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MG TD TF 1500 - Wiring Harness problem


I have not been able to get the wiring harness threaded between the frame and master brake cylinder/pedal box area. Has anyone had a problem like this and if so, how did you resolve it? Grease it? Did you thread it starting at the front or rear of this area?

Thanks... John
54 TF
J Ostergren

Try using a coat hanger and fish that through first, then loop/tape the end of the wires and pull. Pull whichever end is the smallest.
George Butz


Hi George, I have it taped to a piece of wire that is threaded through. The harness is quite fat no matter which way you pull it through. I am going from the rear of this area pulling it toward the front end. This way gives you the shortest amount of harness to pull through this area. I have it pulled in a couple of inches but have come to a hard stop. If I thread if from the front there is a lot more harness that has to be pulled through and one section that is bigger in diameter then what I am dealing with now.
Think I will call it a night, have a brew or two and see what tomorrow brings... John
J Ostergren

Sorry but you will have to pull it from front to rear. Ther is only small wires pulling it that way. There is plenty of room.
Sandy
SANDY SANDERS

Hi,
I pulled my from rear to front. I wrapped the harness with some duct tape and greased it up. I also loosened or removed (can't recall) the master cylinder bolts. Then I said a few oaths and just went for it. It was not exactly a brilliant design.
Mike D.
MW Davis


Hi Sandy, don't think we are talking about the same wiring harness. The one I am having problems with is the long one that goes along the inside of the frame on the left side where the fuel lines goes. It must pass (I think) through the area between the master cylinder and pedal box and the inside of the frame. It carries all the wires going to the rear and horns, generator etc. to the front and under the dash. Mine is the lacquer-braid type, Moss #357-090. There are a couple of areas on the harness where there are juctions that are just too 'fat' to get into the area mentioneds above. The entrance to the area is very narrow on both the front and rear access to this area. Am I the only one who has had problems doing this? I tried again today to do this and gave up again! Don't mean to beat to death what should be a very simple task but I'm just not sure where to go from here or what to try.

John

John
J Ostergren

The wiring harness goes between the inner side of the pedal box and the frame. There should be no need to loosen the two bolts mounting the cylinder. The gap on my TD is slightly more than 1/2" and pulling the harness from the front is the easiest way that I have found. Over the past thirty years I would estimate that I have done it that way at least 50 times.The harness does not have any large mass in the rear section other than the bullets themselves.Leave off the rubber connector block until you mount the rear section of the harness.
Sandy.
On a TD the fuel lines are on the right hand side.They are mounted with special clips that slip into pre-drilled holes on the RH side.
SANDY SANDERS

John,
From what I can remember the only part of the harness that goes thru that area is what distributes to the rear of the car. Tail lights, fuel pump, and the gas tank sending unit and there should be two wires that come out of the rear harness to feed the brake switch at the left rail just after exiting the area you are trying to thread thru. The horns, generator etc., stay to the front of this area, and do not thread thru. Also I believe the fuel line attaches to the right side of the car.
There is a hole in the fire wall that is for the harness. That should be your starting point. From there sent the rear portion of harness down along the triangular shaped support bracket and thru the petal box. There is a second part of the harness that goes down also but heads forward along the left rail. That should have brown wires for the horns and wires for the fog lights. The rear harness should fit thru the hole you are talking about. If it does not you can always drill it out a little. I have found that putting a coat hanger thru from back to front and taping the harness in a linear manner with electrical tape with out bunching works fine.

Dan H.
Dan Hanson

Sandy has pegged it exactly, as I'm often called upon to wire a friends' car. Not sure why people balk at electricity.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun


Got it! A fat area of the harness was getting hung up on the edge of the pedal box that is in this area.I was able to see this by looking in through the rear of the area with a flashlight and using a long screw driver was able to pry/push it past this point. My last post was in error when I said fuel line. Should have been brake line. Having replaced both I should know the difference but when I did the post I was so totally pissed at having spent so much time on what should have been a 5 minute job. Dave, electical stuff doesn't really bother me having worked decades ago for a small electronics company designing and building custom electronic equipment mostly for the milatary, NASA and the CIA. Now, getting a wiring harness through a tight area is another story. Thanks to all for putting up with me.

Spring has finally arrived in NC. 71F today, Carolina blue sky, got in 18 holes and got the stupid wiring harness through the stupid little hole and I am no longer pissed. Life is good once again. It's well past 5 here so time for a Yuengling or 2.

Cheers, John
J Ostergren

John O...where in NC are you located?
Gene Gillam


Gene, Chapel Hill, which is about 30 Miles west of Raleigh.
J Ostergren

This thread was discussed between 08/03/2010 and 10/03/2010

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