The bare minimum of wiring!

[Drag Week Splash]

Hi,
I am building a truck for HOTROD Dragweek 2022.. a 1998 Ford Ranger, with a carbed small block ford, c4 trans and 8.8 rear.
while looking at all these wires under the hood it came to me I only need the following...
Headlights, tail lights, turn signals and brake lights.. a dome light would be nice!
Could I guy get rid of everything but these options and retain the factory switches etc.?

Also, if a guy removed the factory gauge cluster and built his own, what disasters would that do to the electronics mentioned before?

 

[RonD]

Welcome to TRS

I would leave Cab wiring as is but engine bay can be "lightened up" a lot without Computer wiring harness

There will be some Red wires from the PCM relay, in the engine fuse box, they are usable for spark system or any Key On power in engine bay, has 30amp fuse, these powered the PCM(computer), but also injectors and most solenoids in engine bay
You will want to save one of those to power spark

There will be a dark green/white stripe wire for oil pressure to dash
A Red/white strip wire for coolant temp to dash
Red/blue wire from ignition switch to Starter relay, for starter activation
Want to save those wires

You will need to run your own Tachometer wire to dash, 1998 tach signal came from computer

1998 is an analog dash, except for the speedometer/odometer they each used an electric motor
Fuel gauge uses a yellow/white wire run to sender in tank, 16 ohm empty-158 ohm full
Volt gauge is just key on voltage at dash
temp as said above
oil gauge is actually on/off type not a real gauge

So you can put in any cluster you want
The GEM module runs the interior dome light, also the electric speedometer/odometer, so you may want to keep that, its behind the radio, if you want to do electric speedo
The C4 will have speedo cable hook up so you could go "old school", lol

You should get an EVTM(electric and vacuum troubleshooting manual) for a 1998 Ranger
Ford prints these every year for every model and sends them out to Dealers as part of the "shop manual set" for that model
Lists every wire and its location
Usually found on Ebay and basically free since you buy it, use it, then sell it, just like the guy on Ebay is doing, lol

That way to will know exactly what wires to lose and what wires to keep

 

[4x4prepper]

> Headlights, tail lights, turn signals and brake lights.. a dome light would be nice!

You need a reverse or backup lamp, part of the FMVSS law, as I posted elsewhere.

When removing wiring I would keep the delay wipers and headlamp on buzzer.

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I have their Ford speedo sender for the transmission, if you use a transfer case output you probably need the hall effect switch for the driveshaft (I have both). I think the C-4 and C-6 are the same. I am going to have their digital speedometer in my B2 or Ranger soon. I will post pictures.