Any suggestions on what I might use that doesn't get soft or gooey when exposed to underhood heat? I like the plyability of the 3M 33+ for application purposes but it ends up distortoring after time under the hood. What do OEM's use?
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June 24, 2009 10:05 p.m. kcbhiw Reader
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June 24, 2009 10:08 p.m. RobL Reader
I use shrink wrap. Stuff like this: http://cableorganizer.com/heat-shrink/nte-heat-shrink2-kits.html
I cut it to fit, slip this over a wire, solder, move the shrink wrap over the connection, and then use a heat gun.
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June 24, 2009 10:25 p.m. kcbhiw Reader
I solder and shrink wrap connections. However, I need to tape up an entirely new loom.
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June 24, 2009 10:27 p.m. confuZion3 Dork
I've never had a problem with good ol' electrical tape. I think it's what Mazda used under the hood of the Miata too.
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June 25, 2009 3:37 a.m. shuttlepilot New Reader
I've redone harness wrapping on a couple of cars with 3M 33+ electrical tap. I finish it off with split convoluted tubing over the harness. It acts as another layer against direct engine heat and to keep the tape from unraveling over time.
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June 25, 2009 4:39 a.m. foxtrapper SuperDork
That electrical tape Harbor Freight sells is darn good. Never had a problem with it underhood.
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June 25, 2009 6:01 a.m. 914Driver SuperDork
When I wired the old Dodge truck I bought shrink tape. It's electrical tape that shrinks when hit with heat.
How about a mile of that coloured sippy straw stuff from JC Whitney?
Dan
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June 25, 2009 6:50 a.m. Paul_VR6 Reader
33+ works ok in a pinch but the rubberized 'self adhering' stuff works much better underhood.
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June 25, 2009 7:26 a.m. RossD Reader
I've never heard of shrink tape before, so I started looking and found something a little different: Self-fusing Silicone Tape with no need to heat.
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June 25, 2009 7:28 a.m. Jensenman SuperDork
OEMs usually use 'dry tape' (vinyl with no adhesive). You can get that from Eastwood, places like that. I have used electrical tape in the past but as noted heat makes it slippery and gooey.
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June 25, 2009 7:51 a.m. HappyAndy Reader
Try splicing tape, 3m is one manufacturer, but there may be others, you can get it at grainger and probably McMaster-Car. I have used to make wire harnesses in moderatly high heat applications, I also once used it to repair a split intercooler hose on my work truck, it is stong stuff.
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June 25, 2009 8:03 a.m. DILYSI Dave SuperDork
Big ass heat shrink tube?
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June 25, 2009 8:29 a.m. RobL Reader
Zip ties?
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June 25, 2009 9:06 a.m. daytonaer Reader
I like to use friction tape. It is cloth tape and sticks to itself very well. If I use electric tape I usually wrap it (cover)with the friction tape so it will keep everything tight.
It was also used on many oem harness I have cut up. It has a dielectric quality, although much lower than pvc electric tape.
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June 25, 2009 9:20 a.m. 93celicaGT2 Dork
RobL wrote:
Zip ties?
1 zip tie every half inch. It'll look SWEET!
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June 25, 2009 7:39 p.m. RealMiniDriver Dork
RossD wrote:
I've never heard of shrink tape before, so I started looking and found something a little different: Self-fusing Silicone Tape with no need to heat.
I have a few rolls (red, black and white) of this kind of stuff. It's the cat's danglies, for wrapping stuff. Even works underwater - just mounted the float switch on a new sump pump.
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June 25, 2009 8:11 p.m. Keith SuperDork
The stock Miata harness is held together with about 10 miles (actually, it's a metric car, so they would have used 16 km) of gooey, sticky electrical tape. It's a real pleasure to remove, lemme tell ya.
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June 26, 2009 6:03 a.m. 44Dwarf Reader
Tie wraps look good untill you need to work under the hood and get poked and cut by all those dam knubs left. start with regular tape a few rounds then tape over the non sticky tape and use that using only sticky tape near bends and ends.
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June 26, 2009 10:19 a.m. YaNi Reader
Try out some self-fusing silicone tape. I get mine from Waytek Wire. It's heat resistant to almost 500*F. Bonds to itself with no sticky adhesives.
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June 26, 2009 11:19 p.m. kcbhiw Reader
Thanks, guys!
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June 27, 2009 6:33 p.m. Sparetire New Reader
93celicaGT2 wrote:
RobL wrote:
Zip ties?
1 zip tie every half inch. It'll look SWEET!
I have done plain old electrical tape and then secured the ends with tie-wraps a few times and it always held up fine, even I got lazy and did not go back and do it right. The ends never come loose and the rest of the tape stays good.
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June 29, 2009 8:10 a.m. Tom Heath Production Editor
RossD wrote:
I've never heard of shrink tape before, so I started looking and found something a little different: Self-fusing Silicone Tape with no need to heat.
I love that stuff. It is also moderately resistant to abrasion and pinching, which is always a plus when you're in an area with moving parts. (Hopefully your engine bay fits that description.)
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June 29, 2009 2:23 p.m. AngryCorvair Dork
go to junkyard and grab about a thousand feet of the crinkly split-loom stuff. will cost you about a penny a foot.
