artificial_perfect Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 Hi, Now starting my renovation of the 2000 after it has sat in the garage for 2 years since being unloaded off the trailer. Confused by the engine set up. Engine number MB68528HE. Should be negative earth by engine number, as it is a 1967 car. However it appears to have a Lucas dynamo. The identification marks on the unit are Lucas C40L 22766F 04 69 12V. I have attached some photos of the sections within the engine bay. Would it be a positive earth set up ? Karl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nang Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 Assuming the battery is connected as you found it. That should tell you. generator is normally + ve earth. Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPearce Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 Quoted from nang- generator is normally + ve earth. No, wrong. That's the false assumption the OP is making. Dynamos were fitted with both +ve and -ve earth systems, and can be converted between them very easily. A 1967 car should be -ve earth with a dynamo. If the car is in the condition it looks like, and unless you know of any non-original electrical equipment fitted, then just rebuild it correctly for negative earth. Make sure the ignition switch feed to the coil is on the "+" terminal, check that the battery terminals are the right way round, and re-polarise the dynamo by briefly connecting a battery across it a few times - Google will find you proper detailed instructions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nang Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Sorry,I erred😆 Battery looks like it's been there a while. Just realised it has no battery.How is the coil wired? Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 As the positive terminal is bigger than the negative one on the battery, which battery clamp is bigger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Uh oh mine, Vit MK1, are identical positive and negative. It's definitely negative earth though and late 67 manufacture.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPearce Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Quoted from glang- Uh oh mine, Vit MK1, are identical positive and negative. That surprises me - the specified battery (and the common 063 alternative) definitely has one post much bigger than the other, and it's really hard to fit the terminals on the wrong one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 You've got me wondering now as the old lead connectors look the same but Ive never checked the diameters of their openings and of course never tried to connect each to the wrong terminal! They certainly fit ok on the terminals and as you say standard terminals are different in size so I'll have to have a measure up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPearce Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Are yours the closed ones with a screw through the middle, then, rather than the clamp type? I've had a couple of cars with one of those but, I think, always only the ground one, so I've never looked at them that closely. However, I think they're intended to sit snugly on the taper of the post over the full height, so I'd expect them to have to be different sizes, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 yes thats it and theyre both made of lead and look exactly the same when viewed from on top. Think youre right about them having different size sockets as even with the screw done up they would rotate otherwise. Cant measure them at the moment as away from the car😪 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Townsend Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 Am I too daft to think that the clamps are marked with a '+' or a '-' ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPearce Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 Quoted from Philat32- Am I too daft to think that the clamps are marked with a '+' or a '-' ? No, that would make it WAAAYYY too easy! 😁 Actually, you do sometimes see the after-market ones marked that way but mostly you just have to notice that the +ve is bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedTaylor Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 Could be let off if they are marked Pos and Neg as on my early Mk1 when I first had it .....! MUT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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