Electrical Upgrades

[Demon 408]

I spent some of my time today documenting the recent upgrades that I made to the electrical system in the Demon. I moved the battery to the trunk, by-passed the ammeter and wired in a new clutch safety and by-pass switch. Majority of the parts came from MAD Electrical http://www.madelectrical.com/index.shtml and Summit Racing http://www.summitracing.com/. This thread should help others who are thinking about making these same upgrades.

Parts to move the battery to the trunk:
Summit Racing
- SUM-G1231-K: $124.95
MAD Electrical
- Trunk-mount helper kit: $60.00
- Start’m up kit (relay): $40.00

Parts for ammeter by-pass:
MAD Electrical
- Wire and fusible links: $25
Redline Gauge Works (optional)
- Convert stock ammeter to voltmeter: $140.00
Year One (optional)
- Engine Harness: $140.00

Parts to repair clutch safety switch and install by-pass switch:
Radio Shack
- Micro switch $3.00
- Toggle Switch: $3.00

Misc. parts:
Year One
- Harness Tape ¾”: $10.00
Summit Racing
- Painless Performance Powerbraid Wire Wrap 10ft. (2 each): $38.00
- Thermo-Tec Thermo Flex Aluminum Heat Shield Sleeve (Black) 36”: $17.00
NAPA
- Ground braid: $8.00
MAD Electrical
- Butt connectors, shrink tube: $14.00
- Wire crimp tool: $31.00
- Wire stripping tool: $27.00
Radio Shack
- Solder Gun, dual range: $30.00
Ace Hardware
- Large heat-shrink for the 1/0 gauge battery cable: $5.00
My parts and tools
- Propane torch
- Hand tools
- Shop manuals
- Wire ties

Now for the pictures. The first set will cover most of the misc. parts needed to do this job as well as my own schematic that documents all three upgrades:

Here's my hand drawn schematic that shows all the upgrades that I made:





The 1973 Manual actually has a very detailed wiring schematic for the Dart.






The next set of pictures documents moving the battery to the trunk:

- 10 gauge red wire with fusible link provides 12 volts to dash area.
- 8 gauge red wire connects to battery 12 volts in trunk
- 14 gauge blue wire goes to the trunk to operate the "start'm up" solenoid.
- 16 gauge green wire is the stock clutch safety switch ground wire.



This shows my handy work using the harness wrap tape I bought from Year One.



This shows how I used the stock grommet for the manual washers to route the wires from the starter relay and starter into the firewall. As a point of reference, that's the speedometer cable on the left.



Starter wire route. Notice the use of the Thermo Tec heat shield and stock bracket to hold the starter cable.



Jumper wire required on the starter when using the "start'm up" solenoid. (See MAD Electrical web site).



Wire route under the dash. As a point of reference, that's the speedometer cable on the right.




To be contined...

 

[Demon 408]

The following pictures continue the previous pictures documenting moving the battery to the trunk:

Cable route by drivers side kick panel:



Cable route into rear seat area:





Cable route into trunk:



Battery box. Notice hole on front right of box, that's for the vent hose that I'm going to run through the trunk floors existing grommet hole.



"Start'm up" solenoid wiring. Notice 14 gauge blue wire and 8 gauge red wire ( with fusible link) from the starter relay connect here to the solenoid. The 1/0 gauge wire on the left goes to the battery and the one on the right goes to the starter.



Grounding...







Good solid ground connection for under dash area.

 

[Demon 408]

Here's the pictures documenting the ammeter by-pass:

New wire harness with modification for alternator wire to by-pass bulk head connector:



Notice that the alternator wires going into and out of the bulkhead connector are missing...the new 10 gauge wire is hidden in the harness.





The next two pictures show both ends of the new 10 gauge alternator wire.



Notice fusible link wire for the alternator.



This picture was taken looking into the dash cluster area and shows how I spliced the two original ammeter wires into the new red 10 gauge wire. You can also see the back of the toggle switch that by-passes the clutch safety switch and the routing for the cables to the trunk.



This shows how I pushed wires out of the back of the bulkhead connector and spliced them together. These were the wires going to pins "P" and "J" in the bulkhead connector.

 

[rumblefish360]

Holy crap! That's sweet!

 

[Demon 408]

Here's the last few pictures documenting the clutch safety switch and by-pass toggle switch.







That's it...no more pictures.

 

[Demon 408]

A selfish bump for all my hard work today...

 

[J&Bs71Demon]

Here is an appreciative bump. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and especially the time it took to document this.

 

[74fldart]

nice job, i think you can say goodbye to any electrical gremlins now. I
need to do the same things on my car .

 

[Mad Dart]

That is a QUALITY install there, nothing hack azz about it!!!

Question, why is all of this necessary?? Is it to get rid of the Voltage Regulator? To run a High Amp Alternator with 1 wire??

Sorry for the ignorance here just need to know!

 

[MadScientistMat]

One thing you might want to consider is a power distribution block instead of putting multiple power wires on the same stud, or splicing multiple wires to one single lug. Stacking ring terminals on a common stud is not ideal; you can get resistance building up between the rings.

I'm planning a trunk mounted battery wire-up of my own. It'll be a bit different, although a lot of it's going to be a question of style.

 

[abodyjoe]

looks nice man. good work

 

[ram250098]

I did what I thought was the MAD set up a few days ago. My harness was pretty hacked before I started.
I am second guessing my change though, because after the chance I have constant power to my fuse block even with the ignition off. This can't be right.
I was installing a stereo yesterday and could not find anywhere to connect the red ACC wire. The plug for the radio should be switched but if I move the ignition to the acc postion I have no power, only when I turn the ignition forward do I get power.
What am I missing??
Thanks

 

[Demon 408]

First, I want to apologize for taking so long to respond. I just realized I had not subscribed to my original post... :angry7:

Question, why is all of this necessary??

Not all of this is necessary, but here are the main reasons:

1. Starter relay with battery in trunk provides current/power to the larger battery cable only while cranking.

2. By-passing bulkhead connector and ammeter in the alternator-to-battery circuit cuts down on know points of failure in the circuit. Is very important when you have a lot of high current draw in your electrical system. Using larger cable between alternator and battery provides less resistance in charging circuit.

3. Clutch safety switch and by-pass are my own deal. I wanted both in the car so on the odd chance someone else is starting my car they will need to depress the clutch first. But normal operating will be with this bypassed so I can start car in neutral because it's easier on the thrust bearing.

There are other reasons but I think I covered the most important. If not others will chime in.

One thing you might want to consider is a power distribution block instead of putting multiple power wires on the same stud, or splicing multiple wires to one single lug. Stacking ring terminals on a common stud is not ideal; you can get resistance building up between the rings.

Thanks. I do have a couple of the distribution blocks. I chose not to use them (trying to keep semi-factory look and feel). But I do understand your point and will keep it in mind and watch for problems that may develop.

looks nice man. good work

Thank you sir.

I did what I thought was the MAD set up a few days ago. My harness was pretty hacked before I started. I am second guessing my change though, because after the chance I have constant power to my fuse block even with the ignition off. This can't be right. I was installing a stereo yesterday and could not find anywhere to connect the red ACC wire. The plug for the radio should be switched but if I move the ignition to the acc postion I have no power, only when I turn the ignition forward do I get power. What am I missing?? Thanks

You will have constant power at the fuse block and few other places under the dash (cigar lighter is one). Not sure what's wrong with your set up but sounds like you need to get a good schematic and a volt/ohm meter and do some troubleshooting. My first recommendation is a factory service manual (not a Chilton’s, but the real factory service manual). If not a FSM, then get a reproduction wiring diagram from someone like Jim Osborn Reproductions. You can get a decent meter from Radio Shack.

 

[archlab]

Very Nice work. Thanks for sharing some great info.

 

[green1]

Don't need the ford solenoid.

 

[green1]

Just get a 4 wire cut-off switch, and use larger wire from the alternator; of course, kill the amp, infront of the firewall.

 

[fez440]

this is old but I think it needs a bump or a sticky. great write up.

 

[DA69RT GT]

never caught this first time around... thanks for bumping it.

 

[Todlich]

this is old but I think it needs a bump or a sticky. great write up.

x2
Good write up, and photo documentation!

 

[Douglas Acebal]

6/2022 and you found another user of this info. BUMP