Thread: Where to buy automotive grade wire for engine harness?

I've got to do a little bit of rewiring and finally properly loom up the engine harness. In the past I've made due with sub-par solutions or reused harness wire. This time I'd like to purchase and stock myself up with some automotive grade wire that will be at home in an engine bay. I could buy from Summit Racing or something, but I wasn't sure if anyone had any good tips. I've looked at DIY Auto Tune and found something that would work but I don't need nearly that much wire nor do I need the labeling to confuse things.

Where should I buy wire from?

And on a related note, where should I buy heat resistant braided loom, and also larger sizes of heat shrink wrap?

I'm told Waytek is the place to be so I'm gunna give that a shot.

Waytek Inc, Home page to buy fuses, circuit breakers, cable ties, wire and other electrical supplies By Waytek Inc.

Autozone has a good selection of shrinkwrap. I bought two rolls of it for my engine harness. Unfortunately most engine wires are 20 gauge, and the rolls are best suited for 16 gauge .

I bought my flexible wire loom that is pictured at Fryes Electronics. Its about half the price of Summit and I dont pay shipping. 8 feet of 3/4 loom is like 6 bucks.

I have plenty of smaller shrink wrap from a giant bunch I bought at Harbor Freight or something years ago. I am looking for really large stuff for the thicker part of the harness. I think I'm all set now.
Good tip on Fryes for the loom. I'll check there too.

Links and part numbers to what you all bought would be amazing and make this thread a sticky perhaps.

Brent

The goal is to end up with something like this Honda engine harness. Not super over the top, but clean and nice.





The wire loom and shrink wrap purchases might help others, but I only need a tiny bit of wire and only in one size, so that parts list is not going to be super helpful.


I'm also weary of how I'm going to get the non-split loom over the plugs since I already have them all on there. But the heat shrink will be even harder. I could cut all my plugs and re-crimp but I hate that idea. I'm going to see if I can cleanly de-pin all the plugs, slide the loom and heat shrink on, then re-pin the plugs. If that doesn't work I might have to go with split-loom and electrical tape.

Edit: That's not an option. I'm gunna do this right.

Edit 2: I think I have a new plan. I've already shortened most of the wires during the tuck and I took out the length inside the passenger compartment by the ECU plug. I will just cut or de-solder the wires there and that will allow me to slide the loom and heat shrink where I need it and get everything done up nicely.

Waytek has some nice stuff, I used them the last time I redid my harness. IIRC, I used the GXL wire...it's nice and flexible with some heat resistance. You can also purchase supplies from PRS Catalog

GXL looks good. TXL seems to also be slightly better (60V versus 12V) and slightly less expensive? An EE buddy recommended one of the types. I'll have to ask him again which he prefers for this app.

Edit: I'm told MTX is the "lightest" (weight I guess?) and still rated for 125C so that might be the stuff to buy.

Edit 2: I don't see MTX as an option. Asking Dan Martin for clarification. He probably meant the GXL stuff.

The flexible loom when you push it together it opens up to double its normal size to slip over connectors.