Wiring tidying

[Iain T]

Firstly I'll admit wiring is not my forte, I can follow a diagram OK and the basics but know nothing about what widgets are available. 

Having twice taken off the bonnet and even after labelling struggled to get everything connected correctly (was much better the second time) does anyone have a nice multi plug type connector(s) rather than the bayonet type I have? It also looks pretty messy clipped under the ftont of the bonnet. 

Anything would have to be watertight and ideally be crimped rather than soldered connections as I don't have power where the car is. 

Cheers

Iain 

[Pimp my Vit]

https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/multipin-wiring-connectors-15-way-single

I used these, you can also get them Screwfix/ Toolstation.

https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/quick-connectors-5-way-25-amp

Any help...

[Iain T]

42 minutes ago, Pimp my Vit said:

Any help..

Thanks, the ones from carbuilder solutions look fine. 

What about tidying up the spaghetti under the bonnet, a cable sock? 

Iain 

[Pimp my Vit]

This or cable ties I guess...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=cable+tidy+tube&adgrpid=52946737197&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5uWGBhCTARIsAL70sLJCw1U3ql_AqPb4bsv0KxpjTGv8US7_q1NBKvwiYoOQbjsLj39ghC0aAjotEALw_wcB&hvadid=259084676843&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006631&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=14134226640304307303&hvtargid=kwd-302174813210&hydadcr=28150_1821052&tag=googhydr-21&ref=pd_sl_1ac4kygrgg_e

[Iain T]

Yes that's all I could find, phase one is the connectors! 

Iain 

[Paul H]

1 minute ago, Iain T said:

Yes that's all I could find, phase one is the connectors! 

Iain 

I fitted the same , I think it was a 6 way or 8way 

Paul

[Iain T]

12 minutes ago, Paul H said:

I fitted the same

Paul, I like the tight pvc wiring cover. Was that extra material left over from........

Looks a lot tidier than mine☹️

Iain 

[Paul H]

https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/mobile/product/348
 

it’s a dry non tacky tape , brilliant stuff . Just fix the start and end with normal tape . I go 50% overlap 

Paul 

[Paul H]

1 minute ago, Paul H said:

https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/mobile/product/348
 

it’s a dry non tacky tape , brilliant stuff . Just fix the start and end with normal tape . I go 50% overlap 

Paul 

I added the same connector in the boot 

Paul 

[Iain T]

Thanks, the wiring is something I must tackle as it's quite untidy. 

While I have your attention I want to have one main feed into a fuse box with say 6 individually fused outlets. I assume this is called a distribution board? I'll take a cable from the battery to feed the distribution board(?) then connect up the various added things in the car ie trip master, map light, afr meter (with separate switch) etc. 

Iain 

[Paul H]

Bearing in mind I’m self taught . I approached the same issue and I have a ignition fed 10 way bayonet fused box and a second 10 way bayonet fused box , perhaps way over the top but I can allocate each circuit and when the fuse light goes on it means there’s a problem with the circuit . The second pic shows a close up of a 4 way box just to show what it looks like . The red light comes on when you have an issue . Don’t ask me how that works but it does . My brake light switch Disintegrated and I only found out when I saw the fuse light . I can revert the system back to standard if deemed necessary in the future 

 

 

The nut is the input feed and there are 2 tabs at each end for output feed 

I can send you the fuse box layouts if you need them 

Paul 

I used the opportunity to add relays to main, spots, dip. Horn, fan 

[dougbgt6]

Here is an old thread about fuse box replacement, a lot of us have done it. We all used the same 10 blade fuse box which also lights up when the fuse blows. 

 

Doug

[Badwolf]

And just to prove the saying, if I can do it, anyone can do it...

https://forum.tssc.org.uk/topic/2623-back-to-the-past-nose-to-tail-1972-spitfire-mkiv-restoration-upgrades/page/32/

 

 

[Iain T]

Thanks all, another job that I've putting off and bugging me. 

Iain 

[Iain T]

https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/distribution-and-6-way-fuse-box

Is this the kind of fused distribution board I require? 

Iain 

[Pete Lewis]

from what others have done on here  that looks a bit over complicated 

and its a bit £££s   for 6 fuses

pete

[dougbgt6]

This is the fusebox most of us used, it's from Vehicle Wiring Products, don't know if it's still available. It has room for 4 spares.

Yes, they still have it £23.59

Doug

[Iain T]

https://www.vehiclewiringproducts.co.uk/c-52-fuse-boxes-fuses/c-122-blade-fuse-holders/p-358-led-fuse-box

Or this with the output connectors on the side not rear. I need to take a closer look at the spaghetti to see how deep I want to go. 

Iain 

[dougbgt6]

Yes, it's ideal for a GT6 or Spitfire, but maybe not a Vitesse?

Doug

[Iain T]

I currently have two fuse boxes, one with blades and the other with glass fuses. It's as I bought the car and both have side blade outputs. The glass fuse box seems to cater for the standard loom and the blade box for some (I can't fit all the gizmos) the extra equipment ie afr gauge etc. It would be nice to combine all into one larger blade box but I'll have to see what room I have. 

Iain 

[A TR7 16V]

On the topic of fuse boxes, when I swapped the dynamo on the Herald 13/60 for an alternator, mostly cos the regulators was failing to run a CD player when the engine was running, I converted the regulator box to one.

When it was finished, the wiring to the fuse box was, as I remember, the same as to the regulator. Though that's only as I remember, and I doubt it was as original when I started. But with one of them alternators that look like a dynamo, it shouldn't be obvious it's been upgraded. I'm only using 3 fuses at the moment, so the 4ths there for some upgrade or other, like relays on the lights.

If I do put relays in the lights, I'll put them out of the way under the dash. I'm aware of the issue of voltage drop in the run up from the battery and back down to the lights and the supposed axiom that they should go as close to the headlight as possible. But I would split the existing feed to the lights after the column switches, using the existing section from the switches to operate the main and dip relays and the existing section to the lights from the relay outputs. Then all I need is a feed from the fuse box to the relays and somewhere to mount them where they are accessible but don't show unless you look. This is what I've got in the Dolomite Sprint. I think it's a fairly neat solution if the idea is mostly to take the load of the lighting switches not to upgrade the front end to a set of daylighters.

[dougbgt6]

These are also nice, cheap as chips, headlights on relays. 

12V Car H4 Headlight Lamp Bulb Relay Wiring Harness Kit Socket Plug Wire UK | eBay

db

[Badwolf]

+1 for the headlight relay, but watch out for the rating of the fuse that is fitted. It appears to range between 10A and 40A depending on what is in the factory at the time.

[Iain T]

1 hour ago, dougbgt6 said:

These are also nice, cheap as chips, headlights on relays. 

12V Car H4 Headlight Lamp Bulb Relay Wiring Harness Kit Socket Plug Wire UK | eBay

Back from a cake break 🍰

Erm, and apart from the obvious word description what is the point of this widget? 

At school I used to run in the relay, those black boxes don't look the same...   

 

[A TR7 16V]

52 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

These are also nice, cheap as chips, headlights on relays. 

12V Car H4 Headlight Lamp Bulb Relay Wiring Harness Kit Socket Plug Wire UK | eBay

db

Well the mods under the dash, as I outlined for future on the Herald, don't need a kit. All that needs is two relays and somewhere to mount them anywhere on the path of the existing cable runs to the lights (somewhere the wires can be disconnected or even cut), half a doz lucars (maybe some mating connectors if cutting's too brutal for ya), and enough thick (14awg) brown wire to feed the relays off the fuse/reg. box. Oh yes, and a good crimp tool - the years I have wasted for using one of them flat doings and the red/blue/yellow plastic sleeve crimp ons rather than a good ratchet crimp tool and uninsulated connectors with separate sheaths.

Like I say, that's only good for unloading the light switches, not to upgrade the existing lights, which I find ok for what I want.

Graham