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MG MG Y Type - Rewiring a YB

I can't avoid it any longer. I need to rewire the YB. It's such a simple car really, so I'm not expecting much of a job. A couple afternoons perhaps? Am I in for a rude awakening or is it fairly simple as I expect (and hope for!)? Anything to watch out for or do in preperation?
Steve Simmons

It took me three days to re-wire the front end of my '52 YB, using modern plastic wire of the correct colours. It cost me £23.

You may need a full loom though, and that will take you longer and it is easier than my job above, BUT the cost is much higher. Give yourself at least a week.

Neil.
Neil Cairns

Steve

This question has arisen before and I posted an item in the Technical Section of the website www.mgytypes.org It is fairly straightforward about an hour to mark out the loom and then perhaps 4 - 5 hours to fit, depending upon how much of the car has already been taken apart! It is obviously easier to run wires along the chassis without the floorboards in place but it can be done underneath etc.

The loom comes in three pieces, one part connects the regulator & fuse box to the various parts of the car, another connects the regulator and fuse box to the dashboard and instruments and the other is just a bunch of wires to connect the various bulbs etc behind the dashboard. If you haven't purchased a loom yet then obtain one with additional cables wired in for the indicators. The normal practice is to fit a dual filament bulb to the Lucas 1130 sidelights at the front and fit indicators to the rear. It is easy to make up a bracket to fit the indicators on.

Any problems please e-mail me direct.

Regards.

David.


David Pelham

I found the UK firm of Autosparks very helpful and they also do the loom in cotton braided just like the original.

Do specify LHD / RHD, with or without indicators / that it is for a YB / and whether you want it cotton braided or not.

I found (after mapping the loom as described by David earlier) that it paid to dismantle the old loom bit by bit and then put the new one in alongside.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Forgot, we also have a data sheet on the subject!

Paul
Paul Barrow

By suggestion, I contacted Autosparks a few weeks ago and gave them a list of my "demands". :) There are quite a few mods I need including the indicators (front sidelights with dual-filament bulbs and rear flashers on seperate Lucas lamps) and the dash-mounted switch and lamp. I'm also mounting a license plate bracket on the rear bumper with a Lucas lamp above it, but I don't plan to drive with it in place. If I get pulled over, I can always pop it on with a wing nut and plug the light in to avoid a ticket but I think the local law enforcement will be very forgiving of this car. :)

David, I will be wiring the car complete. It is not disassembled at all and I have no plans of taking it apart until the day I paint it, perhaps next year. Hopefully it won't be TOO difficult to feed wires through a fully-assembled car!

Thanks for all the suggestions. It will prove helpful I'm sure.
Steve Simmons

The head lining light & switch and left trafficator will be the biggest problem to you Steve as the left trafficator wire goes up the right B pillar, across the roof and down. The centre light is also a pig to get to. Ensure you do not foul the sunroof opening with the wiring or when you refit the light.

It is very easy to remove the floor boards and refit the loom.

Bon Chance.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Merci! I've already had a taste of the dome light while trying to troubleshoot it. I don't look forward to that section of the car. Taking out the head liner is a last resort.
Steve Simmons

Before you pull the old wires out from the left trafficator AND the interior light firmly (at least an inch up the cable) tape some long lengths of string to the wires.

Pull the wires back over to the right hand side of the car, detatch the string, reattach to the wires, then pull the new loom back.

In fact you can use this for any area where you need to thread the new cable back through the frame of the car etc.

Small tip, but it paid me well on many times.

Paul
Paul Barrow

I've used the same trick on motorcycles. Works like a champ providing no connectors get caught and rip the string off!
Steve Simmons

I bound them up with tape to the cord too, to prevent this happening.

Paul
Paul Barrow

I am now reassembling my car following its extensive bare metal respray and had to rethread the headlamp wire though the wing mount bracket again. The piece of string trick worked a treat only this time there was no old wire to grab on to so I pushed the string through from the bracket out to the wing then tied each of the headlamp wires seperately to different points on the string so that I coulget one bullet at a time out of the hole in the bracket when I pulled it back.

Paul
Paul Barrow

This thread was discussed between 09/11/2003 and 17/11/2003

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