The Flying Machine failed to start the other day, crank, crank, crank, you know the score, then it bursts into life on its own or with a waggle of the plug and socket by the rocker box.
The only fault I know of where a hitherto, perfectly running engine wont start then suddenly returns to life is a dodgy connection on the CPS, because at start up, the ECU doesn't have enough enough info to know where the crank is. Once its running the No 1 TDC sensor takes over and the CPS is no longer needed and can go faulty without the engine stopping, but the unreliability and uncertainty of the CPS circuit has always bugged me.
So I'm thinking to myself, "What do I need the plug and socket for?. I know its clean and tight but still it gives problems so maybe its the crimps, so why don't I just bypass it altogether by cutting the connector out and crimping the wires together? I cant see why it should be a problem but I just thought I'd ask if anyone has tried this and what was the result! I guess wire lengths might be a problem requiring a link wire?
The infamous Connector
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Re: The infamous Connector
I would say that you could do that and it would work, however I would consider soldering the wires together rather than crimps and use heat shrink.
The other option would be use something like Denso tape and wrap it around the plug, it should keep it dry, clean and original
The other option would be use something like Denso tape and wrap it around the plug, it should keep it dry, clean and original
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Re: The infamous Connector
Hi Jon.
Good to hear that, thank you. As Trev mentioned soldering, I remembered that we use a special connector in the business for splicing wires that already has the plastic sleeve over it for sealing. Its a low melting point connector with a small solder bead in it. You pop the wires in, heat it with a hot air gun until the solder flows and the plastic shrinks to seal the joint. Very clever and very neat. I'll give that a try.
My fear is that if Anne see's it not starting, she'll lose confidence in it so it needs sorting.
Re: The infamous Connector
The other 'thing' that can happen to fine wire in copper crimped terminals is that it turns to copper oxide.
And as we know , copper oxide is a semiconductor , only passing current one way .
Make sure the wire under the insulation is really bright and shiny , not a dusty ochre colour.
And as we know , copper oxide is a semiconductor , only passing current one way .
Make sure the wire under the insulation is really bright and shiny , not a dusty ochre colour.
Re: The infamous Connector
Hi John.jrh wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 5:38 pmThe other 'thing' that can happen to fine wire in copper crimped terminals is that it turns to copper oxide.
And as we know , copper oxide is a semiconductor , only passing current one way .
Make sure the wire under the insulation is really bright and shiny , not a dusty ochre colour.
No, I didn't know copper oxide was a semi conductor, I just thought it was just a bad conductor and because I know the plug and socket is in good order, I was suspecting the crimps, hence my thinking to cut the connector out altogether. As suggested by Trev and Jon, I think a solder joint there is the one to go for.
Its got an odd start profile has the flying machine. Oddly, if its been left for a while it can often start the instant you hit the key then the more you use it, the more it takes 2 or 3 or 4 cylinders to fire up! Spooky
Then occasionally, its a no start thanks to this connection. I'm wondering if lovely new solder connections might fix all the starting bugs. Its got to be electrical as otherwise its a very sweet engine indeed.Re: The infamous Connector
Hi Bob, and Happy New Year to all.
Yes , those big old battery chargers we used to have back in the 60's , with the square fins and round discs in the middle.
Copper oxide , used as semi-conducting diodes , we called them rectifiers.
I even remember the editor of Practical Wireless writing , in 1965 , he could not see a future for 'transistors' , not capable of handling enough power
and too expensive.
Valves and mercury-arc rectifiers were the way to go.
Yes , those big old battery chargers we used to have back in the 60's , with the square fins and round discs in the middle.
Copper oxide , used as semi-conducting diodes , we called them rectifiers.
I even remember the editor of Practical Wireless writing , in 1965 , he could not see a future for 'transistors' , not capable of handling enough power
and too expensive.
Valves and mercury-arc rectifiers were the way to go.
Re: The infamous Connector
jrh wrote: ↑Fri Dec 31, 2021 11:47 pmHi Bob, and Happy New Year to all.
Yes , those big old battery chargers we used to have back in the 60's , with the square fins and round discs in the middle.
Copper oxide , used as semi-conducting diodes , we called them rectifiers.
I even remember the editor of Practical Wireless writing , in 1965 , he could not see a future for 'transistors' , not capable of handling enough power
and too expensive.
Valves and mercury-arc rectifiers were the way to go.
One of my favourite stories from my college lecturer, (and he had stories about all the famous inventors) was about Edison and his "Incandescent lamp".
As soon as he'd applied for patent, he demonstrated his Incandescent lamp to the Royal Society in London and all the brains of the era were there. 1879, from memory. Down went the gas mantles and Edison wound up the rheostats on his bank of batteries. A dim orange glow cast a pool of light about him. When the applause subsided, one eminent gentleman said...
"Mr Edison! Your incandescent lamp is all very well and good, sir, but of what practical use is it...?"
Edison replied, "Sir...! What use is a new-born child!" What a great put down.
I'm sure that you will also be familiar with Tesla's "Auto-transformer". Seldom used nowadays for safety reasons, however, it has an interesting history.
In Tesla's day, America was overrun with rapists, robbers, murderer's and general bad eggs. They had them in such great abundance that they wanted a humane way to execute them and this was the age of electricity which was known to be bloody dangerous. So they approached Tesla. He came up with the Auto transformer. They had one or two early problems, but nothing a wet sponge wouldn't fix.
I came across an auto transformer just once in a 1950's bow thruster!
Re: The infamous Connector
Oh Bob , " Them were the good ol' days "!
I still have a Laurence Scott publication 119 written by Dr Schwarz in 1949 on Schrage motor drives.
Part of our HNC curriculum in 1964 when true variable speed was like the Holy Grail.
I still have a Laurence Scott publication 119 written by Dr Schwarz in 1949 on Schrage motor drives.
Part of our HNC curriculum in 1964 when true variable speed was like the Holy Grail.
Re: The infamous Connector
Laurence Scott were competitors of my apprenticeship company (Maudsley's) but I'm sure we either used their kit or made kit for them. We did a lot of Ward Leonard sets in those days as that was the most controllable drives of the era. Ships of that age were bristling with them for cranes and davits etc and Maudsley's were a major supplier to the admiralty to the point that there was a full time admiralty inspector on site. Though Maudsley's was a producer of electrical drives, I was a mechanical engineer (toolmaker by birth) but I did do ONC level electrical theory at night-school and higher for my marine ticket, but "theory" summed it all up! We were all armchair electricians as any decent ship had its own lecky. That said, the auto transformer bow thruster, (I think it was 3 phase 440 to 660V) was a mystery to the incumbent lecky which is why I remember it. It was oozing insulation from the coils like a cheeseburger which I didn't like the look of, so I called my brother in law from Cape town. (Chief lecky at Berkeley nuclear power station) He gave us a few checks to do, had a chuckle, then declared the problem to be elsewhere! He was quite right! As always!
You and he would have got on like a house on fire.
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