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I think on reflection I've been lucky


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Gave the car a wash and wax yesterday and had a nice drive yesterday evening. I was woken at 7am this morning by the sound of a car horn on investigation it was my car in the garage so disconnected the battery. I thought I'd check on it later after visiting my parents for the first time since lock down, this is what I found.

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Could have been a hell of a lot worse, so all in all I think I've been lucky.

I'm in the market for a front loom if anyone has a good used one. Or a recommendation on the best supplier are the looms at the usual suspects Moss,Rimmers any good.

Cheers Stephen

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Make sure that you specify wiring for an ammeter if you want one and put it in writing!!

Tim

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8 minutes ago, Tim T said:

Make sure that you specify wiring for an ammeter if you want one and put it in writing!!

Tim

Also increase the gauge wire size to power the fuel pump to 4mm2!

Bruce.

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10 minutes ago, astontr6 said:

Also increase the gauge wire size to power the fuel pump to 4mm2!

Bruce.

 I've a mechanical fuel pump as it's a CC car converted to RHD running twin SU carbs, so no electrical fuel pump for me to worry about. I do however have an ammeter and it looks like auto sparks do a loom for that. They also will add into the loom support for an electric fan which is nice as I have one those. 

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Stephen,

I know it may not be easy, but try to find out WHY the loom melted. They don’t just end up like that for no reason and the last thing you want is to destroy the new one as soon as you connect up to the battery.

Having seen similar looms I know that everything melts together, but the first wire to melt usually ends up with the copper bit in the worst condition so see if you can identify where the overheating started, look at the colour and try to work out what it was connected to. Then check for a short circuit in the component.

If you can’t identify the culprit wire you really do need to check all items to see if there is a problem. You may well be able to see discoloration or heat damage around a connector on some component.

Good luck !

Charlie.

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16 minutes ago, Stephen H said:

 I've a mechanical fuel pump as it's a CC car converted to RHD running twin SU carbs, so no electrical fuel pump for me to worry about. I do however have an ammeter and it looks like auto sparks do a loom for that. They also will add into the loom support for an electric fan which is nice as I have one those. 

Electric fans in my experience use a lot of current make sure they put in the right size wire as some need 30 amp rating?

Bruce.

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30 minutes ago, Charlie D said:

Stephen,

I know it may not be easy, but try to find out WHY the loom melted. They don’t just end up like that for no reason and the last thing you want is to destroy the new one as soon as you connect up to the battery.

Having seen similar looms I know that everything melts together, but the first wire to melt usually ends up with the copper bit in the worst condition so see if you can identify where the overheating started, look at the colour and try to work out what it was connected to. Then check for a short circuit in the component.

If you can’t identify the culprit wire you really do need to check all items to see if there is a problem. You may well be able to see discoloration or heat damage around a connector on some component.

Good luck !

Charlie.

Thanks Charlie, I'll b starting my investigation later to see if I can work out what happened. 

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22 minutes ago, astontr6 said:

Electric fans in my experience use a lot of current make sure they put in the right size wire as some need 30 amp rating?

Bruce.

Auto sparks do describe it as "4 wires added to the harness to supply heavy feed to fan and provision for thermostat" but I will ask them about it thanks. 

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Water under the bridge now, but it looks like the horn circuit might have earthed out between the horns and the central push switch, this should have been protected by a 35A fuse (if you can consider a 35A fuse to be protection).

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Hi Stephen H

You think your loom is bad I purchased an ex US TR6 rebuilt and rewired very badly to RHD in the UK, not a known TR specialist, it had at least 50 bullet connectors, all the US specific wiring was just cut off and taped, no interior or glove box lights, no bulbs in the small instruments etc etc.

Like me I am sure you will come across a few unknowns, mine mainly due to the difference between US and UK cars.

I would highly recommend doing the rear loom at the same time well worth the extra cost.

It is very easy, you spend as much time getting to the loom as refitting it, half a day should be enough.

I purchased both front and rear UK 1975 looms from AutoSparkes which I thought were very good value for money.

I worked off the correct UK 1975 wiring diagram and did not cut of the old loom ends which some do, but I think that is a very good idea, although yours is already out.

I completely stripped the old wiring loom and kept it for any changes in the correct coloured wires.

To show how eccentric I am, I even used the correct colour wire about 75mm each to get the rear side indicators working, both sides had different colour wires, my original US car came with red rear side lights.

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One of the fuses had blown. I have stripped out the rest of the column switches as the lighting one is melted as well. The horn wire doesn't look the worst by a long way but I guess I may never find the root cause. I'll start from fresh and test everything as I go. 

@mhossack I may well replace the rear as well but I think I'll focus on getting the car running again for now maybe that will be a winter job. From what I can see the original conversion to RHD was done well, I see no cut off wires or extended wires so I think it must have had a new loom fitted at that point. Since then though I think a number of previous owner upgrades have compromised things. I'd already found a tidied up

An old alarm system that wasn't working.

2 Modern relays floating about wrapped in tape under the wiper motor.

A SATNAV cigarette lighter charger soldered directly to the loom they didn't even cut the 12v socket of just soldered the nose of it to the loom.

Loads of horrid blue scotch lock quick splice connectors that I've been removing and soldering properly.

A conversion to push start again with a modern relay just floating about wrapped in tape under the dash and badly spliced into the loom.

A CD player no longer wired in but evidence that is must have been at some point.

I guess there was one more improvement that I hadn't come across. So a fresh start is probably not a bad thing in the end. I'm waiting to hear back from auto sparks to see if I can hold of a loom from them.

 

 

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