A few more electrical items

Well, not much to add this weekend. We've been very busy with work, paintwork for an MZ TS125 and a poorly VW Beetle with inlet manifold leakages. 

All we've managed to do is strip and repaint the dynamo end cap and the regulator. We used Hammerite Kurust on some parts of the regulator, at double strength, which seems to work very well. The parts are painted with high street acrylic aerosols & U-Pol etch primer. The end cap is from the original Lucas CF35D dynamo, the rest of which is still attached to the engine. The regulator is a 1962 Lucas MCR2, with a brass case which though a later replacement part is correct for the machine

Ammeter Finished

So, here is the finished article. The ammeter has been stripped & cleaned inside & out and is now working happily.

The chrome on the rim is good, and the case has been repaired.

This is the new ignition light. The design & material selection is inspired from the genuine ones I have seen on eBay and the various forums, particularly the C10/C11/C12 forum. It's not an exact replica of anything but it looks the part.

I've made a carrier from 2 mm Tufnol which is a little thick, but all I had. The lamp bracket is made from 0.5 mm brass sheet, with insulation gaskets as necessary, riveted together. The one thing I would like to find now are a couple of 2 BA thumb nuts to replace those steel hex nuts.

Almost a red spot ammeter

Well, here is the first of the post-Christmas presents!

This is the kit of parts that I have, now that I have stripped a Lucas red spot ammeter that I bought on eBay from a member of the AOMCC, for a lot less than one can spend on such things.

It is a bit of an oddity. It seems genuine, it has a Lucas part number and is made of parts of approriate 'quality'. It is marked '1980', and I guess it was a replacement part for vehicles still using red spot ammeters. It is marked 'Lucas' on the dial, but it does not have a window in the back, like the earlier versions that would have graced Amelia's curves when she was new, and it has no facilities for an ignition lamp internally so it could not have functioned as the red spot ammeters were intended to do.

The plan is to replicate the parts used for the ignition lamp and to cut the window through the ammeter, so that we end up with a suitable white faced ammeter with the functionality that we need.

So, starting the work. Here is the back plane of the meter, with it's insulator. I've marked out the holes I need, and I've drilled a pilot hole in each. Then I have taken my piercing saw with it's V-table and carefully cut the shape we need for the ignition lamp aperture. I've cleaned the hole up with needle files.

Here is the back of the ammeter, the back plane and the insulator, all assembled and showing the aperture lined up. Not quite right yet.

Here's are the prototype parts for the ignition lamp. Following the style of the original ammeters, I have used a plastic card to replicate the tufnol insulator that is used to mount the lamp holder, just to get the shape, and the position of the lamp correct in relation to the aperture on the back of the meter.

The lamp holder is mounted on a small piece of 0.5 mm aluminium sheet, pop riveted to the insulator. There is a plastic insulator between the centre terminal of the bulb holder and the mounting bracket.

So for now, the lamp is in the correct place. We will reassemble and see if it looks OK from the front, when it is illuminated, then we will make some nicer parts.

Here it is, put back together with the ignition lamp off...

And here it is with the ignition lamp on! Isn't it exciting!

Headlamp almost there

So here are a few pictures of Christmas holiday activities. The chewed pilot light housing has been filled & built up around the front edge as a low-risk alternative to a welded repair - I figured I would rather try this approach and have to redo it than melt an original SSU700 headlamp housing with clumsy welding.

After going through the grits with the help of some knifing stopper the headlamp shell is now looking very smart.

I have ordered some W-clips; I have rubbed down the newly straightened rim and I will order a plating kit after the holidays.

Then I plan to plate all the screws and maybe the rim as well.

And hopefully there should be a Red Spot Ammeter in the post!