Concerning and con - fusing Electrics !

[Greta]

It sometimes doesn't pay to go digging. With the Gear box cover off - seats out  etc- ( still sorting the collapsed gear linkage ( where does that O ring go !! ) .. I decide to take the passenger glove compartment out ( first time look see !! ) Oh dear ... some of the wiring is just not pretty ... barbecue spaghetti comes to mind - ultimately I think it will require a new loom section for everything behind the dash... but in trying to work out what has gone wrong when and where I've begun a tidy up in the hope that I can make it safe enough to at least drive to a reputable auto electrician.

Here is your picture round and your starter for ten.

Fuse Box is extreme right - with what I think are two !  flasher units in middle and left. The dodgiest wiring - from where I think the short has been comes from the  rectangular unit on the left.

The black insulated taped stub was formally two green wires with a live feed when ignition on...going to the unit on the left - the new green wire ( 5amp)  with blue heat shrink and red terminal leaves the unit - again only live when ignition on. This wire was burnt, corroded bare of insulation and I think the cause of the BBQ
I believ I have isolated these two and can't immediately see whats changed - my indicators still work.

Any advice appreciated.

[Nick Jones]

Is the left hand unit the voltage stabiliser?  Light green wire to temp & fuel gauge...... Normally on the back of the speedo on the cars I have - I haven't paying full attention and not quite sure what car this is on?

Nick

[Matt306]

Quoted from Nick Jones

Is the left hand unit the voltage stabiliser?  Light green wire to temp & fuel gauge...... Normally on the back of the speedo on the cars I have - I haven't paying full attention and not quite sure what car this is on?

Nick

It looks like Voltage stabiliser shape, from memory it should have a couple of wires coming off for the gauges, with it disconnected the fuel and temp gauges shouldn't work.

[Matt306]

Are the two wires in the black tape attached to the unit on the right light green dark green should be for the gauges

[thescrapman]

The LH one isvoltage stabiliser, but not the style usually found on a spitfire. Looks like the one found on a 2000

[DanM]

Yes that is the voltage stabiliser and it looks right for a mk2 spit this wiring looks the same as my mk2 anyway. This gives a 10v feed to the fuel and temperature gauges.

The 2 o-rings on the gear extension kit are seals for where the rod passes through extension housing. It can be a pig to get the remote rod out of the extension though the small bolt holding the actuator bit on is often very tight

[Greta]

Thank you everyone.
Here is a pic from a guy on ebay who says he can rebuild with "Solid State" internals - as the output seems to have failed - not sure if the problem with mine wasn't also a poor earth to the repainted bulk head.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282480406434?ViewItem=&item=282480406434

.. and a modern version here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SOL.....p2485497.m4902.l9144

[drofgum]

Greta,
The overheated condition of the taped green wires indicates there has been a problem in the circuit, but not necessarily at the voltage stabiliser. One of those wires supplies the stabiliser and the other takes power to something else running on the circuit. A problem on the supplied side will overheat both wires continuing back to the fuse box.
A bad connection can heat up and overheat the wires at the connection, but the damage won't go far along the wires.
                                                                                                                  Good luck,
                                                                                                                  Paul

[thescrapman]

It is possible to make your own solid state one for much less.

do a forum search.

need a 7810 regulator and a couple of small capacitors to protect it I think.

Cheers

[Matt306]

http://www.britishv8.org/articles/mgb-voltage-stabilizer.htm

I replaced mine with a solidstate one, followed the guide above but no LED.

Essentially the original was a bi metallic strip heating up and cooling down really quickly to make and break a circuit to provide around 10v. The solid state version provides 10v ... a smooth and steady voltage for your guages.

[Guppy916]

Hi I used a solid state one off of eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VOLTAGE-STABILISER-REGULATOR-10V-CLASSIC-CARS-MG-TRIUMPH-LAND-ROVER-BHA4602/253395040254?hash=item3aff8577fe:g:SykAAOSwxTlZyOrL

 

This is in my GT6 MK3 with no problems