cover.

They are quite a conversation piece. I did orient all of mine so they were in the original position on the loom, but clearly visible, rather than on the underside.

Allan from down under.

That must have been a job! I had all three of my looms reproduced by a local wiring company, and he figured out how to weave those tags in like original. He said it took some practice, but he figured out how to do it.

Could someone post a picture? I've never seen the wiring looms with metal tags on them. Just curious.

I replaced a couple Model T wiring sets that had those metal strips and they had cut the nearby wires and caused a fire, so after that I always removed them.

They just had a short tab on each end that was stuck in the wire harness slots, so they removed easily by pulling up on them.

Once removed, there was no evidence of them ever being there.

Here are two on Henrietta. The aluminium one is embossed. The brass one is stamped in. The brown areas either side of the brass one show the extent of the legs tucked into the loom. Allan from down under.