HAHA, nicely played Matt! Thanks!
OK, so I spent some quality time with my multimeter tonight and have sorted out some of the mysteries of the 400F wiring harness. Before I detail what I learned in the interest of helping the next guy that does this let me stick in a couple of facts/disclaimers so you don't chase your tail because you were using different components then me. Corrections and clarifications are MOST WELCOME.
- I am using a NOS wiring harness (believed to be Honda) of unknown vintage. In a couple of places the colors were strange and did not match the wiring diagram.
- I am using K&S replacement blinkers - 2-wire units up front and single wire units out back.
- I am using some POS knock-off taillight sourced from 4into1, a three wire unit replacing the stock 2 wire unit with the ground on the base.
- My headlight bracket is a repro unit from David Silver Spares - also painted.
- My taillight brackets were powdercoated before this installation.
- With that all said, nearly every one of these things came into play such that it took me 3+ hours to get it all sorted out.
FRONT TURNSIGNALS
K&S or Honda, these ground electrically through their bases, then through the arm they are bolted to from the headlight bracket, and then through the headlight shell where the nuts with the grounding lugs are on the inside. Those nuts with the grounding lugs must be connected to the green leads from the main wiring harness within the shell. You must have bare clean metal at each contact point, on the arms, and through the headlight shell via the metal of the ears on the bracket and the metal collars that pass through the headlight hell to the big nuts with the lugs within. If you do not have good clean contact you will have weird intermittent grounding problems that are a PITA to diagnose.
If you're using the stock turnsignals then just connect the like colors to each other.
If you're using K&S turnsignals:
- Connect the right turnsignal red lead to the solid light blue wire, and the black lead to the light blue wire with the white stripe (the black lead is your running light element).
- Connect the left turnsignal red lead to the solid orange wire, and the black lead to the orange wire with the white stripe (again the black is the running light element).
REAR TURNSIGNALS
K&S or Honda, these ground electrically through their bases, then through the arm they are bolted to from the rear of the frame, via the wiring terminals on the turnsignal bases, Make sure those are clean and making good contact and maybe treat them to a little dielectric grease before you install the green leads from the rear segment of the wiring harness. As on the front turnsignals, be certain you have bare metal at the notch where the bolt makes contact with the mounting bracket, and around the end of the arm where it sits within the turnsignal for good measure. As on the fronts, if you do not you will have weird intermittent grounding problems that are a PITA to diagnose.
If you're using the stock turnsignals then just connect the like colors to each other.
If you're using K&S turnsignals:
- Connect the right turnsignal red lead to the solid light blue wire.
- Connect the left turnsignal red lead to the solid orange wire.
IN THE HEADLIGHT SHELL
There should be a short jumper wire, male>male bullet connectors on it, one end is black and the other is brown with a blue pipe. Connect the black end to the black multi-terminal from the main wiring harness and connect the other to the solid brown wire also in the headlight.
If you are using an OEM clutch safety switch the colors will match up, but if you are not, the black wire goes to the green multi connector (ground) and the other lead, (mine was yellow/green) goes to the green/red lead from the main wiring harness.
IN THE BIG WIRING BUNDLE BEHIND THE STEERING HEAD
Again I had variables in the form of replacement or aftermarket switches, can't be sure which, so some of the wires may be different in your case. If you are using all stock components these may all match up color for color, but this is the combination that worked for me with the unholy union of components I have:
To/From left switch:
Brown female bullet connector with a blue mark (main harnesss): This is the other end of the brown wire that you jumped power to in the headlight shell. Connect this to the brown with white stripe wire from the left switch. Black with yellow stripe from the harness goes to the brown with red stripe (yellow pipe). The brown wire with the blue stripe from the left switch is unused. All other wires should match up, those are the turnsignal wires and the hi/lo for the headlight.
From the right switch: Black white is your switched ignition leg that powers the coils and points/ignition, that should match up and so should the black with red stripe (starter solenoid trigger wire). The other two black wires connect to the black multi-connector.
REAR TAILLIGHT
Again this is a POS 3-wire replacement unit, not stock Honda or even aftermarket 2-wire.
The Black/white lead is ground, connect this to the green wire from the wiring harness.
The black lead connects to the brown on the wiring harness - this is your taillight power.
The red lead is your brighter brake light filament. Connect this to the green wire with the yellow stripe from the wiring harness.
AT TURNSIGNAL FLASHER UNDER LEFT SIDE COVER
Green ground lead is unused.
OK, I hope that's helpful to someone down the road. If it is, maybe reply to this thread with a single "Boo-rah" just for fun.
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