The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay What's it called?

This may be a dumb question but I can't find a supplier for the vinyl/plastic wrap that is used on OEM wiring harnesses. It looks like standard black electrical tape but has no adhesive. I has been used since the fifties but I can't find anyone who knows it's specific nomenclature or where it might be obtained.

Any info you might provide would be greatly appreciated.

Dave

the original harnesses didn't use vinyl/plastic tape, which is a fairly recent invention - the change from the braided cloth cable coverings of the 40's to the tape-wrapped cables of the 50's used a type of friction tape, which is still available, but provides less electrical insulation than the modern plastic tape - the reason it appears to have no adhesive is the sticky stuff on friction tape doesn't hold up long, which is why you'll find those old taped harnesses have odd wraps on the ends that actually 'tie' the tape end so it can't come loose later - use standard electrical tape for function, use friction tape if you're after 'the look'

Bill

Your not talking about self vulcanizing tape, are you?

Thanks guys for the response. I just finished cutting it off my "bone stock" 54 truck harness...some friction tape was used under the plastic wrap at the multi-wire splicess but the entire loom was held together by this "mystery" non-sticky wrap. 3m site doesn't show it and NAPA couldn't identify it's name...they (GM-Ford) still use it, my late model truck and car both have the same wrap.

I'm beefing up a new harness and with this stuff you can just unwrap it if you want to add another wire and rewrap! Not that I would EVER forget a circuit!!!lol

It looks almost like surveyors marking tape but I don't think I want a HOT PINK harness under my hood.

Thanks again,

Dave

if it's the same as on yer late model, than it's sure not original 54, cuz they used different stuff back then, and as I said before, vinyl tape is a fairly recent invention - also I've never seen any original wiring w/ a different kind of tape under the top layer - they didn't waste anything in the day

I'd say some PO put it on - you can get the non-stick surveyors type tape in different colors, tho I don't recall seeing black

Bill

I found some black cloth tape that looks like it belongs on there in a sporting goods store. It's for hockey sticks but looks original.

Try Waytek Wire. I'm fairly sure they carry that stuff. It is a 3M product.

Hey Red58,

Hate to disagree withya on the "vinyl" thing but it's been around since the early 20's when a guy discovered it while trying to formulate synthetic rubber. It was used during the 30's and 40's for electrical wiring on aircraft/ships, etc and finally came into use on vehicles in the mid 50's. Maybe even 1954.

The "splice" I mentioned was where the 5 instrument cluster lights are tied together with a small metal collar and soldered, wrapped with friction tape and the entire loom was wrapped with a 3/4" wide, non-adhesive vinyl tape from the factory that I still can't identify.

Not the factory....but the tape!

Thanks for your input and stay warm up there!!!

regardless of when uses for what was originally a waste material known as vinyl were first investigated, tape used anywhere before 1948 wasn't vinyl: see history 1/2 way down - as noted, the earliest vinyl tape was yellow, and having seen an awful lot of vehicle wiring from 1937 onwards, I've never seen any w/ yellow [or white] tape on the wiring - as I said, I've never seen any right up to the TF years that didn't use something quite like friction tape if it didn't have cloth loom - same as my 57's and 58 had originally

you might inquire at one of the repro harness makers, who seem to use laquered cloth covered wires and braided cloth loom on the 30's & 40's harnesses that are supposed to be "as original", and modern plastic tape over the same laquered cloth wires on the 50's things

if you find other material was used at the factory, I'm sure we'd all like to hear about it

Bill

Shucks Bill, I come up with an error message from that link....but not loosing sight of what I originally asked, I sure would like to know the name and source of supply for the non-sticky,
vinyl wrap that is commonly used on an automotive electrical harnesses.

I'll take your suggestion and contact a manufacturer but if someone knows the answer it would be deeply appreciated if you'd share the info.

Dave

dont know what it's calle but i know what your talking about and i'm pretty sure i saw it in either eastwoods catalog or ron francis wiring i'd try both of those places. good luck .........dave

hey! there ya go, Eastwood cloth [friction tape] to the 60\'s, vinyl to the 80\'s

Bill

Hey Bill,

Thanks,a picture is worth a thousand words. Now you've got me wondering about my vinyl coated "bone stock" 54 wiring harness! Oh well, it's being replaced with all new (flexible) wire as I'm not trying to restore....just build a harness that allows me to use modern relays, upgrade to halagen lights, turn signals, a modern circuit box and avoid a flame-out!!!

I just got a new Eastwood catalog today...they show the pn. 25000 "dry vinyl harness wrap" @ 2-100' rolls for 9.99...can't beat that with a stick. Thanks again for the "heads up".

Dave