Will 14 gauge suffice?

msoylemez

Jedi Trainee

Offline

• Nov 8, 2006

• #1

will 14 gauge work for the electrical wires coming out of the ignition on a bugeye? Of course, they will be going to the battery, ignition, starter and acc hookup.

Thanks.

 

jlaird

Great Pumpkin

Offline

• Nov 8, 2006

• #2

Darn if I really know but I tend to be a fan of 12 guage mostly.

 

I

importcars

Member

Offline

• Nov 8, 2006

• #3

base the wire size off of fuse size.
16guage 8-10amp
14guage 15amp
12guage 20amp
10guage 30amp
8guage 45-50amp


of course battery cables should be at least 4guage.

hope that helps ya.

 

drooartz

Moderator

Staff member

Gold

Offline

• Nov 8, 2006

• #4

Of course, keep in mind (as always) that the fuse ratings on our LBCs are Lucas rated fuses, so you may need to adjust the above numbers for our cars.

 

I

importcars

Member

Offline

• Nov 8, 2006

• #5

whats a lucas number?

a lucas fuse allow more amperage thru than rated for??



thos numbers i threw out are your average generally accepted values. you can always run a thicker wire than nessary and be extra safe..

 

Baz

Yoda

Offline

• Nov 8, 2006

• #6

Adam,
Lucas wiring, fuses, switches, batteries, alternators, distributors and just about anything that Lucas makes that has a current that runs through it, defies all known laws of physics.

 

drooartz

Moderator

Staff member

Gold

Offline

• Nov 8, 2006

• #7

Look here for a good explanation:

https://www.drooartz.com/index.php?page=29

This threw me when I first got a LBC. The British rated fuses look like modern barrel fuses, but are rated very differently. In short, the British fuse is rated by the current that was guaranteed to make them blow instantly while the modern standard rates fuses by the current that they will carry forever.

 

I

importcars

Member

Offline

• Nov 8, 2006

• #8

but, really you should replace all the fuses with new anyways, wouldnt you think


but i am starting to learn that lucus is ludacris!


has anyone put a painless wiring harness in a mg successfully?

 

drooartz

Moderator

Staff member

Gold

Offline

• Nov 8, 2006

• #9

You can still get British rated fuses from the various parts houses. They work just fine for the loads in the car.

I put in a new harness from British Wiring when I bought my Sprite last spring. Modern wires with a cloth loom. Looks like original, but nicely upgraded underneath. Included all the proper connectors and such, went in very easily (of course the Bugeye harness is very simple).

I think that Lucas stuff gets a bad rap most of the time. With good clean connections and grounds, the stock harness and bits seem to work just fine. Now, if you're going to put in stereo and other mods, I could see switching to something else, but in my Bugeye at least, I've got lights, gauges, wipers, and ignition. That's it, so the electrical isn't doing too much.

 

I

importcars

Member

Offline

• Nov 8, 2006

• #10

[ QUOTE ]
In short, the British fuse is rated by the current that was guaranteed to make them blow instantly while the modern standard rates fuses by the current that they will carry forever.

[/ QUOTE ]


with the above being true, that would mean that you can run smaller wiring than i originally stated.


the wiring size i listed was for sustined amperage. if the birtish have fuses that blow when they see 15amp then the sustined amprage will b less than 15 so you could 'probably' run 16ga safely.... but i would still run the common sizes and know that i am 100% safe.

 

drooartz

Moderator

Staff member

Gold

Offline

• Nov 8, 2006

• #11

I'd tend to side with you on the wire sizing. Running wires based on that list, but using the British rating, would seem to be a safe bet if you were rolling your own harness. Don't want to let any of the smoke out! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

I

importcars

Member

Offline

• Nov 8, 2006

• #12

that magic smoke.... man you let that out and i tell you what.

inventing perpetual motion would be great, but inventing a way to put magic smoke back into motors, wires, electronics, and all things electrical.... now that would be useful! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif haha


i have had my share of smoke shows, as i am sure you have... it doesnt take long to want to protect from that.

 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin

Platinum

Offline

• Nov 9, 2006

• #13

I've lost my link to the Lucas Smoke Recharge device.

RATS!

 

drooartz

Moderator

Staff member

Gold

Offline

• Nov 9, 2006

• #14

I won't even mention the smoke and wiring issues I had with the FJ40 Land Cruiser I had 10 years ago. I'm embarrassed to even think about what I did. Learned my lesson, though, and this time around I'm doing it the correct way.