Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge?

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Sun 22 Nov 2009 19:58
Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge? - Rattle
i167.photobucket.com/albums/u141/amazingtrade/engi...g

This is my first car, 'Rattle' it had an electrical fault and bits were missing so I got out my old GCSE electronics kit and did a bodge repair. Repair lasted longer than the engine.

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Sun 22 Nov 2009 20:04
Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge? - SpamCan61 {P}
The red wire with a bare croc clip on the end doesn't look like an OEM part....
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Sun 22 Nov 2009 20:08
Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge? - Rattle
Yep that was it. There was bits missing of the temperature gauge sender so I had no idea if the car was running hot or not. The wire on the end was also cut. It looked like it had been done on purpose. So I crimped the red wire to the existing part of the wiring loom and put the crocodile clip onto the sender. It worked perfectly and the car only ever got to half way hot even in traffic, the fan would kick in. It did burn a huge amount of oil (piston rings had gone) and given the fact the rocker cover paint has all flaked off I suspect it had over heated in the past some dodgy seller cut the wires, then new owner fixed over heating problem.

Had a lot of fun with this car, turning my street into a 1900's innercity area with all the smoke coming out the back of it :D

I liked that engine though as it would let you do basic repairs, on my Corsa engine it is actually simpler to work on (its all modular) but you cannot do any dodgy mods on it so it means buying the correct and expensive bits.

Edited by Rattle on 22/11/2009 at 20:10

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Sun 22 Nov 2009 20:58
Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge? - freddy1
being the owner of several old royal enfields (and other brit bikes) I often have to make new wiring looms for them.

7 core trailer wire , stripped back , new crimp on terminals ,with a proper crimp gun , and the wires bound in self amalgamating tape ...


good for another 30 yrs
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Sun 22 Nov 2009 22:30
Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge? - Harleyman
Ditto for WLC Harley and 72 Sportster Freddy.... refreshingly simple innit? :-)
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Mon 23 Nov 2009 07:18
Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge? - theterranaut
My first Golf was a '79 1.0 (you wouldn't have believed it as it went like stink, but anyway) and at the time VW did not fit a temp guage, just a red LED for overheat. Crazy. Anyway, zooming down the M8 one day I glanced in the mirror and became aware of something departing the car. That something turned out to be the radiator fluid.

When we got it home it turned out that the rad had loosened a clip and dumped its contents. And also that a previous owner had disconnected the overheat sender.

I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was an impoverished student and it literally took me years to get over it financially. (Which is when I get a bit irate when I hear the trade talk of "moving vehicles on- sometimes it can have repercussions.)

And I really missed the car too, it was an awesome drive.

Edited by theterranaut on 23/11/2009 at 07:20

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Mon 23 Nov 2009 07:54
Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge? - Old Navy
Cowboy wiring bodge? You wont be getting anywhere near my car or electrickery, Rattle. :-)

Edited by Old Navy on 23/11/2009 at 07:55

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Mon 23 Nov 2009 08:32
Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge? - Cliff Pope
Generous quantities of vaseline on the battery terminals though.
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Mon 23 Nov 2009 10:44
Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge? - dieseldogg
I wish i hadda taken a photograph of J G's bypass wiring c/w intelligent switch for the heater plug circuit on the Peugeot 504 pickup.
It consisted of cooker weight flat twin & earth appearing out from below the bonnet
& tied to the "A" piller.
When starting from cold, pour down the window
And twist the bare ends together
Count slowly to thirty & untwist
Simple & reliable

Edited by dieseldogg on 23/11/2009 at 10:44

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Mon 23 Nov 2009 13:23
Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge? - ifithelps
...appearing out from below the bonnet & tied to the "A" piller...

I once did something similar as a 'get you home' bodge when the throttle cable broke on my Lada Samara.

It made a just about usable hand throttle.

Had the car about a year or so and that was the only breakdown.

Good, reliable motoring for £250 plus the cost of an oil change.
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Mon 23 Nov 2009 16:34
Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge? - 1400ted
I had an accelerator cable break on the Jowett years ago. Just disconnected the choke, fitted it to the carb linkage and drove home with a hand throttle....seemples !
Generally use early Mini cable for all sorts of things. Bought a dozen Velocette LE cables a few years ago....quite long, nipple at one end, nowt at t'other.
Just done a temp repair to SIL s Berlingo van....seems better than OE, it's lasted so far

Ted
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Mon 23 Nov 2009 16:43
Can you spot the cowboy wiring bodge? - jc2
Another useful cable was Hillman Imp choke cable.
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