How "Painless"?????
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I also used an American Autowire kit. It had provision for every option, upgrade, and modification, that I could imagine.
All of the wires were extra long so you could route them any way you want to, but then you have to install all of the end terminals onto the wire after you "cut to length".
If you purchase a kit that requires you to install the end connections/terminals, i would suggest buying their crimping tool as well. I had several types and styles of crimping and cutting tools, but none were designed for those specific terminals.
Good luck on your project.
Hasbeen :texas:
All of the wires were extra long so you could route them any way you want to, but then you have to install all of the end terminals onto the wire after you "cut to length".
If you purchase a kit that requires you to install the end connections/terminals, i would suggest buying their crimping tool as well. I had several types and styles of crimping and cutting tools, but none were designed for those specific terminals.
Good luck on your project.
Hasbeen :texas:
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There is absolutely one very good thing about AAW: The wires are marked about every six inches or so as to where they go. You won't find this on many other wirings, BUT, they are more expensive than most others, also (well worth the price). I have an AAW kit installed in my '56 that's specific to the '56, and terminals were on. BUT, the fuse panel had to be where they specified (in the original location). If you call/email, ask for Donny. He's great, to say the least!!!
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from what ive seen? painless is a pain in the rear.
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X2
Wire marking too small to read without a microscope (for those over 40)
Color coding is not quite GM for their GM products.
Is a real nuisance when you know a particular circuit should be one color---but is another.
Case in point-----GM used a black wire and white wire for the early car's dome lamps.
Later they switched to orange and white.
WHITE is always the circuit ground-----the orange is battery fused, or in the older cars, black is battery fused.
Painless in their infinite wisdom, decided to use black and white, but black is the ground and white is hot.
Kinda screwed with me while I was wiring two different GM products
with different owner supplied wiring kits.
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There's a brain box in the passenger kick panel of my 81. And yes my carb was electronically controlled.
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So it sounds like AAW is the way to go. I looked at the 22 circuit harness on their site and was impressed. It even has provisions for EFI which I don't think I'll be needed since I can't afford that mod. (Holleys kit anyways) Since I will be converting to a regular mechanical carb and aftermarket gauges, will I need to acquire another brain box for emissions purposes? I plan to run an 02 sensor, cats, and whatever else I need to make it legal. I'm sorry for straying off topic a bit but it all ties in I promise. In the write up for the AAW harness I didn't see any mention of a ECM connection point.
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The ECM controlled the carb electronically and the advance in the distributor, Not sure how you are going to make it emissions legal. I'm just glad I have a pre-emissions vehicle, good luck with your conversion.
You may find that an EFI conversion will be the real answer :dontknow:
What are you going to connect the O2 sensors to?
You may find that an EFI conversion will be the real answer :dontknow:
What are you going to connect the O2 sensors to?
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I think you need an electronically controlled carb & distributor - not just an electric choke. A regular HEI distributor is not the same as the ECM controlled distributor. You need all the sensors and vacuum lines associated with the ECM, you also need the air pump that feeds into the exhaust manifold.... basically everything that vehicle came with from the factory if you have to pass emissions testing.
The ECM controls your fuel mixture, idle, and distributor advance. That is how they met emissions testing back when your vehicle was built.
If you swap out to a V8, you will need all the original emissions stuff that V8 came with. And I'm not sure the AAW set up will accomodate the emissions stuff.
I just removed all the emissions stuff from my 82, but here in Texas, vehicles older than 25yrs do not have to meet emissions standards and are only subject to a safety inspection.
I think you are going to have trouble making that vehicle pass emissions testing, unless maybe you do go to an aftermarket EFI system that ties into O2 sensors and catalytic converter(s) as well.
Hopefully an EXPERT from this site will chime in and either verify what I'm thinking... or give you some other alternatives.
The ECM controls your fuel mixture, idle, and distributor advance. That is how they met emissions testing back when your vehicle was built.
If you swap out to a V8, you will need all the original emissions stuff that V8 came with. And I'm not sure the AAW set up will accomodate the emissions stuff.
I just removed all the emissions stuff from my 82, but here in Texas, vehicles older than 25yrs do not have to meet emissions standards and are only subject to a safety inspection.
I think you are going to have trouble making that vehicle pass emissions testing, unless maybe you do go to an aftermarket EFI system that ties into O2 sensors and catalytic converter(s) as well.
Hopefully an EXPERT from this site will chime in and either verify what I'm thinking... or give you some other alternatives.
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