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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Flat wiring idea

Just theorising now, but it bothers me that where a wiring harness cable runs along beneath the door opening, a standard harness doesn't allow the trim piece beneath the door to sit neatly against the inner sill. The round bundle is just too bulky. But maybe the harness cable should lie exposed outside the sill trim?

In order to get the trim to fit more neatly on my '71 car I used a length of cable harness that came from a scrapyard citroen. It was flat, with the cables laid side by side rather than in a round bundle. I spliced a length of this into the standard round bundled harness for that length beneath the door. Problem is that was a scrapyard one-off many years ago and isn't really an option for my Frogeye.

So as an alternative I think I might try making up a piece of flat cable by lying the individual wires along a length of sticky side up duct tape, and then sealing them on to it with a second length of tape on top. If the second tape is wider than the first, it will also provide self adhesive wings" either side for securing in place along the iner sill. Sounds easy enough doesn't it ?
GuyW

If your existing bundle is round and has braiding or something to keep it round, why not just remove that covering for the section you need and do your duct tape trick to that section. That way you won't have to splice anything and anyway you look at it, you'll still have the thickness of one wire to hide. At least, that's what I would try.
Martin

I like the duct tape idea-must remember that
If you were to go the splice in direction ther's a flat cable (7wire) available for trailer harnesses
Lots of aircraft use flat harnesses, there might be something on fleebay if you wanted
Scarey story-
On telly here about a year ago there was a story about one of our local Quantas planes that had been serviced overseas (at a discount price) instead of being done here
Quantas prides itself on it's safety record and usually everything is done here inhouse
Anyway, this particular plane was having issues and when they stripped it out here looking for faults it turned out that one of the wiring looms had had a break in it and the repair was done by---wait for it--someone had used a stapler on the loom to joint the broken wire ---
William Revit

I wonder if you could use wiring heat shrink to create your flat loom? The stuff I have is already flat (probably so it can be stored on a roll) so it's starting off in the right form.

When I do mine I'll probably just lay it in the bottom corner of the floor and sill and cover it with the carpet or bottom of the trim panel. That's assuming that it's long enough. I'm not going to mess with my new loom though!

I've got a similar story to Willy. One of our aircraft went to the states for a leading edge spar change by one of the major US companies. When it came back we kept getting strange indications and faults relating to systems served by the leading edge wiring loom. On closer inspection we found directly in line with the back of one of the fasteners a neat hole in the wiring loom. Someone had obviously drilled right through and into the loom! There was still plastic and wire 'swarf' sticking out in a spiral!

John Payne

Scarey, isn't it when we rely on these guys to be right on top of their game
William Revit

Your right Guy it does, but when the carpet and the seats are in its hard to see it. If the retaining clips secure the loom near the floor as John mentioned its not too bad...........
Bob Beaumont

This is for Willie.

(Lol)!


Greybeard

Martin, I probably wasn't clear. My thoughts were either to splice in a flat ribbon cable, if I could find a suitable one, or to modify my existing loom by unwrapping it for that length and using the duct tape idea. I made the loom myself and that length is currently wrapped in non-sticky plastic wrapping so it would unwind pretty easily. So no splicing in needed for this.

John, simply using shrink wrap wouldn't work. I know the flat version you mean, but as that shrinks it pulls all the wires up together into a bundle. I know because the loom has 2" lengths of exactly that stuff every 1 8" or so under the plastic spiral wrapper.

Busy prepping for spraying the frog at the moment so this idea will have to wait for a bit, but I think I will be trying one or other of these alternatives.
GuyW

what's wrong with that, Greybeard? Fixed is fixed....

I'll get me coat
David Cox

Who invented Zip ties? Simple idea but if it was patented whoever it was must have done rather well out of it!
GuyW

Ha ha ha ha Greybeard
How rough is that ,it should have been a red zip tie. --lol

Guy
My brother's a sparky, and i asked him about flat loom wire, he said it's quite common and used a lot in caravans and things where the wall cavities are tight, is called 'Rainbow wire' and comes in several different widths but for best value for money to get the widest one with about 30 wires in it then just split it off to the number of wires you need
William Revit

Willie, all I am getting when I search eBay on rainbow wire is computer ribbon cable ( too thin) or Gay Pride hair ribbons which isn't really what I am after!
GuyW

Good idea Guy. This bothers me too.

two cuts into the wiring loom, unravel, solder, heat shrink, and lay flat with heavy duty tape. Sounds simple.
C MADGE

I think it's a good idea and will probably do it myself when I eventually make a loom! Trying to get the Frogeye bodywork smooth and straight at the moment.....
Bill Bretherton

Guy - do you reckon this would work? 20AWG; rated at 3.4 Amps,300V rated isolation.


https://www.pennelcomonline.com/en/Comus-Led-4-Core-Flat-Cable-20awg-300v-AWG20-BBlRGr-Wire/m-9388.aspx
Greybeard

Hi Grey. Probably, though a little marginal for stop lights (2 @ 20W = 40W/12V = 3.3A ?) But if I switch to LED then it would be fine. I see they also do a 5 cable one.

I think I will try my sticky backed plastic version first, and if I get that wrapped around my head then will have to rethink and maybe try this stuff.

Even better, they also do a 6 way one!
GuyW

I Was working at Dorval airport using airport transfers tunbridge wells (Montreal) around 1950. We were in the overhaul hanger T.C.A (now Air Canada) North Stars (DC4). We had a severe wiring problem after somebody had drilled through the main harness while installing Luggage wall panels. Apparently it was bad enough that the entire main harness front to rear required replacement as the were some sections damaged by hot wires. About 6 months later it left the building.
Sandy
Sanders

Sorry Guy I didn't give the size of the rainbow ribbon a thought, they only use it for led lighting in the caravans
The 28 gauge rainbow wire should be ok ,if brake light draw was an issue you could split it and run seperate wires to each light or just double up two strands together

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-14-16-20-26-Way-Multi-Coloured-Flat-Ribbon-Cable-Wire-28AWG/282081620987?hash=item41ad5ff3fb:m:mDJpDJNSi0QHwNIDcWOd76A
k
At the trailer/caravan places here they sell a nice insulated 7 core flat ribbon for trailer connectors that would do your job nicely

It's fairly common here to have your trailer plug in the boot and just hang it out when in use--the wire in that would be plenty big enough -- just measured mine and it's 21mm wide X 3mm thick X 7 core-- the brand on it is ARK but I bought that with the plug attached

I'm going past the Auto elct. later today, I'll see what brand their cable is
Cheers
willy



William Revit

width


William Revit

Only listing on Ebay for similar is Australia.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Narva-4A-2mm-Flat-7-Core-Trailer-Cable-30M-R-G-Y-W-B-B-Sheath-5872-30FTC/382648138370?epid=1176925641&hash=item59179b3a82:g:HgkAAOSw7lNcqldZ

Not a cheap solution ...
G Hawkins

Went to the auto elect. guy
$5 / mtr. off the roll----Narva brand, which is a well known reliable brand here
and at the auto warehouse they have-
5mtr roll -$19-99
10mtr roll-$34-99
and rated at 10amp

https://www.narva.com.au/products/5872-30FTC

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/sca-sca-trailer-wire---10m-7-core/320755.html


found this--
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ARK-7-Core-Flat-Trailer-Cable-Wiring-Car-Wire-Connect-PVC-Cover-1-5m-Long-FC7B/162243652356?epid=4017015816&hash=item25c679ab04:g:qC8AAOSw0lNckuzH

or if you wanted I could go get a 5mtr roll and post it, I think post would be around $15
so $35 for 5mtrs ($50 for 10mtr)posted or lengths at $5/ mtr + $15 post

More than happy to do that if you wanted to go that way

willy
William Revit

Thanks Willy. Now I know the stuff exists, there are options over here that I can follow up on when the time comes. Or I may just go with my Ducktape idea in honour of Prop. It's the sort of idea he would have come up with!
But I'm back on duty with the DA Sander today!
GuyW

This thread was discussed between 11/05/2019 and 15/05/2019

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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