'79 Bus Needs Relay Wire Refurbished

[justgimmecoffee]

When I got my bus, the wiring for the double relay was messed up. Someone had apparently sliced through half the wiring and used crimp-on connectors to repair it. In April 2009, I attempted to fix it better: I removed most of the crimp-on connectors, stripped fresh wire and soldered them, then wrapped them clumsily in a clump of black tape which looks terrible but works.
I'm happy with the repair job, but notice that there is a bad connection somewhere. Slightly moving the plug/relay clump causes intermittent fuel pump operation.

What is the best way to repair this? I mean, besides spending something like $200 for a new FI harness from Kyle automotive specs.

Editors note: Image removed due to invalid link


Also, the two wires crimped together, taped & zip tied was the PO's work as well. I can't tell what that goes to, so haven't touched it.

[dtrumbo]

slightly moving the plug/relay clump causes intermittent fuel pump operation.

This screams bad ground connection. See the two brown wires in your photo? They MUST have a nice, clean, tight connection to someplace metal. Originally, they get clamped under the screw that holds the relay to the firewall. In your case, it appears they've been attached to a nearby firewall screw. No matter as long as that connection is rock-solid.

As far as continuing to tidy up your wiring, the soldering method seems to have worked well for you. I still see at least one crimp connector so maybe that's causing you grief. A cleaner method of insulating your solder connections is, instead of electrical tape, heat-shrink tubing. You can get it at Radio Shack or Home Despot, but it will require you to un-solder the connections you've already made so you can slip the tubing over the wire. Once the soldering is done, slip the tubing over the connection and heat it with a match or a lighter. It shrinks down and makes a nice, tidy finish.

As far as the other splice with the zip-tie, it looks nice and firm, but those blue snap-splices are crap on a good day. While you're cleaning up your other solder-joints, do this one as well. I'm not sure why those wires are connected together external to the double relay plug, but assuming that's correct, getting rid of the snap-splice will only help the situation.