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MG MGA - calling all friends of the Prince.....

A couple of weeks ago, I replaced the generator on my 60 MGA with a rebuilt one. The generator has been confirmed as doing it's job satisfactorily. However, the brown 12 ga wire running from the engine bay starter switch to the control box broke loose at the "A" terminal on the control box (t was a poorly made connection, it seems) and subsequently shorted, melting the insulation on that wire all the way back into the wrapped bundle that terminates at a Y behind the heater, below the fuse block. I unwrapped that bundle to determine how far back it melted, and it was only about 6 to 8 inches. I now wonder whether to splice new brown 12 ga wire to the remaining good brown wire (with solder and heat shrink tubing)and wrap it back up, or if I should replace the brown wire all the way to the starter switch. As nice as my car is, it isn't a concours car....its' a driver. I try to keep it properly sorted, but I'm not a fanatic. What would you do if it were yours?
I've asked this same question on the MGE site, but apparently they're having server issues. Thanks in advance for your comments.
Cheers,
Frank
Frank Bice

You're going to re-wrap it anyway, so go ahead and splice it. Solder and shrink wrap, or if you have some confidence in your work, a gas tight crimp connector will do the trick.

Or, if you already have it unwrapped all the way through, then install a new wire.
barneymg

Frank,
assuming that it is the brown wire that connects directly to the starter switch with no fuse, I would be inclined to check out the wire over its entire length.

A lot of amps have gone through that wire to get it hot enough to melt the insulation.
Checking out the entire wire would at least give you peace of mind, knowing that there were no more places where the smoke is about to escape from.😊

I had a short circuit in my lighting wiring a few years ago and, in the 30 seconds that it took me to throw the battery cut-off switch, it had melted the insulation from the wire and on many surrounding wires for the entire length of the loom, from the front running light back to the ignition switch.
I had to replace the whole front loom.🤐

I fitted a fuse into that circuit after that.

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Thanks, guys. I've decided to abandon the existing wire in place and install a new full-length wire outside the wrapped bundle and re-wrap it, per the suggestion of an MGE mate. You are right about damaged wire further into the bundle. If there is still a problem, then replacing the entire front loom is the ultimate solution.

Cheers,
Frank
Frank Bice

This thread was discussed on 24/04/2017

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