Wednesday, 17 June 2020

FHC resto nr. 96; Starting on the wiring


Since cleaning the body harness already a few weeks ago, I compiled a list of all the connectors, wires etc. I think I am going to need for the renovation of the various wiring harnesses for the car. And to help me with this  I used the list from when I restored the DHC 10 years ago. Most important parts are modern (so called super seal) connectors to replace all important connectors outside the cabin and boot area.


But I also will need a few rolls of (non-adhesive) wrapping tape, PVC insulation sleeves, and some lengths of correctly colour coded wires to adapt the later harnesses for a roof mounted interior light.


And with all the correct tools at hand it was time to start with the first harness. For this I choose the simplest harness on a TR7, the gearbox harness UKC 9200, together with the matching reverse light switch. Yes I know, that combination wasn’t fitted to a 1976 TR7, but my car will get a 5-speed gear box and the later 12 fuse main harness! And despite it being a very simple combination, it was in need of some proper tender loving care as the two pictures below clearly show.



After a close inspection of this harness it was decided that the wires (all three of them) were good enough to be reused. And as expected the connectors were heavily contaminated with oil, road grime and showed clear sign of oxidation. Also the protective sleeve had seen better days. So this too was discarded. This left me with the wires only, and these were cleaned thoroughly. Time to get the wiring tools out, to remove the old connectors and fit the new ones.


And with the correct tools the removal of the old, and crimping on the new contacts was the proverbial piece of cake. The only challenge (If you can call it that) was using the correct connector block for the wire’s ends, and put the wires in the connector blocks in the right order. To help me with this task I used the many pictures I took during the restoration of my DHC, some 10 years ago. Call it standardization!




Though small progress it is a start. The remaining wiring harnesses are next in line. I presume it will be a few weeks before they are all refurbished …

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