Steiner 12v conversion harness for a B??
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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
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URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=119358
Printed Date: 17 Sep 2025 at 9:45am
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Topic: Steiner 12v conversion harness for a B??
Posted By: skeeters65
Subject: Steiner 12v conversion harness for a B??
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2016 at 7:10pm
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Hey guys I am getting ready to convert my 6v positive ground B over to 12v negative ground. Is the Steiner 12v harness a good harness? My brother is going to be helping me and he has an extensive background in motor vehicle wiring. Should I bother with the harness or just wire it from scratch? Thanks |
Replies:
Posted By: EricPA
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2016 at 7:24pm
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Contact Steve from http://www.bb-customcircuits.com/" rel="nofollow - http://www.bb-customcircuits.com/ he does great work and he supports this site ------------- Life is tough,but it's tougher when you're stupid. - John Wayne |
Posted By: GaryL
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2016 at 7:27pm
| ^^ Yep. Get a harness from Steve. Saves a lot of time and aggravation. |
Posted By: HD6GTOM
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2016 at 8:39pm
| call Steve I've gotten some things from him. He went over and above everything for me. |
Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2016 at 9:18pm
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Same!
Steiner sells mostly junk, IMHO.
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Posted By: skeeters65
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2016 at 9:30pm
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I saw Steves stuff but it is a bit outside the budget!! That's why I'm debating about building my own harness. Thanks |
Posted By: MBwcIll
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2016 at 10:18pm
| I have lost track of how many harness we have gotten from Steve, (B & B). Best there is. |
Posted By: SteveC(NS)
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 6:02am
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If Steve's excellent stuff is too expensive and your bro has "an extensive background" why not give him a look at the existing wiring and let him determine if he can make up the harness himself. The B wiring isn't very complex. |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 6:30am
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I've made several harnesses seeing how I'm 'frugal' AND know how to cut/strip/terminate wires. It's not really hard BUT you need to know some 'tricks of the trade'. 1) carefully remove old harness. If 100% original great. 2a) mount on sheet of plywood,secure to screws at 'breakout' points( where a wire comes off main harness). This is the proper way and if you make more than 1 the only way to do it. 2b) measure each wire and cut new ones. this can take a trained octopus to hold harness and measuring tape,but you get better after awhile ! 3) use wires that are the SAME colours and gauge(size)as the orignal ones! The manual will have the colors posted in the wiring diagram if not ask here, someone will post it. 4) put 1" length of heat shrink on BEFORE you crimp the lug or terminal ! 5) solder the end of the wire in the terminal,This step,most don't do, will keep water from 'wicking' into the wire and rotting it from the inside out 6) apply heat to shrink the heatshrink tubing.Heat gun with adapter works best. 7) install, confirm 100% works THEN use plastic split loom or eletcrical tape to 'make pretty'. It really isn't hard to do,maybe 1/2 day of easy work. Just be sure to get ALL the wires,crimps,etc. before you start! Jay ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: GaryL
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 8:21am
Pay once, cry once, and never regret it. It's cheaper and easier than reinventing the wheel. Sometimes, you have to bite the bullet. |
skeeters65 wrote:Posted By: Gerald J.
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 8:38am
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Soldering the crimp lug may keep water out, but the solder will wick between the strands and make a stiff point where the wire will break from vibration a lot sooner than it would have without solder. Gerald J. |
Posted By: Steve in NJ
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 8:44am
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Thanks for all the Kudos guys its appreciated! Skeeter, if you want to build your own system by all means go for it. If you would like some guidance, I'd be happy to help you out with the layout and the do's n' don't's. Not a problem! I don't take any offense at all to anyone where my systems don't fit their budget. The components that make up our wiring system kits are expensive, that's why our kits are higher than whoever else is making wiring. You can read up on them on our site and see exactly what makes up a kit. If you need help with parts or info, like I mentioned, I'd be happy to steer you in the right direction. A lot of the Orange family here can help you out as well. Just remember, if ya need help just ask! That doesn't cost a dime from any of us... Steve@B&B ------------- 39'RC, 43'WC, 48'B, 49'G, 50'WF, 65 Big 10, 67'B-110, 75'716H, 2-620's, & a Motorhead wife |
Posted By: Gerald J.
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 8:46am
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If the old harness is in good condition, there's no reason to replace most of the wires for 12 volts. Other than the wire from alternator to ammeter and ammeter to battery the load currents at 12 volts will be half what they were at 6 volts for the same power. The alternator can put out considerably more current than the typical generator, so that wire needs to be fatter, like 6 gauge instead of 10 or 12 gauge. One of the justifications in the mobile equipment and vehicle business for going to 12 volts instead of 6 volts was to allow a lighter weight (and less expensive) wiring harness by using smaller conductors. The fatter conductors needed for 6 volt loads actually means better electrical performance with the lower current 12 volt loads, less power lost in the conductors and better voltage regulation. Other than the alternator output to battery circuit a 12 volt harness can have half the copper than the 6 volt harness and the circuits will all be exactly the same. Gerald J. |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 9:04am
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re: soldered crimps I've never had any break on me as the solder only wicks in to the crimp itself, not past it. The addition of the heatshrink adds some support and make the termination 'pretty'. Some stuff I have done is over 40 years and still running,especially one bulldozer so I must have done it right back then! The trick is to KNOW how to apply the right amount of heat and a LITTLE bit of solder. Having hand soldered thousands of printed circuit boards helps...probably millions of actual solderings, sigh, man I feel old and tired now ! While I agree soldering is not needed,electically speaking, if you were to show two tractors ,I'd give an extra point or two for the soldered 'pretty' terminations. Jay ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: DougS
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 9:34am
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Once you price a 100' roll of #10 wire and a couple of 100' rolls of different colored #16 wire and the terminals with a decent crimper and the loom material, I think you're going to be spending more than Steve will charge. The plus, if you can call it that, is that you'll have three 90' spools of wire left over which you'll have little use for. |
Posted By: skeeters65
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 9:56am
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Thanks for the info guys. Steve, I appreciate the offer and will probably take you up on it. I have heard nothing but good things about your product. Not saying it isn't worth the money I just can't fit it in the budget. My brother still does side work for the company he used to work for so he can get what ever wire and terminals we need at cost and not have it buy a roll. |
Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 10:00am
| i dont know what a harness cost for say a wd but if you have to go out and buy all the wire colors and sizes its pretty expensive, most do it yourself wire jobs get done withe wrong colors, wrong sizes and two differant colors slpiced together and usauly dont fit good . example . three days ago we had a pontiac g6 in the shop with intermintant short in a cuircit, having to track it down by wire colors in the schematic could not find the wire found a three inch repiar done with a piece of wire the wrong color sticking out of the harnass had it had been done in the right color it would have saved the customer a few hundred in labor looking for the right wire |
Posted By: Gerald J.
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 1:03pm
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Farm, auto, and hardware stores around here carry automotive wire in 8 and ten foot lengths in many colors so its not necessary to buy 100 foot spools. Also places like Milan Surplus in the Quad Cities and Paul's at Iowa City have very good prices on those. Lowe's sells that kind of wire by the foot sometimes too in the electrical department. 10 gauge is too skinny for the alternator charging wire to the ammeter and then to the battery, it will overheat and the resistance will limit the maximum charging current. Gerald J. |
Posted By: Steve in NJ
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 3:28pm
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Using an Alternator between 38-60 amps on an early Tractor that's just equipped with Headlights, a couple work lamps, and a tailight, with a Battery Ignition, 10 gauge wire fits the bill just fine. We're not lighting up Detroit here. An Alternator that size isn't even working hard on an old early Tractor with limited draw. When you start running a bigger amp Alternator than I mentioned, with more of a complex wiring system , then it would be necessary to step up the output circuit size a gauge or two depending on the complexity of the system. Steve@B&B ------------- 39'RC, 43'WC, 48'B, 49'G, 50'WF, 65 Big 10, 67'B-110, 75'716H, 2-620's, & a Motorhead wife |
Posted By: DougS
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 3:43pm
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Automotive manufacturers don't follow the NEC code as far as wiring size is concerned. Yes #10 is good for 30 amps in household use, but you can push 60 amps through it in a charging circuit. It will self-limit the output anyway. Once the battery begins to charge the alternator will not put out anywhere near 30 amps. Now if you're going to pull an implement that uses electricity, I'd consider a larger alternator and wire size. |
Posted By: Gerald J.
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2016 at 5:48pm
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In 12 volt circuits the voltage drop tends to cause using larger conductors than NEC current rating. The NEC also rates long runs on voltage drop. NEC allows 2.5 or three %. At 12 volts that much voltage drop (dependent on the current, not the circuit voltage) is 25 or 30 %. A 30% voltage drop cuts the power to the load to 1/2 for a resistive load. Gerald J. |