INTRODUCING THE 348 LEMANS GRILL... | Page 10 | FerrariChat
Buy

INTRODUCING THE 348 LEMANS GRILL...

Discussion in '348/355' started by Husker, Nov 20, 2008.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Page 10 of 11
  1. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Owner

    Dec 7, 2003
    16,453
    Winston Salem, NC
    #226 Ricambi America, Jan 31, 2009
    ...and Husker, just a quick update. Once the grill was remounted using the 'soon to be patented' method, the corners got so damn snug, that I could barely squeeze a business card through the gap. That was indeed the 'ticket' :)


    I'll try to get some OUTSIDE pictures this weekend, but I'm such a wuss... the car is clean, the weather is cold, excuses, excuses, excuses...
     
  2. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #227 Husker, Jan 31, 2009
    I couldn't believe the difference it made on mine - Daniel you need to take one of those quicky 10 minute IQ tests just to make sure you're not a genius.


    When was the last time you guys had a winter like this? Ironically, in the Texas panhandle, it's one of the mildest (and most dry) on record.
     
  3. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #228 Husker, Jan 31, 2009
    UPDATE: Husker Harness on the way! Today was a good day in the lab. I think we are going to have a "plug and play" harness within a couple of weeks. It's going to be more rudimentary than I would like, but Husker himself is doing it so it'll have to do!

    Also, I received an important bit of news from a 348 brother who has found a reportedly a very nice set of reproduction 355 taillights that could provide as much as 50 percent savings if you are so inclined to go with non OEM. More info. hopefully soon!
     
  4. 285ferrari

    285ferrari Two Time F1 World Champ
    Sponsor

    Sep 11, 2004
    20,961
    MD and NE
    Full Name:
    Robbie
    #229 285ferrari, Jan 31, 2009
    Husker is the MAN!!!
     
  5. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #230 Husker, Feb 1, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Howdy brotherhood! Today was a productive day in the Husker lab.

    First of all, once and for all, I have completed the mapping of the 348 taillight wiring to 355 lights, with the CORRECT lights doing the CORRECT things. Before today, mine would pass inspection but the proper lights weren't doing the proper things.

    First things first:

    1. ALWAYS make sure the taillamps with only 3 male connects are your OUTSIDE taillamps. And, to orient the lamp correctly to wire it, you should turn it so that the word "Italiana" is UPSIDE DOWN.

    2. That leaves the 2 taillamps with 4 male connectors. These will always be your INSIDE lamps, and to orient them correctly to wire them, the world "Italiana" should be be right side up, so that you could read it if standing in the engine bay.

    3. When you unhook your 348 lamps, you will still have connected to the car the BLACK FEMALE PLUG. That Plug has 9 numbered (very small) "slots" for wires. You will not use them all. In fact, you will ONLY use 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9.

    On this photograph, you will see an assigned number for each male connector on the back of the taillamps. This number corresponds with the CORRECT SLOT ON THE 348 PLUG IN YOUR CAR. Connect all these up, and you're in business!

    In my next post tonight, I will show how I made the Husker Harness!
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  6. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #231 Husker, Feb 1, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    The Husker Harness hooks up the male ends of the 355 taillamp connects to the female stock 348 plug!

    First, a trip to AutoZone to get a little package of male and female connects, and some wire. The MALE connectors were trimmed so that they would fit snugly into the 348 female plug. The FEMALE connectors were trimmed so that they would slip snugly over the MALE connectors of the 355 taillamp connectors.

    The pictures tell the rest, with the final photo being the finished product!
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  7. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #232 Husker, Feb 1, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  8. PAP 348

    PAP 348 Ten Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 10, 2005
    100,220
    Mount Isa, Australia
    Full Name:
    Pap
    #233 PAP 348, Feb 2, 2009

    A little rough, but does the job eh? :p:p
     
  9. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #234 Husker, Feb 2, 2009
    Hey no one said it would win a beauty contest. ;)
     
  10. gothspeed

    gothspeed F1 World Champ

    May 26, 2006
    10,244
    U.S.A.
    Full Name:
    goth
    #235 gothspeed, Feb 2, 2009
    Hey Husker ......... with proper potting material on the ends and heatshrink tubing, it would look a lot better :).
     
  11. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #236 Husker, Feb 2, 2009
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2009
    Yeah, this is a temporary set-up. I'm constantly taking off my Grill to make sure that others fit, so all that semi-permanent stuff won't work for me. This actually looks a lot better than my original arrangement from a couple of months ago. I had the stock black plug removed and I had wires going everywhere!
     
  12. PAP 348

    PAP 348 Ten Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 10, 2005
    100,220
    Mount Isa, Australia
    Full Name:
    Pap
    #237 PAP 348, Feb 2, 2009
    Lol! True! :D:D

    Thats fair enough mate. :):)
     
  13. gothspeed

    gothspeed F1 World Champ

    May 26, 2006
    10,244
    U.S.A.
    Full Name:
    goth
    #238 gothspeed, Feb 2, 2009
    That said ............ this is a huge step in the right direction!! Good job :)!!
     
  14. Night life

    Night life F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 1, 2007
    7,291
    The city that rhymes with fun in Canada
    Full Name:
    Roberto
    #239 Night life, Feb 3, 2009
    Well that makes me feel better I am sure you will include this new diagram in your next batch of grills.

    Ps tell us more about these cheaper 355 tail lights?
     
  15. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Owner

    Dec 7, 2003
    16,453
    Winston Salem, NC
    #240 Ricambi America, Feb 3, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Having been down the road of harnesses, I believe the only correct method is use of a Ferrari lamp harness, mated to quality, sealed connections like Weatherpack. When I was diagnosing my lights, I also built a similar harness from spade connectors. They would have vibrated loose within 5 miles, and permit way to much dirt/water to enter the exposed connection. Moreover, because the pins on the lamps are quite narrow (and spade connectors quite wide) there was significant opportunity for shorting between terminals. For me, it just didn't work.

    Ultimately, I used the proper Ferrari connectors from this (200836). I snipped the single large connector (doesn't match with 348 harness), and spliced in a Weatherpack connection (http://www.whiteproducts.net/connectors.shtml).

    Just my 2-cents. I'm happy to loan my Weathepack crimping tool to Fchatters that want to save a buck or two. I got my connectors from Pegasus Racing.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  16. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #241 Husker, Feb 3, 2009
    Daniel, if you get a chance, could you post a photo or two of your "harness" for us? I know that you kept the stock black plug removed. If I had confidence that Ferrari's wire colors were consistent I would be all for it. But when you had your difficulty I had to take a step back. THANKFULLY, Ferrari numbered the wire slots on the stock plug, which makes mating them to the taillights a breeze.

    I think that my set up will hold fine presuming that some liquid rubber or similar gasket sealant is put in to make everything good and secure. Also, it should be completely reversible if and when one wants to go back to stock.
     
  17. albert328gts

    albert328gts Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 31, 2003
    1,659
    California
    #242 albert328gts, Feb 3, 2009
    Thats the way mine was set up. As previoiusly mentioned when we did this, I was not aware that the 355 lights did not connect to the 348 harness, so I had to get a 355 harness and connect all wires and weatherpack them.
     
  18. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #243 Husker, Feb 3, 2009
    The advantage of the "Husker" harness is that you are going DIRECTLY from the stock 348 plug to the taillamps. That's 6 connections on each end, 12 total.

    If you use the 355 "boots" that Daniel has, then you are essentially going to 18 connections if I am thinking this out correctly:

    6 from the wires feeding into the stock plug and connecting to the weather pack, 6 coming out of the weather pack and connecting to the "boots", and 6 connections from the boots to the taillights themselves.

    If you can use the Husker harness approach and seal everything up good, I would think 12 connections would be more fail-safe than 18 connections.

    Daniel, am I miscounting somehow?
     
  19. TheOnlyest

    TheOnlyest Formula 3

    Sep 25, 2007
    1,686
    Las Vegas Nevada, US
    Full Name:
    Steve
    #244 TheOnlyest, Feb 3, 2009
    Its just a damn shame that the harness within the stock tail lights is not available by itself...
    That 9-pin connector looks so generic, I cant believe that it doesn't cross-reference to the same connector, on some other car.
    I did find the pins for it at NAPA, they are identified as "Ford Mini" connector pins, but they only had the females.

    I was able to find .110 wide blade male crimp connectors at an electronics shop... much better than cutting down
    the typical .187 width ones. I pulled off the blue plastic piece and soldered & heat shrunk them, rather than crimping them.

    Some tricky work with some electrical tape, and there's no way the wires will fall or vibrate out, and i'm confident that
    it's weather-proof too. But I dont drive my car in rain, etc anyway.
     
  20. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #245 Husker, Feb 3, 2009
    This in and of itself is a significant development! What type of electronics store was this Steve? Radio Shack-type place?
     
  21. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Owner

    Dec 7, 2003
    16,453
    Winston Salem, NC
    #246 Ricambi America, Feb 3, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I have been reluctant to post pictures because I'm somewhat of a hack DIY when it comes to electronics.

    1) In retrospect, I should have used a 7-pin connector on each side, instead of two 4-pin connectors. It would have looked nicer.
    2) Each pin has a silicone dust/water shield (green) which is locked into the housing itself.
    3) My shrink tube works ok, I suppose... but I wish there was a better way to seal the entire WeatherPack connector. Maybe its redundant, but I just think even the hint of exposed wire isn't a good idea.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  22. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #247 Husker, Feb 3, 2009
    Daniel, what is this harness plugging into?

    I presume one end is holding your stock 348 wires that you removed from the black plug, but the other end? Is it going directly to the posts on the back of the taillight?
     
  23. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Owner

    Dec 7, 2003
    16,453
    Winston Salem, NC
    #248 Ricambi America, Feb 3, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Yes, the "F355" goes into the tail light, and snaps closed. The green bellows on both sides form a nice water seal
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  24. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #249 Husker, Feb 3, 2009
    Very cool. With this set-up, you don't need the factory "boots" that we have been talking about? And not to be redundant, but the other side of the Weatherpack plugs into the 348 female PLUG or do the wires have to be undone, and then put into the WP?
     
  25. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Owner

    Dec 7, 2003
    16,453
    Winston Salem, NC
    #250 Ricambi America, Feb 3, 2009
    Imagine you are 348 wiring harness.

    Imagine you have a head that looks like the old Ferrari plastic connector.

    Imagine I chop your head off.

    Now, imagine I am a master surgeon capable of winning a Nobel Prize. I graft a female Weatherpack connector where your old head used to be.


    Now, because I want you to have an illuminating personality, I snap the harness (shown above) onto your new head.
     
Page 10 of 11

Share This Page