Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 02:05:20 -0400
Reply-To: "sam.cooks" <sam.cooks@VERIZON.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "sam.cooks" <sam.cooks@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Wiring for tach and later instruments, what wire to use
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
Volks,
I have put an 87 instrument cluster into my 85 Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
and intend to wire the tach. I know how and where to connect the signal
from the coil to the cluster.
My questions are about the wire I should use to get the signal from coil
to the wiring connector behind the fuse box. What gauge should I use?
I read one suggestion of 14 ga. in a post but that looks larger than I
what need and what I see coming off the coil in the 87 parts van from
which I took the cluster. It seems like 16 ga work and is what is in the
parts van.
I intend to put a few other gauges in the van at a later time and want
to do as much of the wiring in one pass. So I was thinking of trying to
run 4 or 5 pieces of wire from the engine compartment to the dash in a
bundle. I have seen some suggestions of putting the wires in a flexible
electrical conduit and priced this out at Home Despot.
However, when looking at the West Marine site, I came across two types
of wire with multiple wires already enclosed in a flexible conduit or
sheath. One variety is 14 ga and has 5 wires, while the other is 16 ga
and has 4 differently colored wires. The description from the West
Marine site for the latter is as follows:
Four conductors in a flat package
Wire has a tin coating for extra corrosion resistance
Type 3 stranded, with 5–10 times more copper strands than Type 2
Marine UL-listed, and meets the highest ABYC standards for AC or DC use
Based on AWG (American Wire Gauge) wire sizes, 6–12% larger than SAE
gauge wire
It seems that this wire would work to carry the coil signal to the tach
and provide wiring for 3 additional gauges that I might want to add in
the future. This would be much easier than getting multiple wires in a
conduit and working the stiffer conduit through the maze under the van.
The 5 strand 14 ga variety would also work well if this thicker wire is
what is needed.
Not a very complex question, compared to some discussed in the last few
days, but a few quick answers from a few of the electrical experts would
make this easy for me and maybe I'll get it done this weekend.
Thanks in advance.
Sam
Sam Walters
Baltimore, MD
89 Syncro GL, soon to have SA suspension and 15" disc brakes
85 Westy Weekender, new to me 8/01/03
84 Vanagon, original owner, soon to be retired, just too many problems
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