CJ5 Painless Wiring Kit into a Howell TBI Conversion?

[jzak]

In order to fix all the electrical gremlins on my CJ5 , i was thinking about buying a Painless Wiring Kit, but since i've got a Howell TBI conversion, am i going to run into any problems with instillation.

Also, I hate to spend $800 on a full replacement wiring kit, if i'm going to be throwing away half of it, since i'll be keeping all the Howell TBI wires and harnesses. Can you buy a Painless custom kit, made specifically CJ owners with a GM TBI conversions? Would it be cheaper?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Torxhead]

I have installed a Howell kit in my CJ and it does change the oem wiring quite a bit. Since a new wiring kit does cost that much, I would suggest doing it on your own. That way you could just r&r what is needed. I do not think that a Howell wiring schematic is even available though. The instruction book for the Howell kit is available off their website if you don't have it. Get at least get a good CJ schematic so you could trace down and repair what is needed. I do think that the Howell layout is on the weak side. Like they use only #18 wires to handle the electric fuel pump load plus a rather weak connector plug on that circuit that should be removed. Adding additional ground wires can make for a better system plus at least a Team Rush ignition also. If you want a custom kit, you can call Painless and ask them.

 

[gert]

I had installed a howell tbi on a friends YJ years ago I do remember some wiring changes but not that much, It however is so nice to have a new harness to work with tho. I think I paid $400 for my painless replacement wire harness a few years ago. I have been planning to add a tbi unit to my CJ as well. I remember the painless being a semi stand alone wire harness only needing a 12v start signal, run signal and a constant 12 volt source. good luck on whatever you choose

 

[dschwab]

Summit Racing and Painless both offer universal wire harness, I used one a few years back I believe it was a 18 circuit system. It came with all the circuits required to run a TBI setup. while most of my kit went unused and rolled up under the dash. it may just very well solve your problem. Very easy to install as well. Best part is i think I paid 300 bucks for the summit kit. Don't know that I could have got the wire that cheap.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-890021/overview/

 

[jzak]

Hey Guys!
Thanks a lot for the feedback! Sorry for not responding until now. I'm coming back to the States end of February, and the plan is to get my jeep up and running in a couple weeks for a trip i'm taking. While the electrical is problematic, it works well enough to drive the vehicle without any problems. Its more little things like gauges not reading properly, which i know can be caused by a grounding problem.

What i need is a reality check. Should i mess around with the wiring on a jeep that has been running rock solid, just to fix some relatively small glitches, or should i let sleeping dogs lie, and not touch the thing?

Thanks!

Josh

 

[JAE]

Look at the overall condition of your harness is to decide. If it's all hacked up like mine and I'm sure a lot of others are I personally would replace. A couple other cheap options for universal harnesses are EZ Wire and Rebel Wire.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[Peanut Butter]

Wiring is the one thing so many people shy away from. They say they don't understand it, they aren't electrical minded, etc. I rebuilt my original wiring harness because it was a mess. Lots of loose wires, lots of plastic crimp connectors ( piece of for a splice), and dirt. First thing I did was to buy a color wiring diagram from: Jeep | Prospero's Garage With this the color codding of the wires should match what you are seeing. I took one circuit at a time and fixed it using soldier, marine heat shrink (has a silicone sealant inside), and lot of different size wire loom (Harbor Freight has large packages of this at a low cost). Also get some good wire for your replacement. Red and black were the two colors I needed most. If I had a small splice that needed repairing and I needed three to four inches I substituted a different color for that small area, usually red. Since it was covered up with the wire loom it really didn't matter. I just made sure the ends were the correct color. Try to make sure your wire is copper strand, not aluminum. It conducts electricity better and it's easier to soldier. Last thing to think about is the resister wire used. You can either replace this (NAPA) or put a diode in place of it.

Here are some before and after pictures of my rebuild:

Before:



After:







In the long run it cost less and its still OEM, not this crazy Painless Stuff. IMHO

 

[jzak]

Thanks guys! Especially for the pics. Your Before photo is pretty much where i'm at right now. Time is an issue, so if i'm going to do it, i'd prefer to go with a wiring harness kit. So is there really any advantage to going with Painless? What am i getting with Painless, that i'm not getting from Cantech, or Summitracing? Quality? Easy Installation?

 

[Torxhead]

I would have to suggest fixing just what needs repairing. Rust and corrosion can affect an electrical connection so look at those first. By doing your own work, you can improve on some of the weaker points like the poor wiring that the CJ comes with.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

The biggest wiring issue in CJ's are the poor GND's used buy AMC.
Clean up and renew your GNDs, see what that does.
LG

 

[Peanut Butter]

The Painless kit will take you much longer to install than fixing your OEM harness. Plus it stays OEM. Who knows, you Grandson may some day wonder what you did to the wiring when he has to work on it and it's not OEM.......