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another lucas wiring problem

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J

jayhawk

Jedi Warrior
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Since I've learned so much from this group I thought I'd share another lession learned from working with a 46 year-old Lucas wired machine. Just after replacing the points, cond and coil, I drove the car pretty happy with the state of life. Just before I shut the car down, it went stone dead and wouldn't fire. Thank goodness, this time only 50 feet from the garage. Not fuel, definitely electrical. I had weak spark from ignition switch to the coil, intermittent weak spark at the points.
When I bumped the starter to check a spare spark plug against a ground for spark, the car started and then died again! Any guesses yet?

I noticed when I pulled the # 4 plug wire with the spare plug to a grounding spot, I also put tension on the ignition-to-coil wire and that resulted in intermittant plug spark or started/stopped the engine. That led me to the connector to the coil. When I slit open the plactic protector over the wire and clip, I could see that there was little left of the copper wire adhering to the clip.
I stripped and trimmed clean wire, soldered it to the clip and had instant and robust fire. This is now the third bad connection I've found between a wire end and connector over 2 years. In each case I had to strip away the insulation over the clip to see it.
I think a year ago, Geo said a new harness was a good investment. Maybe when I retire...
 
06/09/06 is still 06/06/06 with the 6 upside down. The Prince of Darkness reigns over us again...............
 
On the other hand, some of that Lucas electrical stuff has lasted 40 and 50 years. What is the guarantee on that pace maker?
 
Good one Don, I just received an old magazine form a friend. The name on the cover is The Times Survey of the British Motor Car Industry, October 1956. Two Shillings and sixpence, what a great find. It has pictures, ad's and articles about Earl's Court as well as what's new per manufacture. Well what caught my eye was an ad for Lucas, it seems ever ad I've seen from Lucas is dark and dreary.
Lucas.jpg
 
They told me the battery in my pacemaker is good for 7 to 8 years. I must go back once a year for 5 years then they want to check it every 6 months as the battery gets older. I asked about changing the battery and they told me they make an incision to remove the whole pacemaker, then they insert a totally new pacemaker which will have a battery good for another 7 or 8 years. The battery is integral with the electronic parts and is all hermetically sealed.

I'm hoping that I'll need about 4 more replacement pacemakers before the ......

I leave Monday 12th for TRA in Ohio, a distance of about 800 miles each way. Also I drive the TR without a CB or a cell phone and I don't have AAA. "TRusty" is very reliable.

Don Elliott, Original Owner, 1958 TR3A

https://www.britishcarforum.com/ubbthreads/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/1920/ppuser/4127
 
I still say that anyone who complains about Lucas has never dealt with Marelli.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I still say that anyone who complains about Lucas has never dealt with Marelli.

[/ QUOTE ]OR the hideous Bosch / Hella / Electrolux / Motorola / goodness knows WHO else electrical system found on mid-1970s Belgian-assembled Volvo 140 series cars! My 1967 and 1968 144s and 145s were not bad at all, but my mom's '74 145 was unbelievable in its UNreliable electrical system!
 
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