Painless Performance Wiring Kit - Project Reclaim

The main wiring loom terminates here at the starter solenoid. It also begins here with main power from the battery. Richard zip-ties the loom and wraps it with Power Braid.

Main power begins at a 70-amp fuse, which serves as main circuit protection. Although the Painless 14-circuit system has fuses and breakers for each circuit, the redundancy of a main fuse is critical in case there's ever a solid short to ground somewhere in the system. When the 70-amp fuse lets go, it disables everything, stopping your Mustang dead in its tracks but preventing a roadside inferno.

Once the installation is completed, wiring at the solenoid should look like this. Richard has done an outstanding job with wiring wrap. The key to success comes from reading the Painless Performance instructions and wiring diagrams (also known as schematics), following them to the letter. Creative license is good as long as you err on the side of safety.

Engine compartment wiring is largely intact, wrapped in Power Braid. When the engine and driveline are installed, we'll finalize the engine wiring-coil power, coolant temperature and oil pressure senders, charging system, heater blower, and neutral safety switches (if equipped).

Richard routes the secondary engine compartment wiring harness, which feeds the headlights, parking lamps, horns, charging system (voltage regulator, when equipped), and windshield washer pump. He will use a Keep It Clean billet firewall port cover here.

Headlight and parking light wiring terminates here. Headlights get factory-style plugs from Painless. Parking lamps require custom connections depending on what type of parking lamps you're using. A factory plug can be spliced for stock parking lamps.

Terminal and fuse blocks enable you to add circuits without fuss. Painless Performance also offers the CirKit Boss for ease of installation. Richard Bramlett shows us how to do a nice, clean aviation/racecar style installation here.

The Painless Performance 14-circuit system for classic Mustangs has factory switch blade connections for ease of installation. All you have to do is install each blade one at a time as shown.....

.....Make sure the blades are locked in the plug before moving on. If you follow instructions and wiring color codes, you cannot miss.

You have two choices at the ignition switch. You can go plug by plug or you can use the factory multiplex plug. We suggest the factory gang plug for best results with soldered butt connectors and heat shrink.

The factory multiplex plugs offer the best transitional connections, and Painless provides professionally crimped connections for your factory multiplex plugs.

Taillight, fuel sender, and auxiliary power connections are routed via rocker panels like this. Power Braid offers the best protection once all connections....

.....are established. Use factory wire retaining tabs in the trunk area for security. Elsewhere, opt for rubber insulated clamps or nylon clamps for optimum security.

Power Braid Protection
Power Braid from Painless Performance is thumbs-up protection for any wiring harness. It provides extraordinary protection from chaffing and ugly short circuits. Available in 1/8-, 1/4-, 1/2-, 3/4-, 1-, and 2-inch diameters in a variety of footages, Power Braid can be installed on any wiring harness because it wraps around the harness with ease. You can also buy it in 1/8-, 1/4-, 1/2-, and 3/4-inch bulk rolls of 100-, 150-, and 200-feet. Power Braid is also available in kit form with zip-ties and heat-shrink. A nice thing about Power Braid is longevity thanks to its tough black nylon construction.

Why You Should Solder Connections
If you want optimum electrical system reliability, consider soldering all connections. Although the factory and untold thousands of enthusiasts crimp and protect connections with good results, soldering solidifies your connection. The main thing is to properly solder connections using flux and thorough melt-through to ensure a solid connection. Faulty soldered joints can be worse than crimped connections if you're careless.

Common Sense Routing
Power Braid, electrical tape, and heat shrink may protect wiring, but so does common sense. Enthusiasts go to great lengths to protect wiring, yet they will route wiring through sharp metal body passages and never consider the consequences of chaffing. Always protect wiring through transitions via urethane and plastic grommets. Rubber grommets don't always protect because they can dry rot and fail. Urethane grommets and soft plastic transitions work best. One more thing-there are no unimportant wires. Black ground wires must always be grounded for best results. Poor grounding leads to all kinds of electrical system gremlins, like dim lights, intermittent operation, ignition failure, computer glitches, and more. Make sure everything is properly grounded, including that ground strap between the engine and firewall.

Wiring loom transitions should always include either urethane grommets or plastic pass-throughs for best protection.....

.....Never route wiring through a firewall, radiator support, or inner fender without some kind of protection.