Electrical wiring

[JimT]

Ok, thanks for all the replies!

Let me touch on a few.

Yes I am having electrical issues of an unknown origin. Part of the reason I've embarked on this journey. I touched on that in a different thread and don't have anything new to add, so far. So I'm working my way through all the wiring from the batteries on out.

The reason I questioned harness replacement over repair is the brittle/crumbling nature of the split loom. It's literally falling apart when I touch it in some places. This makes me question the condition of the wires inside. There was also an incident when I first got the truck where both rear motor mounts broke and the engine shifted. It's a story for another thread (and a lesson I won't forget), but it does leave me with a concern that a wire might have been pinched or stretched and noone noticed. (Not likely given the routing, but not something I can just shrug off either)

All the connectors to sensors on the engine that I have inspected so far have been clean and free of corrosion. However some of the wiring for lights and the main cables going to the battery, starter and alternator all showed signs of heavy corrosion. That's what prompted me to replace them. I chose to use 4/0 for reduced resistance, higher durability and increased capacity (future proofing). I have been using http://www.batterycablesusa.com for a while now. Very high quality cable and workmanship. They sell through amazon too, but at a higher price then direct.

RocketScott: Thanks for that link! The best I'd found so far was good up to 200F. With the proximity to the exhaust/EGR pipes I was a little concerned that 200F wouldn't be good enough.

Rawze: I thought about using flex-seal but the flammability warnings on the label gave me pause. I saw your recommendation in another thread for CRC 06026 Heavy Duty Corrosion Inhibitor and ordered some. Figure I'll try that out on the bare battery, starter and alternator connections. Will probably clean and then paint over the ground connections on the frame as suggested by JMBT.

JMBT: Thanks for the info. I had pieced that together from other threads but it's good to have here for easy reference.

I'll be starting a 'your daily blog' thread soon to chronicle my learning experiences and go in depth with truck details and issues. Hopefully the generic info in this thread can also be useful to others in the future.

More suggestions? Recommended products? Links to existing threads? Add them here!

Thanks again.