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MG TD TF 1500 - Wiring harness/clip questions

1)Any ideas for material/source for the black, shiny plastic covering over the brown harness wires to the starter switch? (this covering is visible in pictures of original cars, etc.)
2) Lower firewall clips: I know one clip goes from a longer firewall bolt next to the steering column to hold the tach cable up. What about the other side? Speedo cable and/or switch to starter? Thanks, George
George Butz

George,

1]I have no internet source at hand but the covering is available in different diameters and length at automotive stores or from a dealer who sells wiring harnesses. They are available in non shrink plastic and shrinkable [ the sheath shrinks around the cable with heat from hairdryer or electric paintstripper]
2) To my knowledge there is no clip provided for the speedocable or starterswitch cable. I have seen different passages for the speedocable: together with the wiring harness for horn and starterswitch through the big hole in the firewall or through a smaller hole under the big hole.
The startercable goes directly to the startermotor without clip. It should have sufficient length to allow for movement of the engine
regards
Frank
Frank van Geldern

George, my car has a clip holding the speedometer cable. It is identical to the right angle one for the tachometer. It is held by the inside bolt that fastens the bracket for the radiator stay and the bulkhead brace to the bulkhead. This bolt also goes through the lower firewall panel.

There is also a rubber grommet in this and the tachometer clip.

There is also a "P" clip holding the fuel line, which comes up between where the radiator stay rod and the bulkhead brace attach to the bracket. This clip is black and has no grommet. It is fastened on the inside of bracket under the nut of the horizontal bolt that holds the end of the radiator stay rod. I have seen fuel lines routed various ways ?, but this is the way this car was.

There was no clamp or clip on the electrical cable from the starter switch to the starter on my car. I am the second owner and it was very original when I got it. This doesn't mean a clip hadn't been lost.

There also wasn't any type of shiny plastic covering on the brown wire to the starter switch-? There is a rubber boot over the starter switch terminal to act as insulator.

FWIW
Dallas
D C Congleton

Hi George - as Dallas says both cables to the starter switch were cloth covered, the plastic versions were post T series. I have some very clear Morris Minor pics. from the early 50s showing this same type of cable and contemporary MG pics show the same.

Cheers John.
J.C Mitchell

Not sure if we are talking TD or TF, but TF wiring had a black plastic/vinyl? non shrink type tubing placed in sections over vulnerable parts of the cloth covered wiring loom. These included four short sections by the fuses, a long section where the loom passes the oil filter, and long sections to the tail lights. The tach cable was also covered near the battery. My original loom still has these pieces.

No clips for speedo or starter cables.

Cheers,
Matthew.
Matthew Magilton

Matthew - useful info. re. plastic sleeving on TFs - I knew about the fuse location, tail lights and tach. cable but wasn't aware of the oil filter area. Could you give a length/details for this location and wasn't there sleeving on the front side light cables as well ?

Cheers John.
J.C Mitchell

Thanks John. From memory the loom by the filter had about 14 or more inches covered. I have seen sleeving to the rear lights on half a dozen original cars, but never to the front sidelights (probably not considered 'in the firing line').

Cheers,
Matthew.
Matthew Magilton

Thanks everyone- I think that pretty much answered my questions. JC, The black plastic I'm talking about is the "sleeve" over the two brown wires. See attached photo from V.Pina's very unrestored TD shots. I have two original clips (as for the tach cable) that must have been taken from my car years ago. It would make more sense for the right side one to support the speedo cable-I'm sure about the tach side. Abingdon Spares lists this as clip to firewall(63/73) and then the bushing for it as "tach/speedo/and starter"- but who knows. Think I'll go with the cables so they don't flop around and scratch the firewall. The original parts list shed no light on it, but I did notice grommets listed for the starter switch pull cable and the tach cable, evidently where they go through the firewall. George


George Butz

Hi again George - apologies, although I've a TF a pair of brown wires do go to starter switch in a similiar position to the TD pic. you showed.

Mathew or anyone, were these wires covered on TFs? Mine is a replacement loom so I don't know. Matthew thanks also for info. on front sidelight cable - I've covered mine for protection and assumed it was originaly!

Cheers John.
J.C Mitchell

My wires are uncovered from the loom to the starter switch. (At the starter switch they enter a rubber boot shared with the battery cable). It is possible that cloth covering has been eaten away, but never seen plastic here on any original loom.

Cheers,
Matthew.
Matthew Magilton

George,
My harness was a mess from PO when purchased...(lot's of tape & multi-colored butt connectors). The "core" was good so I elected to re-pair & modify rather than replace.
Though not "correct" I used nylon sleeving from Alpha purchased from here:http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?KeywordSearch

Like I said ...although not "correct" I thought it gave my wiring a very "period" look.
They now even have this with a "white tracer" that looks even more like the old cloth brade that was used on our cars when built!

Here is a shot of the wiring I replaced to my headlights & turn signals. I still think this looks much better than the multi colored butt splices & allowed me to re-wire using correct "lucas type" connections making mods (fusing) and test points much easier to handle.
Cheers & Best Regards
David 55 TF1500 #7427


David Sheward

oops my "link" does not seem to get you there...try this one:
http://rocky.digikey.com/WebLib/Alpha%20Wire/Web%20Info/GRP110NF-120NF%20p153.pdf

If that doesn't work ...just type: Alpha Braid Sleeving into the "search" and you should be able to get to product "cut sheets" from there!
David
David Sheward

David,

The URL works if you cut and paste it.

Gene
Gene Gillam

This thread was discussed between 23/10/2007 and 25/10/2007

MG TD TF 1500 index

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