New Wire Harness

[Tinster]

I could use a little help. I'm new at everything about my 1969 TR6. A brand new owner for 5 months. I've never even myself, hands-on, changed oil in my regular cars. My TR6 wire system was only connected enough for the engine to run, kind of. Nothing else functioned. The car is no longer functional-carbs gave out. A fellow looked at the wires and told they were beyond help.

I bought a Dan Masters wire harness which is a beautiful thing to behold. It even smells better than all the nasty, sticky black wrapped, dead end wires I ripped out.

A friend pointed out most of the components in the engine compartment and I am slowly beginning to figure out how to read a wire schematic drawing. A basic question that has me stumped.

When an electrical thing requires a colored coded wire plus a ground wire-- how am I able to tell which screw and nut or which metal tab structure gets the colored wire and which one gets the grounding wire??

Yes, I have Dan Masters electrical book and the Bentley Blue Book. Neither one has enough photos for me to figure out which is ground and which is colored.

Any and all help appreciated.

Tinster in Puerto Rico /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif

 

[PeterK]

Not sure what you mean. But a switch operates by switching either the positive or the ground. Imagine two continuous wires, one positive and one negative (ground). If you connect one end of the wires to a device like a light, (On our TRs, Lucas wiring is color coded for which is which) and the other ends of the wire to a battery for power [ posive to the + terminal, and negative to the - terminal ], the light will light up. Now if you cut the positive side of the continuous wire (after disconnecting the battery!), and connect a switch between the cut wire ends - using either terminals - as long as the switch is turned off, the light will not turn on.
Most of our TR wiring adheres to this basic concept.

Hope this helps and isn't too simplistic for you.

 

[69tr]

I also have a 69 TR. The turn signals quit working so I started the repair. Simple job, right? Well, a previous owner did some inventive wiring. He wired the brake failure light & hazard indicators to be the turn signal indicators. This might not have been so bad, but I think he had a box of wire and tried to use every combination of color code he could find. I have spent about 5 hours trying to get everything straightened out and really haven't gotten that far. I guess the guy did me a favor. Something like that will really keep you humble.
Oh well, the adventure begins

 

[Tinster]

Thanks Peter, not too simplistic. Thanks 69TR: I'll try my probem with an real example. I'm still confused.

The previous owner had jerry rigged so many connections that dead end wires were everywhere and most of the Lucas color coded wires were long gone. The previous owner had buggered things so most of the wires were either stereo speaker wire or black wire. There were no wires at all in the steering column assembly.

Yesterday I attempted to install my first wire run. The two front horns that did not function. Mr Masters supplies a purple striped wire for the two horns. The wiring drawing shows each horn also requires a grounding wire.

But each horn has two identical looking metal tabs that a wire connection will slip onto. One must be for the grounding wire and one for the electric current wire. How do I tell which tab is for ground and which is for electric current?

I removed the body paint to expose bare metal and then I drilled a hole and installed a stainless steel screw, washer and nut assembly beside each horn. I know the grounding wire will go onto the screws. I am installing similar screw assemblies near everything the wire schematic shows as needing grounding.

But again, I can't quite figure out which tab is the grounding tab?

Please, be a simplistic as possible. I understand zero about electical things.

 

[shorn]

Although this is probably too late, it is best to take notes, pictures, and/or mark each device prior to removing the original harness.

 

[Tinster]

Shorn: Yes, I tried that before I ripped out all the existing. Many photos and some folks took a look see.

I sliced all the black tape open and looked at the insides. I traced all the dead end wires and they simply dead eneded on the other end. None of the lights front or rear or under the dash functioned or had wires connected to them. Only a few stubs of red and blue striped but mostly speaker wire or black.

Like I said, only enough wires were functioning to run the engine.

I guess I have a 50/50 odds of getting the two wires on the correct tabs or screws. Do you think it will spark if incorrect? Or maybe just not function? Or will it blow something up or catch fire if wired backwards?

I'm not so worried about the horns or marker lights but the ignition switch with a combination of 5 tabs and screws scares me half to death.

Thanks,

tinster

 

[Brosky]

Get a copy of the Moss catalog for TR6 and look in the back. They have a very good explanation of the color coding and electrical function of each wire in the harness.

 

[martx-5]

[ QUOTE ]
... A basic question that has me stumped.

When an electrical thing requires a colored coded wire plus a ground wire-- how am I able to tell which screw and nut or which metal tab structure gets the colored wire and which one gets the grounding wire??



[/ QUOTE ]

The short answer is that it probably doesn't matter. If the coil inside the horn were grounded to the horn body, there most likely would be only one connector. The polarity doesn't matter with most electirical items in the car. Radios, ignition coils, gauges and alternators being a couple of exceptions. All the rest of the common items such as lights, horns, and single throw switches won't matter which way you put on the wires. In the event that one of the terminals IS grounded to the horn itself, it's easy enough the check with an ohmeter. One probe to the terminal, one to the horn body. High ohms, and there is no connection...low (zero) ohms, and that terminal is grounded to the horn. A visual would probably also show that one terminal has insulation around it and the other doesn't.

As long as the circuit you're working on is fused, even if you do make a mistake, the fuse will blow not not burn anything up.

If you don't have a volt-ohm meter, I suggest you purchase one as it will prove invaluble for this job and any future electrical work you do.

 

[hondo402000]

Your are a brave person. I thougt about a new wiring harness and that was as far as I got. I too have a few dead end wires taped up, I am still trying to figure the routing for the reverse lights, I has the transmission tunnel off and there are no wires on the switch and I see none hanging under the car so I guess I could run new ones

 

[John_Mc]

You may already have this since you bought Dan Masters' wiring harness, but he also has a very nice color coded wiring diagram on his www.advanceautowire.com website under "stock schematics. You'll see the correct wiring diagram for your model year. One page I didn't see on that site though is a page he put together to explain symbols in the diagram as well as a general guide to british auto wiring color codes. I've included that page as an attachment. Hope it helps as it did for me. (This page used to be found on Dan's www.BritishV8.org site)

 

[DNK]

As I pointed out in the other forum, I am fairly familiar with the Master's panel. If you need help with anything let me know and I will PM you my e-mail address.
don

 

[Guest]

Many moons ago, before Dan Masters or British Wiring were commercially available, the only way to get new, authentic harnesses for the TR6 was to send off to England. I remember when I had my 74 TR6 (about 20 years ago) I wanted to rewire. The car's wiring was a bird's nest of chopped up wires, 8-track hookups and red and black splices. Back then I knew that it was important to get a harness that fit the car according to what month it was built, especially a 74 or a 74 1/2. I knew of a huge boneyard of Triumphs in Atlanta that had every conceivable TR available. I put in an order for a complete, useable harness for a June, 1974 TR6. What they sent was much better than what I had but not really what I wanted. So I sent this baby off to England (I had found a company, pre-internet now, that would duplicate whatever I sent them) and for 140lbs (1985) and two months later I got the most gorgeous, authentic-colored (and correct wire type) harness you could imagine. The guys in Atlanta had to cut three of the dash wires short because the Lukar connectors were corroded so the British company duplicated what I sent, cut wires and all. The point of the rambling story is ya'll have it easy what with British Wiring (who pretty much makes everyone's harness anyway) or Dan's upgraded wires. Guys, it really ain't that difficult to install a new harness (original type), just be prepared to pull all the gauges out so you can read the back of every gauge. Just make certain that you have a copy of Dan's book and read it every time you go the bathroom (don't spend too much time in the john, you will get roids) and familiarize yourself with the whole process. Whatever you do, never, nerver substiture American fuses with British fuses. Big mistake and you can cook a harness. All this and more is described in Dan's book. Now, with the new uprated harness being marketed (by Dan) I have no idea except that it is a much bigger undertaking. I have stuck with original and improved my system with a 66 amp Delco and have made certain that any auxilliary system (fogs, fan, etc.) are independant of the "British" system for the most part.

A new harness is one of the best ways you can improve the "reliability" of you British car. All that wash about Lucas and the Prince of Darkness is bunk. That said, if you are getting a new British wiring harness, make certain you go the extra few bucks and buy their bullet connector pliers with extra bags of bullet connectors in various sizes. I always crimp and solder every bullet. Never, never use a spade connector where you can use a bullet. British Wiring's spades are the Lukar variety and work well. The WalMart style crimp/spade connector should not even be in your workshop!

Ramble on.


Bill

 

[PeterK]

Bill,
roflmao on the roids comment!
But your advice is good advise to all, especially me with the all red harness on the 3A. Some day I'll bite the bullet (pun intended) and replace the entire thing. I have a brandy new harness ready for the 4A. As soon as that's ready for the road, the 3A gets it's nerve ganglia replaced.

 

[Tinster]

Don, Thank you kindly for your offer of help. I will take you up on it . I am feeling a bit overwhelmed today. I have spent almost $7,000. in repairs during the short 5 months I have owned this "almost 100% restored" 69TR6. It died of carb failure just before the Masters wires arrived.

Less than 50 miles driving time since my wife purchased the auto. BLARGH and curses upon previous owners !!!!

I'm not sure what your message about e-mail meant. My e-mail is crcroof@onelinkpr.net

Thanks in advance,

Tinster /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif