Dakota Digital install with American Autowire harness- ETA adding TCI 4L60E control to the install

[kkgp81]

Back to work on this as my bulkhead came in. It is from Sharpe and is for an LS swap but we are using it for the trans wiring.

 

[kkgp81]

Spent a little time on this today. Going to try to wrap up the dash portion from drivers to passenger side.

TCI- TCU connections to the DD setup.
Speed outlut from TCI (orange) wire to the speed send terminal.
Pink wire- 12v ignition- there is an extra 12v key power on an unused section of the tach connector. Put a terminal on the wire and installed in spare 12v ig power.

DD wiring devices-
Oil pressure is a 3 wire and shield cable. It has you term shield and black under same terminal. Best way to do this is put them both in Ferrell then crimp. The other wires are color coded. Oil pressure sender is in factory location.

Thermostat- 2 wire unit and terminals are labeled. Mine is on the front top of the intake. The factory sender location here will not work with this sender and you will melt it if you have headers.

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Make your cable long enough to bring the terminal box out to work on it. You will thank me later for that. Nothing like trying to mess with terminals somewhere you can barely reach.

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[Dleslie212]

What connector ends are you using there?

 

[Bloodhound1981]

Back to work on this as my bulkhead came in. It is from Sharpe and is for an LS swap but we are using it for the trans wiring.

I just picked up what I thought was one of these for the firewall for my Holley HP engine harness that I have never been happy with the grommet seat. Turns out the one I bought is what I think is a knock off from Amazon, but looks like Sharpe doesn't have the black one in stock anyway. Surprisingly the quality seems high for a knock off. @kkgp81 Do you just have to drill 2 holes while it's in place to install it?

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[kkgp81]

What connector ends are you using there?

They are called ferrules. I use them in my day to day in control panels. It gives you a solid connection for the screws vs just tightening down on the wire which you can jiggle and pull out. This isn’t the exact ones I use but an Amazon prime kit that has a good start.

Amazon.com

 

[kkgp81]

I just picked up what I thought was one of these for the firewall for my Holley HP engine harness that I have never been happy with the grommet seat. Turns out the one I bought is what I think is a knock off from Amazon, but looks like Sharpe doesn't have the black one in stock anyway. Surprisingly the quality seems high for a knock off. @kkgp81 Do you just have to drill 2 holes while it's in place to install it?

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It has 3 holes in the back. You only use 2 and drill holes along side your big hole. Then it comes with 1/4” studs that you put it in and put nuts on from the back. I had to drop my vintage air system to install it but it’s a very nice part. I plan on sealing it up after everything gets where it’s going.

 

[Dleslie212]

They are called ferrules. I use them in my day to day in control panels. It gives you a solid connection for the screws vs just tightening down on the wire which you can jiggle and pull out. This isn’t the exact ones I use but an Amazon prime kit that has a good start.

Amazon.com

Thank you. What gauge wiring are you using?

 

[Bloodhound1981]

It has 3 holes in the back. You only use 2 and drill holes along side your big hole. Then it comes with 1/4” studs that you put it in and put nuts on from the back. I had to drop my vintage air system to install it but it’s a very nice part. I plan on sealing it up after everything gets where it’s going.

Oh man I hope I can finagle it without moving the vintage air.

 

[kkgp81]

Thank you. What gauge wiring are you using?

I think we’re running anything between #10 in there someone to I think I saw a 20ga wire coming off something.

 

[kkgp81]

Oh man I hope I can finagle it without moving the vintage air.

You might get lucky. The hole is right behind the blender box. I have gorilla mitts and couldn’t get the nuts on so had to pull the 2 bolts and 2 screws to drop the unit down.

Fact- the VA unit is much easier to bolt into place on the second run.

 

[kkgp81]

Took the wife to a flick yesterday and then worked my way across the cab trying to wrap up the internal wiring. Trying to
Find a good spot for the TCU. The gas pedal bracket would allow 2 bolts.

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Also maybe on the backside of the dash face- going to leave it loose for now.

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Installed the VA vent hoses to get a feel for room.

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Still have to connect the tan and violet wire from the VA unit and then work my way around to the pass fender. I was going to use the Batt2 terminal on the AA wiring harness for the TCI power but it has several warnings about straight to the battery.

 

[kkgp81]

A smidge of an update before moving from inside the cab to outside.

The TCI unit needs power “directly from battery”. I get why they do this but no way I’m having #18 wires running un fused. It has a fuse on the harness but it’s at the Tci controller connector.

So on the AA harness it has a connector with 6 or so misc outputs. I used Batt-1 for the DD gauge power and Batt-2 for the TCI power.

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I think we are wrapped for now on the inside so it’s time to work our way around the outside. I installed the wiper terminals and did a quick tape wrap on them.

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The next bag will be the front harness which covers lights, horn, electric fan controls(12v accessories)

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[kkgp81]

Progress today- a little electrical, a little mechanical, and some body to frame grounding.

Working on the electrical under the hood. Just getting stuff where it goes etc. Ran the power cable from the alternator to the battery mega fuse setup. It shows it a bit different on the diagram with the kit but we are going this road- Altenator to battery fuse and another one off the battery to the starter. Also ran the main fuse block power wire here which is show to make a junction at the starter.

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No pics of it but installed grounding straps from the frame to each body section- Bed/Cab/front clip. Grounding is always a problem with these units to hopefully I have curtailed that issue out of the gate.

I use these. Drill/tap the frame- clean the paint off, throw the bolt in, put a locknut on the backside/ paint over it to protect the exposed metal. A small dab of dialectic grease between the strap and frame.

American Autowire 500350 American Autowire Ground Straps | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - American Autowire Ground Straps with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Ground Straps at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[Bloodhound1981]

You might get lucky. The hole is right behind the blender box. I have gorilla mitts and couldn’t get the nuts on so had to pull the 2 bolts and 2 screws to drop the unit down.

Fact- the VA unit is much easier to bolt into place on the second run.

Well that was an adventure. Even with my "man paws" as the wife says, I was able to get those nuts tightened down behind the VA unit without moving it. It was literally 1/8 of a turn at a time with an open ended wrench, but got it done,

 

[SquareRoot]

Count yourself lucky as the sniper is trash. I had a full setup on my other K with AA harness and DD gauges. The third time she left me hanging I dropped it and went back to a carb.

I trashed it the second time it stranded me and went to the PF4. Live & Learn.