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MG TD TF 1500 - Battery Cable

I received the original Negative battery cable with top hat terminal from Mick Conde and Bob Rosa. (Thanks both of you)

The cable was covered in black electricians tape, but in taking it off, the braided cloth cover is in pretty good condition.

The ends are frayed, as I would expect from a used cable.

Does anyone know how the fabric cover was secured on the ends of the battery cable at the factory?
Bruce Cunha

It is possible that a small section of heat-shrinkable sheath can help.
Gabriel Martínez

The cover would have been woven around the cable as it was manufactured. If you look at the pictures on the original mgtf site you will see the lead helmet is around it.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Right or wrong Bruce here was what came to me wit the TD 1250. The car had a complete red spray at one time which would explain the red fabric.


L E D LaVerne

The starter to switch also had one of the covers on it as well, which I imagine are black under the red paint.


L E D LaVerne

Using old cables seems to be trying to start a fire.

Get a new modern cable, helmet connections don’t exist any more, because, they are inferior.

Up the compression, use more current, old cable, that is how you get to see Lucas smoke generation st work.

Peter
P G Gilvarry

Peter.

Have driven my TD for 45 years. Some like makeing more modern modifications, want to bring it back as close as I can to original.

Thanks LaVerne. That is what I needed.

Got a note from British Wiring. They have a fabric covered battery wire, but it looks different than the original TD one.

Bruce Cunha


Bruce, I have a NOS set of cables, but the negative one is only 10" long from center to center. Since I don't have a positive ground TD or original terminal battery, its had for me to tell if this length might work. What is the correct original length?


Richard Cameron

RI Wiring also has these helmet style cables and are correct looking.
Frank Cronin

I think the loom machine can cover the start of the cable (helmet head) and then a rubber (heat shrink) cover needs to go over the eye connector side spanning the fabric up to the eye.

As Frank said RIW has a reasonable replacement.The fabric covering is not exactly the same as original but probably close enough. The original was more coarse and flat.
Christopher Couper

Thanks Frank and Chris. I forgot about RI Wiring.

Richard. The cable is 16 inches total and 12 for the cable.


Bruce Cunha

What is the little hole on the side of the helmet for?

Thanks.

Jud
J. K. Chapin

To let the smoke out!
P G Gilvarry

LOL
J. K. Chapin

"To let the smoke out!"

I was thinking to let the oil out, but OK.

I am going to start a thread on items that don't make any sense on the TD/TF.
Christopher Couper

I think something connected to that hole but I do not remember what. It's somewhere in the forum.
Gabriel Martínez

I believe the hole on the side of the original negative helmet was to provide power to a test light.

The test light had a cable terminated with a taper molded end, made of like material used for the helmet.

The tapered end would wedge itself into the hole and provide negative power to the lamp.

Of course, there would be a second lead on the lamp that would connect to a convenient (unpainted) metal part of the body, thereby completing the current circuit flow.
P Pichler

This thread was discussed between 24/04/2019 and 14/09/2019

MG TD TF 1500 index

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