Smiths made the gauges and senders. Lucas makes other electrical components - wiring, connectors, lighting, switches, etc.
I've got several British cars and a couple Alfa Romeos as well, so am well versed with the weaknesses in these systems.
The heavy wire that connects to the ground side of the battery is a low resistance connection to the starter.
I had a Volvo 740 where the woven-strand ground strap was sheared off at its' bolt-on connector to the block. Without it, the block was intermittently isolated from the chassis. Lots of bizarre effects until I found it.
The negative connection cable ran to the starter. At the starter end, there was no connection to anything until the solenoid kicked in. That activated a switch, and then the wire connected to drive the high current starter motor.
It was hard to find because I thought the big cable was continuously connected to motor ground, and I never looked for the ground strap.
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I have been working from home for the last 6(?) weeks, I think, it's all a blur now. I have a little 14" laptop that I use to connect to work when I'm on call or working from home the odd day, but it is not suitable for day-in/day-out work. The keyboard is mush, the screen is small and dim and you have to adjust the angle just right, so I'm squinting and leaning in and hunching my back, and it's killing me. So I decided weeks ago to do something about it. I ordered a nice refurbished Dell Optiplex a few years old, and a pair of 22" LG monitors, all through Staples who were advertising all the ways they can help us to work from home. The PC was actually supplied by a 3rd-party vendor, and I placed the order March 24 and had the PC on Mar 27 or 28. It looks nice. The monitors were supposed to ship from Staples between Mar 27 and Apr 7. They have not shipped yet. After raising a couple of support tickets asking where my monitors were and when they anticipated shipping them, with no reply, I finally heard back from them on yesterday. They told me that their supplier had confirmed they (the supplier) will have the items in their warehouse by April 30, and they should ship 3-5 business days after that, which I assume means delivered to me some time again after that.
So last night I ordered a pair of monitors through BestBuy, actually from another 3rd party vendor, I was searching for refurbished monitors but I think these are new. I heard from the vendor today explaining new Canada Post rules and asking if the weird delivery* would be OK, and I wrote back and said sure, and they expect to ship Monday, and I expect delivery early next week (I think the vendor is here in Montreal, or nearby). I'm pretty annoyed at Staples, I feel they knew some time before Apr 7 that they would not be able to meet their promised deadline, and they should have reached out to me then and offered me a couple of options, like wait for unknown delivery date, or cancel order, or substitute an item they could actually ship. You know, normal customer service. And of course, I have been unable to even turn on the PC they sold me, because I DON'T HAVE A MONITOR!!!
*Apparently Canada Post workers will not take signatures at the door, so if an item needs a signature they will drop a notification in one's mailbox and I will have to go to the post office (not far) and sign for the items. I suppose I will have to get a cab to bring them home, they shouldn't be heavy but no doubt awkward to carry more than a couple of blocks (these are 24" monitors). Will see next week I guess.
So last night I ordered a pair of monitors through BestBuy, actually from another 3rd party vendor, I was searching for refurbished monitors but I think these are new. I heard from the vendor today explaining new Canada Post rules and asking if the weird delivery* would be OK, and I wrote back and said sure, and they expect to ship Monday, and I expect delivery early next week (I think the vendor is here in Montreal, or nearby). I'm pretty annoyed at Staples, I feel they knew some time before Apr 7 that they would not be able to meet their promised deadline, and they should have reached out to me then and offered me a couple of options, like wait for unknown delivery date, or cancel order, or substitute an item they could actually ship. You know, normal customer service. And of course, I have been unable to even turn on the PC they sold me, because I DON'T HAVE A MONITOR!!!
*Apparently Canada Post workers will not take signatures at the door, so if an item needs a signature they will drop a notification in one's mailbox and I will have to go to the post office (not far) and sign for the items. I suppose I will have to get a cab to bring them home, they shouldn't be heavy but no doubt awkward to carry more than a couple of blocks (these are 24" monitors). Will see next week I guess.
Sounds infuriating, nezbleu.
You are not alone in your quest for monitors. I'm a senior sys admin for one of Canada's big telecom providers and tons of people on my team are in the same boat as you right now, waiting for delivery of monitors.
I can't quite comprehend it myself, because I have 3 more monitors than I actually need here at the house. These are all IT guys that are being forced to use crappy laptop screens. I am honestly shocked that most of them don't have a ton of hardware at home.
My main workstation has a 28" 4K monitor which has ridiculous desktop real estate. Enough to run my Windows work PC in a virtual machine at 1600x1200 and still have plenty of space for all my Linux applications. I honestly plan to make a strong case for me working from home permanently. It has been wonderful!
You are not alone in your quest for monitors. I'm a senior sys admin for one of Canada's big telecom providers and tons of people on my team are in the same boat as you right now, waiting for delivery of monitors.
I can't quite comprehend it myself, because I have 3 more monitors than I actually need here at the house. These are all IT guys that are being forced to use crappy laptop screens. I am honestly shocked that most of them don't have a ton of hardware at home.
My main workstation has a 28" 4K monitor which has ridiculous desktop real estate. Enough to run my Windows work PC in a virtual machine at 1600x1200 and still have plenty of space for all my Linux applications. I honestly plan to make a strong case for me working from home permanently. It has been wonderful!
Uhh, yeah, good point. In fact the PC has displayport outs, and I ordered (and received) 2 displayport<->HDMI cables to connect the monitors. The tv is in the other room and I never think of it when using the computer. For sure I could use it at least to test. Thanks for making me feel like an idiot (not the first time today).
BTW, primecables.ca had those cables for about $12, shipped next day and arrived the day after that. The cables racket is an annoyance, Staples wanted $30 for a dp-hdmi cable, and BestBuy wanted $40. The big stores will sell you a printer for $50 but ink costs at least $20 and a cable to hook it up costs $30 (if you buy it from them).
Yes in my other domicile I have a decent PC with a good screen, but that's 1200Km away. I had actually planned to be there now, until the world blew up and I couldn't fly there. My car is there too, along with my wife, my kid, and my barbecue! I had to move here in a hurry last fall and just grabbed my daughter's old laptop (it wasn't good enough for her to take to university, I had to buy her a new one 2 years ago).
PS: I also picked up a nice mechanical keyboard, so at least I haven't had to type on the laptop for a while (and the keyboard they shipped with the refurbished Dell is a $5 piece of plastic).
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Don't worry, I know what you really wanted to call it.
By the way, very sorry to hear that you have to be separated from your family through this. Brutal man.
I wouldn't worry too much. I'm sure by the summer, we'll all be able to at least let the dogs all have a play.
jeff
Well my BSA and a pal's West Bromwich-built P1800 were riddled with Lucas switches and other electrical hardships.
" in 1898, started making automotive electrical components such as magnetos, alternators, windscreen wipers, horns, lighting, wiring and starter motors. ....contract to supply Morris Motors Limited with electrical equipment..... the principal supplier to British manufacturers (such as BSA, Norton and Triumph) of magnetos, dynamos, alternators, switches and other electrical components."
"By the mid-1930s Lucas had a virtual monopoly of automotive electrical equipment in Great Britain."
If you are saying Lucas sold but did not make everything they branded... maybe.
However "Smiths became the dominant supplier of instruments to British motorcar and motorcycle firms." (Ah, I see GTK made this point while I was napping.)
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I recall putting Lucas brake pads on one of my Xj6's. I've had four Jags, still have two, and don't recall ever having a bad Lucas part.
A *!@#$ Marelli dual plane distributor rotor could have cost me my Xj12 when it failed, though.
You're quite right, and I'm quite wrong!
PRR is also quite right, and I am again mistaken. Lucas Switches. My late father worked for ITW switches for a time.
Thanks for the correction.
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Oh no, Bigun - you're one of those!
That's ok, so am I. A good friend introduced me to fountain pens some seven years ago, and I've been enjoying them ever since. It's almost as addicting as building DIY gear.
In my youth I recall spending quite a few summers helping another friend keep his '71 Triumph Spitfire just barely roadworthy. The Lucas electrical gear was indeed a beast to be reckoned with, which was ironic considering that Lucas was also my friend's last name.
On the shopping list today: a few groceries, cat food and manila envelopes (*yawn*).
And nezbleu, I'm sure sorry to read of your situation. I hope things calm down a bit so you rejoin your family soon.
The failures I've had with Lucas parts have been mostly the Lucar (yes, correct spelling for these) bullet connectors - they do not make good contact with the bullet ends of the wires with age/fatigue/oxidation. Some of the switchgear is also problematic, and I think the 1980's were probably a period when quality suffered. However, I've replaced many of the 45-50 year old electrical parts in my Lotuses and Triumph with new Lucas parts, and even those made in Asia are not bad quality (if not great).
My first car was an MGB that was in poor condition, and the problems with Lucas electrics in that car and in the many I have worked on in the intervening 45 years came down to a few weak designs, and mostly, poor maintenance. I've had more troubles with Smiths gauges than Lucas electrical components.
On the other hand, I think it's often the implementation in these old British cars that causes problems with Lucas electrics. Check out how Lotus ran the wires to the handbrake and brake light switches. Right where one's feet are flyin'. The Lucar connectors can be found in the upper right, dangling.
Agree with you on the Magneti Marelli, if you are referring to the twin-spark version that was installed on the GTA/GTAM cars. My retired race engine builder/race car preparer buddy just had to pay $950 for a used mainshaft to replace a severely worn shaft in a customer's car. The distributors, when it's even possible to find one, are hugely expensive. On the other hand, I've got a twin-point Marelli distributor for later engines that didn't cost me much.
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The Jaguar V12 with the Magneti Marelli ignition system has a potentially catastrophic flaw - if one half of the dual plane rotor quits, one bank of the engine goes dead, but the fuel injection system keeps sending the dead bank fuel, and the air/fuel mixture goes straight out to the hot cats on the now dead bank ...
If I had waited a year to get mine, it would have come with a much better Denso engine management system.
The only British cars I've ever had were Jaguars. I figure if I am going to bust my knuckles bloody raw, it might as well be on a Jag.
If I had waited a year to get mine, it would have come with a much better Denso engine management system.
The only British cars I've ever had were Jaguars. I figure if I am going to bust my knuckles bloody raw, it might as well be on a Jag.
Hah! Snob.
I'm eclectic - I'd gladly have any of a long list of British cars, including Jags. Almost bought an XJS many years ago, and a couple of times, Mark 2s. As I get older, contorting to work on a Lotus is less appealing/possible, so a larger British car is in my future. Still looking for a nice Mk I Escort to receive the Cosworth BD engine I finished building.
There was an aftermarket version of this called a DuCoil or Du-Coil distributor depending on when and who made it. It used two coils, two sets of points, and a huge cap. It fired one coil on every other spark event alternating between them. This allowed for a nice fat spark into RPM ranges beyond where the engines of the day could go.
It came out in the 50's and was available for the popular 50's engines. Sometime in the 60's it appeared in the Edelbrock catalog wearing the Mr. Gasket brand. It became obsolete when electronic ignition appeared.
A friend had one in his hydroplane racing boat which would run an entire race in the 7500 RPM range using a 215 cubic inch aluminum Buick engine. GM produced that engine for 3 years, 1961 - 1963. They even produced a turbocharged version. I had a one of the turbo flavors in a 1961 Oldsmobile. That ratty old car could keep up with my friends 350 Z-28 Camaro up to about 80 MPH. The engine was not well received by the buying public since BIG A$$ V8's were the usual choice in the early 60's and a V8 that was smaller and more expensive than the current 6 cylinder engines didn't sell.
GM pulled the plug in 1964 and sold the design to British Leyland. It became the 3500 V8 used in the Rover, and the TR8 among others......yes, in many cases the old Buick parts fit the BL engine and vice versa.
There was a guy in the same warehouse complex that was attempting to retrofit a fuel injected 3500 into a dead TR7 in an attempt to make a modern TR8. I left Florida before he finished so I never heard how it ended up.
I had a 215 that I carted around for years before selling it, was a factory 4bbl. That had been rebuilt. I was going to put it in my Fiero at one point, but eventually just sold it.
I recall that my Lancias had Smiths gauges, was surprised that they weren’t using an Italian brand.
As for Lucas equipment, my ‘63 Austin Mini was a very reliable car electrically, generator and all...
I always wanted a BDA for my Cortina GT Mkll, still think a Lotus 23 would be perfect for that engine though.
Today’s purchase was weed killer for the gravel driveway, fun stuff!
I recall that my Lancias had Smiths gauges, was surprised that they weren’t using an Italian brand.
As for Lucas equipment, my ‘63 Austin Mini was a very reliable car electrically, generator and all...
I always wanted a BDA for my Cortina GT Mkll, still think a Lotus 23 would be perfect for that engine though.
Today’s purchase was weed killer for the gravel driveway, fun stuff!
Hey Tubelab, thanks again for the slap up side the head, sometimes I get tunnel vision. Today I lugged the Del into the living room, plugged in to the TV, and sparked it up. It works fine, I updated the BIOS and have been installing drivers and whatnot from the Dell site, plus software I need for work. Not a comfortable work space and I don't feel like moving the 48" TV into my office, but it's good to know everything is tip-top and set up ready to go.
The $129 bananas........
Maybe 4 or 5 years ago I was at Walmart on black Friday helping my daughter fill her shopping list for the grandkids. When we were done I said that I was going over to the food department to get some bananas because I had eaten all we had at home.
Upon arriving at the bananas there was a Walmart kid with a flatbed full of 40 inch Hisense TV's for $129 each. He asked if I needed a TV, and I said no, then the wheels started turning. Maybe I could use it to replace my 27 inch monitor on my PC since my aging eyes could no longer read the print on the 27 without glasses. I look at the box, 1920 X 1080 HDMI, OK......can I bring this back in 1 hour for a refund if it doesn't work on my PC? Yes, sold.
About an hour later I was back at Walmart. The kid asked if I was returning the TV. I said, no, I want another for my second computer.
4+ years later one of the TV's is on my grandson's PC and I have a 44 inch Hisense 4K TV hereon this one. It was $229 at Sams club 2 or 3 black Fridays ago.
Maybe 4 or 5 years ago I was at Walmart on black Friday helping my daughter fill her shopping list for the grandkids. When we were done I said that I was going over to the food department to get some bananas because I had eaten all we had at home.
Upon arriving at the bananas there was a Walmart kid with a flatbed full of 40 inch Hisense TV's for $129 each. He asked if I needed a TV, and I said no, then the wheels started turning. Maybe I could use it to replace my 27 inch monitor on my PC since my aging eyes could no longer read the print on the 27 without glasses. I look at the box, 1920 X 1080 HDMI, OK......can I bring this back in 1 hour for a refund if it doesn't work on my PC? Yes, sold.
About an hour later I was back at Walmart. The kid asked if I was returning the TV. I said, no, I want another for my second computer.
4+ years later one of the TV's is on my grandson's PC and I have a 44 inch Hisense 4K TV hereon this one. It was $229 at Sams club 2 or 3 black Fridays ago.
Today a belt sander and some belts. A Makita 9924db. It's a beast! I did a first pass on the decking wit 36 grit paper and in maybe a bit over an hour cut back more than I was able to do with my brother in laws cheapie in two days! (That had been the main reason I hadn't tackled the larger section).
Well worth the money!
Tony.
Well worth the money!
Tony.
