VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 Let the fun begin!

I started replacing the three quarters of a century old wiring in our '28 today with a beautifully replicated modern replacement from Vintage Wiring Harness (Australia). Its all going well but I am wondering if anyone would know how the wire from coil to dizzy should be shaped. Was it tightly coiled or just run directly in a rough "C" shape? Incidently, this was one of the few wires in this original old vehicle that had been replaced over the years, so my task is relatively easy.
Thanks all.
Tim.

Hi Tim,

It doesn't appear that anything special was done with the wire from the coil to the distributor.

Thanks Ray
I did find that picture too, but was not sure if it was a "simplified for clarity" deal. The coil I have is a different to the one pictured. The wire I am referring to is the low tension lead. On my typical late model coil it connects from the top (neg) terminal to the terminal on the side of the dizzy. The wire it replaced had been coiled like a phone lead but was obviously a recent addition.
Tim.

News Years resolution achieved! Learnt a couple things along the way. Horn stays live all the time.(I just thought it was a little quirk of the old system) and the tail-light/cowl lights come on with the main power switch, but I guess you old timers knew that all along hey! Removal/installation was a pleasure. I will sleep better a night knowing that the seventy five year old wiring is not about to burst into flames and burn up my old dear. :)
Tim.

Tim, do yourself a favor and install a battery shut-off switch and you won't ever have to worry about it again. I once had an ammeter insulator break and short out, when no one was even near or around the car. Burned all the insulation off the wire and stunk like heck. Luckily, it didn't start a fire. After that, all my old cars had a shut-off switch installed and used whenever the car was shut off. I sure sleep better now!! -Bob

Absolutely. New wiring, who cares. It is what the wiring is connected to that is usually the problem. A cutout switch or a fuseable link in the battery supply all circuits except main starting circiut.

Or a Quick disconnect on the negitive post of the battery itself. (Not NOS though...we knew that).

Hi Timbailye ,

This may be more confusing than helpful, but here goes. There were two lighting switches for the 1928 and the hookup is different.




This is the most common type lighting switch.

#3 is the taillight and dash light.
#4 is the horn connection and is hot all the time.
#2 is the stoplight through the switch on the service brake.
#6 is hot wire from the hot side of the foot starter switch. This is a fused circuit.
#9 is the cowl light connection
Terminal marked “head” is where the headlight wire is connected.



This is the second and less common lighting switch.

#1 is the wire to the ignition switch, horn wire, and to the stop light switch
#2 is the taillight and dash light
#3 is “dim” end of resistance wire
#4 is headlight wire
#5 is cowl light
#6 is hot wire from the hot side of the foot starter switch

Ray
Good advise, and I'd like add to it, it may help someone during their restoration of a light switch.
You CANNOT change the trun toggle/arm from one swaitch type to the other as the key on the arm is in a different location/angle
Chris

Thanks Ray,
Mine is the first of the two pictured. For some reason it is installed upside down. I left it that way because I thought it seemed to suit the quirky nature of the vehicle (the lever points down as per normal.)
"New wiring, who cares". The condition of the wiring removed makes it hard to believe it never burnt down. It came close once when one of the under dash cowl wires shorted out and filled the car with smoke before blowing the fuse. Most of the insulation was missing from the RH cowl wire and broken in a few places on the LH.
One more question for our learned friends. Is the dimmer resistor coil made of a special high resistance material? A spare I had crumbled when I touched it so I took special care with the one on my switch, thankfully without trouble.
The kill switch is a good suggestion, Bob. I will seek one out tomorrow.
Tim.

The "new wiring, who cares" comment is meant to indicate the bleeding obvious. If the wiring is obviously exposed then it creates a problem. But too many people replace a "reasonably good" harness believing that the wiring creates a problem by being old. And if they don't know what they are doing, they can compound the problem. In my 28 years as an auto electrician, I can safely say that attachments create 99% of the problem. And yes, the resistor wire is special. Hence its name. High resistance high tensile wire. Pretty hard to come by now. But at a pinch you can use the wire from a coil resistor and modify it.

Thanks John.
As a matter of interest, would you know roughly how many Ohms it would be?
Tim.

Hi Ray
Could you refresh the pictures on this post for me? I hooked the wires up to the switch you repaired for me the way they came off. I was carfull to diagram them so I wouldn't make a mistake when repalcing the switch. I don't think they were correct in the first place.
Thanks
Mike

Looks like that about the time you get the pictures figured out someone buys the provider and it's a free for all again.