The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay How to make a tape loom?

I have some wiring to redo under the hood that is in the black tape looms. Anybody got any input as to where I can get the original black tape? The glue on the original stuff seems to set up over time.
It’s not the same as black electrical tape. Regular black electrical tape gets sticky and gooey over time and heat or any contact with oil just dissolves the glue.
Also, I’m new to the restoration flock so I’m not really familiar with all the vendors, who are is the best ones to buy an original looking wire, sockets, connectors from?
I tried ordering Randys electrical book from Amazon but they screwed things up with the $25 free shipping they used to have, looks like you have to get one of their CC in order to get free shipping now.
Denny Graham

There was no glue on the OE stuff, they wrapped the ends back under itself to prevent unraveling. Some vendors carry it but I am not sure which ones, I just use high quality 3M Super 88 tape. Seems to be a lot better than the average stuff. Brian

You can still get the wide loom wrap tape from and electrical supply. 3M makes some and it is about an inch wide.

I re-wrapped the harness in my Chevelle, and bought the tape from Year-One. I am not sure what the web address is, but should be easy to find. This tape is OEM wiring harness tape, and it has no glue. It is friction tape, and it worked and looked just like the original. Hope this helps.

Mark

Searched for 3m Super 33 tape and I found Scotch® Super 33+™ Vinyl Electrical Tape. This is just the plain old black electrical tape, it uses the standard rubber based adhesive that breaks down at 220F and will turn to goo in contact with oil.
Found Year-One Mark, http://www.yearone.com/ and searched for "OEM wiring harness tape,tape, 3m, wire loom" came up empty on all accounts, ya sure that's where you got it from?
Now I’m finding this stuff all over the Net!

Brothers has it listed in their catalog, ¾ in x 50ft for $12, seems kind of pricy for a roll of ¾ in black vinyl non-adhesive tape.
Eckler’s Classic Chevy, $10.99, looks like the same stuff Brothers has.
Eastwood, “dry vinyl, two 1 in x 100 ft rolls for $9.99” (best deal and close to correct width, I think mine is between 1” and 1 3/8”).
Looks like Eastwood’s gonna get an order from me this week.
Thanks guys for your opinions
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,
I made my harness using a spiral wrap that conforms nicely to changing diameters. I bought the product a number of years ago at some Walmarts, while on vacation. Then I discovered that they were replacing the product with some garbage made in Taiwan.

The good product was "Spiral Wrap" made by Micro Plastics of Arkansas. Their website is www.microplastics.com.

The really crummy product is also called Spiral Wrap by Cargoloc.It is absolute garbage, in my opinion. I guess this is the way Wallmart handles some things. They seem to be a big seller of Fram products, also!

I think I know what your talking about Fred, a lot of the newer cars use it. I want to keep every thing original on this truck. It has everything in tact, including the original wire in their looms. Only problem now with the wiring is the ckt that goes back to the tail light. But that is really a minor project. With the woven black fabric wire loom, vinyl wire wrap tape from Eastwood and the cotton covered wire that I have found, and a few runs thru a mud puddle, the replacement should be undetectable from the original.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Try black hockey stick tape or bicycle handle bar tape. Both are cloth like the old black tape and have a light adhesive on the back.
PICO which make electrical components have a nice loom which is flat black nylon-like and it comes in various diameters. The only problem is that you would have to run your wires thru before you put on the ends.
Bill

Denny: Did you use the Eastwood's tape and how did it work out?

Nope, probably won't get to that part till sometime next year.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

ok. I ordered a couple of rolls just to see if and how it works and matches the original loom. I'll let you know how it works out.

All righty Virginny, we’ll let ya be the Ginny pig on this one. All kidding aside, I would like to know how their product performs. I have mentioned on the forum before that I would like to see more consumer reports on the vendor’s products. If each one of us didn’t have to learn the hard way about a bad product it would save us all a bunch of time and money. Also prompt the vendors to improve on the quality of their products.
Let us know how it works out.
While we’re on the subject I always wondered how the ends are fastened if there is no adhesive on the tape, looks like they tuck it under the last lap jount, but is that all that holds it there? Same thing applies to the wrap, even with a half lap I would think that the seams would open up, unless of course you can keep it REAL tight all the way through to the last tuck! Does the factory have a little secret that we don’t know about??
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,

I found the part no. for the OEM wiring harness wrap from year one that I posted a couple months ago...go to http://www.yearone.com/ and under the search by part no., type "HWRAP"..they have it, it is $14.00, and i comes in 3/4", 1", and 1 1/4" widths. Good stuff. Been on my Chevelle going on 5 years now.

Mark

I haven't tried it yet but the eastwood tape does seem to be sticky. I've wrapped a couple of pens with it to see if it sticks. It seems dry on the outside yet sticks well to itself and the inkpens. I'll try it on the truck in the next few days and report back. It does seem as if would be a good match with the cloth loom that I've already installed. It has to be a 1000% improvement over regular electrical tape!

Denny, here are a couple of links for you to browse through.

http://www.wiringharness.com/
http://www.riwire.com/
http://www.ynzyesterdaysparts.com/ConnCatalog.pdf

Hope they will help

here is what I used in my truck http://cableorganizer.com/woven-wrap/

So here goes my first try at taping up wires on a stovebolt.

I tried the Eastwood's electrical tape and it seems to work. Here are pictures of a couple of places I tried it. Let me know what you think.

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2391880510080243953mFNRcy

http://image06.webshots.com/6/4/99/...track_action=/Owner/ViewActions/FullSize

amazon sells it @ 5.33 roll ea
as listed as by eastwood
Tommy Tape Inc Silicone Repair Tape
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000HEAA9A/nextag-tools-20/ref=nosim

hockey stick tape
7 rolls 3/4'' x 60' = $3.05 ea
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0009VUWMQ/nextag-tools-20/ref=nosim

I agree there are cheaper rolls(cost) out there. I just happened try try the eastwood version. I think it is important that we keep costs down too.

Jim, first one is a Self-fusing silicone repair tape, looks like strips of thin innertube.
Second one is "MANCO FRICTION TAPE Cotton cloth utility tape" Neither one is what we have been talking bout here.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I like the cycle/hockey tape idea. Easy to find & being a black water resitent cloth, it would do well and look pretty close to original. May have to use that myself!