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Best Wiring Harness for Gen III 5.7 Hemi Swap?

Vote on the best wiring harness to use with 5.7 Hemi Swap & A727. Select up to 2

  • Ron Francis

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • M+H

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Painless

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other (please note recommendation in comments)

    Votes: 2 100.0%
  • American Autowire

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    2

ATX B Body

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Please help me with recommendations (vote up to 2 choices) for a new whole car wiring harness. Today the car has 318/727, but will be doing a hemi swap this year. I will be using an OEM hemi engine harness with minimal accessories. Assume I have a DIY average level of electrical ability. Feel free to add detail/part numbers in the comments. Thanks in advance!
 
Have you read Darius's build thread and all the trouble with oem harness?
 
I've always heard the Hotwire in Mena AR was what you needed, for the new Hemi stuff.
 
Need more information on what all your doing.
If doing the entire DBW EFI, Holley has the Terminator X for the Gen III Hemi, and harnesses for the engine / EFI.
Then consider the various harnesses like the rearward harness (tail lights, Side markers, reverse lights, fuel sender unit, interior lighting, Plus you may want to add EFI pump wiring, rear defrost, Trunk Light, electric trunk release, amplifier power, any alarm wiring?) These are the wires running along the drivers side. I use the passenger side for the low power audio wiring.
Forward Harness (head lights, turn signals, side markers, fender signals if equipped, Horn, windsheild washer pump, Plus Optional Electric cooling fan(s), head light Relays, Brake system warning switch, under hood light, other accessories like driving lights and such.)
It's pretty easy to keep the stock wiring for the wiper motor. Not sure on the A/C heater connections at the bulkhead?
With the EFI computer, it will be monitoring temp, voltage, so might just need oil pressure, or use the stock gauges too?
That pretty much leaves the dash Harness, and it could be as simple as a stock type harness (with ammeter bypass), to a complete custom dash with aftermarket gauges and switches.
If you have other electric options, you will need to plan for that wiring if using power windows, convertible top, power / heated seats, optional interior lighting, alarm system, and such.

The majority of the connectors in the stock harness are Packard 56 (unsealed).
The turn signal switch uses a different connector style (forgot the name), and the "universal" type harnesses will want you to convert those to a packard or GM style connector. I think the re-production harness from M&H has all the correct connectors if going more the stock reproduction route.

If using an aftermarket type fuse block, and depending on where the engine ECU is mounted (usually glove box area?) you might loose the use of the glovebox?
 
Need more information on what all your doing.
If doing the entire DBW EFI, Holley has the Terminator X for the Gen III Hemi, and harnesses for the engine / EFI.
Then consider the various harnesses like the rearward harness (tail lights, Side markers, reverse lights, fuel sender unit, interior lighting, Plus you may want to add EFI pump wiring, rear defrost, Trunk Light, electric trunk release, amplifier power, any alarm wiring?) These are the wires running along the drivers side. I use the passenger side for the low power audio wiring.
Forward Harness (head lights, turn signals, side markers, fender signals if equipped, Horn, windsheild washer pump, Plus Optional Electric cooling fan(s), head light Relays, Brake system warning switch, under hood light, other accessories like driving lights and such.)
It's pretty easy to keep the stock wiring for the wiper motor. Not sure on the A/C heater connections at the bulkhead?
With the EFI computer, it will be monitoring temp, voltage, so might just need oil pressure, or use the stock gauges too?
That pretty much leaves the dash Harness, and it could be as simple as a stock type harness (with ammeter bypass), to a complete custom dash with aftermarket gauges and switches.
If you have other electric options, you will need to plan for that wiring if using power windows, convertible top, power / heated seats, optional interior lighting, alarm system, and such.

The majority of the connectors in the stock harness are Packard 56 (unsealed).
The turn signal switch uses a different connector style (forgot the name), and the "universal" type harnesses will want you to convert those to a packard or GM style connector. I think the re-production harness from M&H has all the correct connectors if going more the stock reproduction route.

If using an aftermarket type fuse block, and depending on where the engine ECU is mounted (usually glove box area?) you might loose the use of the glovebox?

Thanks 451 Mopar! I hadn't thought about a piece-meal approach to correcting the issues. I was going to redo the whole car wiring because most of the wires are brittle, the insulation is worn, and the fuse box and other connectors are rusted and or brittle.

As for the swap, it will be a 2016 Challenger 5.7 bone-stock EFI. Might do MDS-delete later. Was going to use the stock DBW with the 2016 accelerator pedal modded with a Lokar-type cable. You've given me a lot to think about, thanks!
 
The tail light and signal bulb sockets can be an issue. There are generic aftermarket bulb sockets that can work, but don't have the stock look and fit.
If the car is mostly stock, a reproduction M&H type harness might be a good starting point although they are not cheap, but they are supposed to have all the correct connectors and routing which will save alot of time. The EFI should not be that hard to do. Usually, the EFI computer connects directly to the battery, and there is just a power on wire to sense the ignition key is on. The engine side wiring harness usually just plugs into the ECU, and you only need to deal with stiff like the ECU output to cooling fan relay, A/C compressor relay, and any power adder options.
 
I have a rear body harness out of my 68 charger that has one broken bulb socket that I'd part with for a cheap case of beer. I think it's an M&H and it's about 15 years old, but looks pretty mint. It could probably be fixed, the metal clip just pulled out of the plastic bulb housing.
 
Perhaps I am missing something here; you do not need a whole new harness just because you are going to a 5.7; you need the engine control side with the ECU which you can get from a number of places to include the OEM 5.7 harness (although I would not recommend that one, IMO the Holley Terminator system with Hemi controller is one of the better ones out there). As far as the rest of the wiring goes (lights and whatnot) your factory harness is fine so long as it is in good condition. With a new Hemi you will need/get a better alternator so your factory stuff needs to be in good order (as it should be anyway). You will not be running the amp gauge so that should not be a problem.

Bottom line here is do not over think this and assume because you are going to a G3 Hemi that everything else needs to be brand new as well. Yes, you will have to modify some things and install some power distribution points but overall it is not all that complicated or hard, it just seems that way. Many of the new aftermarket systems (to include the Mopar swap system) need like 4 wires hooked up.
 
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