As long as I have the engine out, I thought I'd replace the infamous injection wire harness. It's cracked, partially melted and brittle, so it would be insane to reinstall it after all the work I've done.
There really isn't much to this harness so you can only imagine my surprise to find the costs for a replacement ranges from $200 to over $700! Can anyone point me to a cheaper alternative? I know I could make my own, but I'd rather pay a reasonable price for a complete one.

 

Others MAY offer places to buy from.

I made my own, and yes it is simple, but the main cost is the plugs, which come in a kit with 2 terminals, and a boot, and are about $20 each, well were waaaaaaay back then, and genuine Bosch, so there goes $240, add wire and labour, some conduit, etc and $500 is not unreasonable.

I did mine coz I did NOT want the loom coming via the front, any of the looms, saw NO need for this silly idea, and rewired the whole engine bay, moving many relays and components outside the engine bay, so now all the wiring comes in from the rear, with loom plugs at 3 pre determined points.

 

I was thinking of doing it myself too, and like you I don't like the connector exiting in the front. I just figured these cars are common enough that SOMEONE must have an affordable replacement.
Maybe my best bet is to make and sell them!

 

Nowadays you can find the injector connectors for $3.00-$5.00 each. By the time you get some sort of nice looking sheathing, shrink tubing, and some high temp wire (you'll want at leat 4 colors) you'll probably be about $150-$175 into the project....plus a few hours of your time spent on a rather satisfying project.

If you can find a source for high grade, high temp wire without having to buy much more than you need you can cut the expense quite a bit.

You'll be able to change the routing and positioning of the harness, as mentioned, to suit your tastes. I run the harness along the fuel rail. It's the searing heat the wires are exposed to down in the "vee" that kills 'em. To be honest I suspect that a less expensive wire would be quite satisfactory if you keep them out of the "vee".

There's a bit of redundancy in the voltage suppy wires which can be eliminated if you wish to simply the project.

Cheers
DD

 

I made my own on 82 HE, that I keep in my shed
The cheapes and most effective way is to go to junkyard and buy couple BMW E34/E46/E39 straight six injection harnesses. You will have all the highest quality wiring, connectors and plastic + rubber piping to make the nicest harness possible, for ~$20 in cost.
Here is me in the process of finishing it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-zMOqQraN8
Also some pics attached.
BTW, injection on HE's works in quadrants, so wiring is a breeze, just make sure to run both sides along the injection rail, on top. So new harness is not subjected to extreme heat.
Here is finished look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77d7obUkYkw

P.S. I also strongly suggest removing air injection!!!

 

I'm already removing the air injection, airpump and cat converters. I've found the high temp wire without any problem, but finding the connectors is becoming a challenge. There are tons out there and I don't know which ones will fit? Anyone have a part number?

 

The most common BMW injection harness will have plenty plugs and they fit XJS injectors, temperature sensors and other misc sensor connectors.

 

One possibility:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Injec...item45f1bc318c

AlsoGoogle Del City wiring supplies, Pico Wiring, or just Google "Bosch fuel injector connector"

Cheers
DD

 

Thanks for the links, I found the ones I need!
Considering the pieces cost less if ordered in bulk I'm toying with the idea of making several harnesses and selling them. Is there any interest for this? I don't have prices yet but I'm sure it will be cheaper than anything else I've found.

 

Jameyxj6, based on what I am finding, if your harness is reasonable, i may be interested in purchasing.

 

Well, what do you consider reasonable? I'll see what I can do.

 

if it doesnt look too trashy and if the price isnt too outrageous, i would definitely be a buyer.

take your total expense, double it, and then add what your time is worth and that should be about reasonable.

 

Geez, I JUST threw away my notes and stuff about 2 days ago because I only had one person ask me to build one!
I can of course, research it again, but it will take me a few days to get everything together and come up with a price. Do you want to keep the original 8-pin plug so you can just plug it in or do you want me to change over to a better plug? It would require that you cut and solder the female end into your engine harness. It's not hard if you know how to solder.

 

it doesnt matter to me.

wow, you threw them away the day i bought mine. lol
i never throw away stuff like that.

 

any chance you could PM me a ballpark figure, and ETA?

 

I've found a couple of sites online that offer harnesses for around

400.00http://www.jaguarfuelinjectorservice.com/Index.htm

v12s Jaguar XJS XJ12 XJ6 XK8 Fuel Injection

 

BTW, biodegradable wiring - look for the phrase "and similar year Jaguar":

93 300 SL - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

From the "what were they thinking?" department.

Sure, make the wiring biodegradable so the car gets junked and creates a bigger mess.

Part of the search also turned up the reason mice love wiring and hoses now - soya oil and peanut oil in the hoses which they love apparently.

Mice and Your Cars Wiring | Weber Chevrolet Blog

 

Yes, you can buy one for that much, or build one the way you like for about $100.

 

proably had less than 40 bucks in buildin mine

 

do you have instructions on how to build a harness to pass on? I'm interested.