Wiring loom deterioration

[DavidL]

I'm planning a few electrical additions to my Gold, but this is bothering me. Ideally I'd replace the entire wiring loom, if I could afford the time and money to do so, and if new ready made looms are available (something I haven't yet investigated). What's happened is that the wiring has turned dark brown and matte finish, I pressume it's oxidation...

So, is there any treatment available for old wiring to make it possible for solder to "stick" again?

[Hans Efde]

That's bugging me as well. I just read a report about someone who had restored a Mini from the ground up. He reused the old wire loom but the insulation cracked during reinstallation and the wiring short circuited. Luckily his neighbour warned him about his Mini smoking from the back, so the car was saved with minor fire damage. A Midas might look new, but the wiring could be 30 years old. Although I suppose new wire looms are produced for the old Mini's I am afraid a new Metro loom is not available.

[DavidL]

Hmm, hadn't thought about deterioration of the insulation as well! I suppose I have that yet to come. I was wondering if the brownish matte finish was something which could be removed by some kind of chemical treatment (ie, something I could dip a bare wire into). However, I suppose that would be too easy.

[Rich]

Flux should shift the oxidised surface.

[Geoff Butcher]

The flux in electronic-type solder isn't aggressive enough to get rid of that level of oxidation. Unfortunately, any flux which is aggressive enough will wick along the strands and eventually corrode through the wire. The terms 'rock' and 'hard place' come to mind...

[DavidL]

So there's nothing for it but to either source a new Mini loom** and add extra wiring where necessary, or remake the entire loom using new wire?

Or do I make all my wiring additions using screw connections, assuming that screw-type connections would make good enough contact?

And once the wiring is oxidised like mine is, is it still performing as well as it did when new, or does the oxidation persist into all the connections and increase their resistance?

** I'm assuming that a Mini loom is the nearest thing to a Metro loom which is still available in new condition; does anyone have any other ideas?

[edit] A quick Google found this... http://www.autosparks.co.uk/product_inf ... ts_id=4303
New loom for a MG Metro Turbo. £371.00, plus VAT!!! Really didn't want to have to pay that much...

[Geoff Butcher]

I made a complete loom from scratch for my Ginetta, and I actually quite enjoyed it!...Mind you, I don't get out much

[DavidL]

I made a complete loom from scratch for my Ginetta, and I actually quite enjoyed it!...Mind you, I don't get out much

Good for you, that must have taken a lot of patience. Any idea how much wire it took? And how much do you reckon it cost you in wire and connectors?

[Geoff Butcher]

Can't remember, but it was certainly a trivial sum relative to what professionally-made looms seem to cost. I got all the proper coloured wire from Merv Plastics, now known as Vehicle Wiring Products

[DavidL]

Can't remember, but it was certainly a trivial sum relative to what professionally-made looms seem to cost. I got all the proper coloured wire from Merv Plastics, now known as Vehicle Wiring Products

Well, that's reassuring. I'm sure I've heard of Merv Plastics too, from a few years ago, so it sounds promising that they're still around, in some form.

Off to do a bit of Googling now...