I have been working on cleaning up the harness in the engine bay of my Miata. Mine uses less that half of the original harness, so all the extra connectors have been cut back and isolated.

I would like to remove the clipped wires entirely. Take them all the way back to their origination point under the dash. The question is, can this be done without the removal of the dash?

 

No. It's not even worth trying. Go ahead and remove the dash, its easier than you think it is. I went this route a few weeks ago and I'm glad I did.

 

If you really want to get an idea of what you're about to get into...

http://www.lightweightmiata.com/beast/

click on the "rewiring project" link on the left.

 

The problem is, the underside of the dash is a project I do not want to touch just yet. It is literally CRAMMED full of wires. Over half of them go no where, the other half are poorly connected.

I am slowly working out all the electrical gremlins on the car. I was hoping to find an easy way to continue de-wiring the engine area while I wait til I can afford a pressure plate for the old girl.

I will have to snap a pic of the underdash area.. it is BAAAAAAAAAD. Every time I touch it, I spend an hour looking for a loose connection.

 

Another reason why you need to remove the dash to do it properly.

 

Yea, and I intend too.. Just don't think the heat of spring/summer in my garage are the best time for that. I was more looking to kill a week or two of limited spare time. Not invest in a month or two of disassembly and reassembly.

 

I think the dash is held in by 7 bolts total in all honesty. It should not take you more then 3 or 4 hours to have it out.

 

It is not the taking out I think will take so long...
It is the actual cleaning up of the wires. The under hood project took me two weeks. I have very limited free time.

 

Dash removal is the only way unfortunately. As stated and you understand the removal isn\'t too bad if you know how to maneuver the dash to get it out. Basically to remove the unwanted/clipped wires you would just have to pull out a schematic, see where those particular ones run, deloom accordingly, and remove. If you are really confident just un-pin them right at the connector and pull them through if you can (I don\'t suggest this by the way). But it sounds like you have already handled the easier part this is what lies ahead. Best of luck!

 

Yea, it will likely become a winter project. Ideally I just want another Miata and move everything over to it. I honestly think it would be the simpler approach

 

Haha. Simpler, yes. Time consuming, yes. Do you have another car to daily drive while you do all of this or is the NB your only mode of transportation?

 

Oh man, if I had to depend on THIS miata as a daily... I would be walking a LOT@!!!

no it is just my fun car. My DD is a Charger R/T.

 

Haha! I feel you only my daily seems to always be the problem (my Miata is in pieces, literally). I would pull the dash and do it right as you will be able to take your time...

 

I am sure I will wind up pulling the dash.
I am HOPING to find a place with a 2 or 3 car garage soon... So I can do a move over from one body to another.

Mine has been in pieces ever since the weekend before Miatas at the gap last year.
I got it back together just a couple weeks ago, and got to drive it for 30 minutes.. Then it decimated the clutch disc...

I mean DECIMATED!!! No friction material at all left on it!!

 

That's only a 6-8 job to fix on jackstands... Less if you have access to a lift. Get on it!

 

In that case, it's not the time needed.. It is all apart and cleaned back up... Well except for the flywheel. I can't get the bolts out.

But it is rather waiting on MONEY!!!! Wanna buy a laptop?

 

Flywheel bolts can be a bitch... Impact guns are your best friend on them or a breaker bar wedged against the ground on the front crank bolt. I feel you on the money aspect my friend, thusly why my car is still in pieces awaiting some absurd suspension components...

 

Yea I have been hitting them with an Electric Ingersol Rand Impact Gun.. But they are not giving.. Guess it is time to bump up to an air compressor.

 

Flying Miata Crank Bolt Tool will make getting off the flywheel bolts and torquing them to spec easy.

 

My problem is not that the crank moves. I have it locked in place. A client made me a similar tool. My problem is the bolts are seized and will not budge.