Speaking of smoke.......

Art Bjornestad

Art Bjornestad

Senior Member
Does anyone have a thread about smoke inside wires? I was an engineer at IBM and the first time I read about "smoke" I nearly died. What humor!
 
I've heard all things electrical contain the magic smoke.

If you let too much of the magic smoke out they will no longer work.
 
I have just finished putting the "smoke" back inside some wires on a Jaguar, the ABS,power boost system lost it's smoke, I had to add a ground, jump out a melted connector, rewire a relay, modify the warning circuit wiring to use a pressure switch that can be bought ---the proper pressure switch is no longer made, a parts place wanted $670 --yes $670 for a used one(and they all go bad), , I rewired in a relay to use a later switch that only cost 500 new.

Much smoke has escaped the wires on this car ---I am not the first to try to put it back.

My boss just asked me if I got all the smoke put back ---I told him that I got enough back in that the brakes work.
 
I suggest you NEVER add fuses. They severely restrict the flow of electric smoke, leaving you with no warning before failure, and no visible indication of where the leak is.
 
I've had several English cars...a Bug-eyed Healy, a Healy 3000, an MGB-GT, and a Jag or two. Loved 'em all and they never totally crapped out on me...but, damn if it wasn't a love/hate thing with every one of them.

Lucas electrics are the exact reason why the English drink warm beer! Talk about letting the smoke out...! Funniest thing was most of the circuits had the fuse and switch on the GROUND (negative) side of the device...a hot wire to the device...then a negative wire going to the switch or sending unit...then a fuse between the switch or sending unit and the ground! Meaning...even with the switch or sending unit OFF the damn thing was hot all the way to the switch. All you had to do was have one short circuit, or one loose wire, and it was like Fourth of July all over again! Sparks flying everywhere...lights blinking off and on...wipers going back and forth...horn blaring! Damn what a mess.

My MGB-GT used to honk the horn every time I turned the wheel all the way to the right....worn wires inside the steering column! Now...who in their right mind would run a wire up the steering column when there was a moving shaft inside the column...? Once the wire wore through the insulation, the horn sounded every time it touched the shaft...! Stupid...just plain stupid!

When I honked the horn on the Healy 3000 the highbeams would flash. BUT...I could flip on the highbeams and the horn was silent...wouldn't work at all. Never did figure that one out. I just attributed it to the vaguaries of Lucas electrics...!

I've been told there used to be a big sign on the wall at the Joseph Lucas plant in Surrey. It was rumored to have said "WORK HARD AND GET HOME BEFORE THE SUN SETS".

There was a REASON for that sign... :D

PS... When I was in the English Car Club here in Memphis one of our members used to have a bumper sticker that read

All Parts Falling Off of This Car Are of Genuine Finest Quality English Craftmanship
 
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This is ZIGGY my 1976 XJ12 C Jaguar that I bought as a roller in St Louis, MO. for $5000 IN 1977. Jag stamped out this two door that had doors 6" longer and a floor pan 6" shorter then a standard four door. Very few double six's were made. This is Sable with black hides, Goodyear Eagles, six Koni shocks, first year fuel injection. Body was made 1975, '76, and '77.

She did an honest 153 mph at 6750 rpm 'tween Chicago and DeKalb on the [then] new 'Double Nickle', hywy toll road called '55'. I could see from horizon to horizon and not a car either way was in site. About 60 deg F outside. Dead calm. No weather. Afternoon daylight.

Rolled on the power slowly and backed off slowly. All was good. Buttoned up good and tight. Oil, Temp, Alt, and all the windows stayed put and not sucked out onto the roadway. Time of run up to the limits and back was estimated at four to five minutes.

The chassis was stable and had a natural rake that increased as speed climbed. All the smoke was contained and well behaved to be sure.

Use to be in partnership and co~owner of FOURINTUNE GARAGES INCORPORATED, Cedarburg, Wisconsin where we practiced the fine art of smoke taming on fine British Motor Cars...those were NOT the days..."business would be fun if not for the customers." BUT!! "Work Like Helen B Merry"

Each quarter panel covers a separate 13.5 gallon fuel tank with petcock for a dump. There is a selector switch on the dash to suck off of either the port or starboard tank. Once I filled her up with 12 gallons Shell Premium and just for poops and grins, 12 gallons Shell Gasohol.

Driving the Dirty Dan Ryan into Chicago I switched from Premium to Gasohol and once the fuel rail filled with this non-burning poop, Ziggy coughed up a smoke ball and shut down at speed. With the four ways blazing I curbed her. No small feat in rush hour.

Cranking and cranking and cranking, and being down wind, nothing but white vaporized gasohol poured out and engulfed Ziggy. I was pretty sure I needed my SCCA Nomax undies and drivers suit in stead of the three piece I had on.

At last a sputtering start and a few 'good morning' burps and off we motored. I gave my dad 12 gallons of gasohol for his lawn mower.

skip.
 
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