Need advice on replacing burnt starter wires

[chriswalkoe]

I just put headers and dual exhaust on my 82' K10 Silverado and failed to keep my starter wires far enough from my headers.  The pictures below will show the damage.

First, I was wondering if I can patch in some new wires to the clean sections.  Of the three wires shown, the one to the far left goes to the alternator.  I'm assuming the other two go to the fusible link.

Any advice on how to properly put this back together with new stuff?  Thanks for your help!

[bd]

This is how you assemble a fusible link...
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php/topic,11972.msg45217.html#msg45217

Clean the bare ends of the wires with a SS brush until the copper is shiney.  Use uninsulated, plated copper terminals and make solid mechanical crimps, before soldering.  Use 60/40 rosin core solder.  Try to find double wall polyolefin heat shrink that is adhesive lined to encapsulate the splices and terminal barrels after crimping and soldering (e.g., http://www.delcity.net/store/Shrink-Tube-!-Dual-Wall/p_327.a_1).

Consider wrapping the wires in heat reflective loom or something similar to protect them from exhaust heat...
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/THE-14010/
or...
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/DEI-010414/

Edit:
If you need to replace wire, use SXL or GXL spec insulation to handle the heat...
For examples:
http://www.delcity.net/store/Cross!Link-SXL-Wire/p_353.a_1,
http://www.delcity.net/store/Cross!Link-GXL-Wire/p_791871.a_1, or
http://terminalsupplyco.com/Store/Default.aspx?CAT=GXL

[chriswalkoe]

Thanks for your help on this.  I have spent the last two days working on the truck and am almost finished.  I ended up purchasing 3 fusible links to add to the clean wires and have rerouted them through the headers creating a straight path to the starter.  There is a nice gap between the 2nd and 3rd exhaust tube, and felt this was best to prevent burning in the future.  I also used header wrap as an added precaution, but also to protect the starter which is very close to one of the tubes. 

[1980c10]

If in the future you find yourself needing a starter; As added insurance you can get a "gear reduction starter" it is smaller in size which helps keep the wires out of the way as well as keeping the starter cooler as it is further away from the tubes. It is also a nice improvement over the stock starter in terms of general peformance

[DnStClr]

There might be a tube running down the right side of the engine block that's used to carry the wiring to the starter.