TR2/3/3A TR3 battery ground cable

[NutmegCT]

Greetings all.

I've had my TR for about six years.

But just today, I realized the ground "strap" from battery to firewall may be incorrect - or even dangerous.

I'm not that big a stickler for perfection (understatement) - but just about all the grounds in the Piggott book, and many here in the galleries, are standard battery cables. Not the woven strap like I've got.

Back in the Dark Ages, on an old Jaguar, I had a woven ground strap actually dissolve into powder, due to age and humidity.

Do you guys recommmend I swap out the woven strap for a solid cable?

Thanks.
Tom
PS - when I drove the car out of the garage to wash it today, I found two wire nuts on the garage floor. I have no idea where they came from - and can't find any bare wires. Paranoia sets in fast.

 

[CJD]

That's actually original...or as original. It's not anything to worry about, unless it's badly corroded. That doesn't look like the case in the pic. I've had solid cables corrode to dust too!

John

 

[Geo Hahn]

I agree -- they look better with the braided cable and under normal circumstances they are trouble-free.

I'm thinking the original were round vs flat and, I suppose, would have had a 'helmet'.

Used to be you could buy one like pictured at any FLAPS but haven't seem them in awhile.

 

[TR3driver]

There is certainly nothing inherently wrong or unsafe with the flat braided cable, or the battery clamps.

So-called solid cables are still stranded inside. So what you have is really the same thing, except without the plastic jacket. Since it is quite possible to have corrosion going on inside the jacket, I'd say being able to see it is a good thing.

There is a change point in the SPC at 18913, and another at 60001. Unfortunately I couldn't find any details on them, but TRF sells the flat cable under the TS60K part number so apparently they believe that is correct. I'm pretty sure it was listed as a factory supercession for the earlier cable. All of my pre-60K TRs have had the flat cable (or an obvious replacement).

I sincerely hope you don't (and didn't) have any wire nuts on your car! Those things are acceptable, barely, for house wiring that doesn't have to withstand much in the way of vibration, moisture, heat, oil, etc. But they have no place on a car!

 

[bgbassplyr]

ISTR that on my '59, the end of the cable that attaches to the battery was not a clamp as illustrated above, but was tapered cap type which covered the entire battery post and was pressed or hammered onto the post and held in place by a screw through the cap and into the post.

Anyone else remember this?

 

[Andrew Mace]

ISTR that on my '59, the end of the cable that attaches to the battery was not a clamp as illustrated above, but was tapered cap type which covered the entire battery post and was pressed or hammered onto the post and held in place by a screw through the cap and into the post.

Anyone else remember this?

Sure do:

(found on the TRA forum).

Edit: Oh, and British Wiring sells new ones, in brass. Somewhere recently, I saw mention of someone describing how they "tinned" these to cover the brass with a more realistic "lead" look.

 

[angelfj1]

Andy, et al: That's one of my photos from the Grey Lady. The original Lucas "helmet style" terminals where cast from lead. Unless NOS, they're no longer available. British Wiring (Matt Bakes) has them in cast bronze. They are very nice but don't look original. You can heat them up with a propane torch and with some good electrical grade flux-core solder give them a nice coating. I think mine turned out very nicely. Be sure to drill a pilot hole in your battery post for the screw.

 

[Andrew Mace]

Andy, et al: That's one of my photos from the Grey Lady.

Ah, glad to "credit" the photo!

Be sure to drill a pilot hole in your battery post for the screw.

And I remember what a struggle it can be to do this. I broke off at least one or two drill bits in a battery terminal trying to drill the holes; likely I had a bad drill bit or not the right kind of drill!

 

[TR3driver]

likely I had a bad drill bit or not the right kind of drill!

I don't know if you can even buy them that way; but for drilling in very soft metal (even brass and copper), you want a bit that has zero rake. It's fairly easy to modify a bit, but after you do it won't cut for beans in steel. Basically use a whetstone or similar to modify the tip, so it doesn't dig in while drilling.

Here's a post with some photos (scroll about half way down) of how to modify the bit:
https://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=8618.0