Im looking at a new wiring harness for my boat and was just wondering how difficult it would be to wire it up.  Are they marked for what wire go's where and is there something i should look for besides what engine i will be running?

I will be buying new gauges along with the wiring kit.   I was going to use the wiring harness and gauges from a boat im selling, but i dont want to half ass this project im doing.

Im looking at the kit and gauges from cp performance. Has anybody else used there kit to wire there boat

Thanks

2sav

They are pretty easy to install. I have the same harness in my boat, however I pulled it apart to add wiring to it since I added a few things to the boat that the harness didn't have wiring for. But they come with instructions that show you which wire goes to what and they're pretty simple to read/understand. If you need any help while installing it I could help you out.

I went to Napa Auto Parts and bought the wire in spools and plan on making my own.  The harness that is install has so many extra wires taped back on themselves that cleaning it up would be a bigger pain in the a$$ than making a new harness.  Napa had every color  I'll need and Summit has all the colored flex tubing.

My main thing is wiring up at the motor so the harness can be a clean run to the dash.  Single wire sending units and ignition wires, then the alternator wiring and the starter.

I went to Napa Auto Parts and bought the wire in spools and plan on making my own.  The harness that is install has so many extra wires taped back on themselves that cleaning it up would be a bigger pain in the a$$ than making a new harness.  Napa had every color  I'll need and Summit has all the colored flex tubing.

My main thing is wiring up at the motor so the harness can be a clean run to the dash.  Single wire sending units and ignition wires, then the alternator wiring and the starter.

thats what i did for mine, bought a bunch of diff color wire, sat down and made a list of everything from gauges to ignition to alt to starter anything that needed a wire to it was written down, then drew out a generic pic of boat with where everything is located and made my own schematic (sp?), transfered that to a new piece of paper with colors for wires and starte measuring and cutting, loomed everything together to run it, looked at the schematic and new where every wire went to, and if ever there is a problem i can easily find it.  i hope , second time i have done it to this boat, easy both times, just wanted cleaner the second time around

Don't forget a good ground wire. The chassis in a car does this, but in a boat, you will make sure this is a thick gauge wire. Otherwise all of your gauges may read low, and the dash lights may be too dim.

The best ground would to go straight to the battery or off the block,run one black ground wire to all of your gauges instead of one indivisule wire to each gauge.

I would at least do a 10 gauge for both general power and ground, esp if you have a std radio.

For a real stereo with an amp, use 6 or 4 gauge.

On the wiring, I always run 2-4 more wires than I think I need - I usually end up using them!

    A real stereo?  Sounds to me like you're setting up for a full blown concert.  Do you include 24" wolfers too?    I've got a regular stereo with a CD player.

I've got the 10 gauge wire for power and ground.  Also have a 30 amp breaker that I bought from a electronics store for a lot less than what the marine shops want for the same thing.  I may run a breaker box or fuse box under the dash as well, although I don't know that it's really needed.

My first jet boat i had a Real stereo in it but it didnt leave much for room

This time i will only have a cd player some nice speakers and thats about it.  I want the room for the cooler and shit not so much the other people

2sav

My feelings exactly.  The music is for me not everyone on the lake or river.  Besides, I don't want to run any more wire than I have to. 

Greg

  A real stereo?  Sounds to me like you're setting up for a full blown concert.  Do you include 24" wolfers too?    I've got a regular stereo with a CD player.

I've got the 10 gauge wire for power and ground.  Also have a 30 amp breaker that I bought from a electronics store for a lot less than what the marine shops want for the same thing.  I may run a breaker box or fuse box under the dash as well, although I don't know that it's really needed.

Naa, just 15's :-)  10G wire is good for 65A, as opposed to 12 gauge which really is only supposed to handle 40A.

I would always be on the safe side and use the breakers - electricity can cause fires - usually a bad thing in a boat. If something shorts under the dash, there is always the possibility that the heat generated will melt the insulation wherever the worst spot is ( you know, like where the gas is!).

This may help too ...

http://www.socaljetboats.com/cpg/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=10461&pos=15

look what the cat drug in.....wb timmy.