Early HT Conduit

[Heuer]

As I have posted in 'new products' the new SNGB HT conduit arrived this morning. Could not help myself so I had to install it. Compared to the black reproduction version it is of superb quality and fits perfectly. This is what it looks like:





Cost is about the same as the later conduit (~?39). A huge thank you to Tadek Malkiewicz who provided the original and Julian Barratt for taking the initiative to have it made based on our say so. Available now from SNGB: http://www.sngbarratt.com/ProductDetail ... f6150c2d3b More information on the conduits here: viewtopic.php?t=2006&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=166

If you own a 3.8 please support this initiative and order one as proof that crowd sourcing of ideas for reproduction parts does work. Success means SNGB can justify making other parts that we all long to see.

[cactusman]

Ooohh lovely. I shall order directly!

[andrewh]

Excellent. Well done Julian. Colour is too light though and David did you know your HT routing is not quite correct? I shall order one but not looking to removing the screw on caps and threading it through again!

[Barry]

Yes, I will order one as well! Nice to see the proper plug caps too! Too many people fit butterfly caps on early cars. Sorry, why is the colour wrong?

[Heuer]

Colour is the correct dusty red Vulcanised Fibre based on the original sample Tadek supplied. I will let you take that issue up with the XK boys who have so much data on the conduits it beggars belief. Be prepared for a bruising - the conduit is their baby.

HT lead dress is correct for the build date of the car - there were three routings, this is the second.

Threading the leads was easy and only took me 10 minutes.

Caps are the correct Champion ovals with the special plug in suppressor's fitted to all UK supplied cars.

[neil4444]

Are the caps available from Barratt's too ? Can I just cut off existing caps (from leads supplied in Ray Livingston's EDIS kit) and fit them ?

Thanks,

[andrewh]

Colour is the correct dusty red Vulcanised Fibre based on the original sample Tadek supplied. I will let you take that issue up with the XK boys who have so much data on the conduits it beggars belief. Be prepared for a bruising - the conduit is their baby.

HT lead dress is correct for the build date of the car - there were three routings, this is the second.

Threading the leads was easy and only took me 10 minutes.

Caps are the correct Champion ovals with the special plug in suppressor's fitted to all UK supplied cars.

ah right, well I won't take the colour up with anyone who knows better. I guess over the years I have seen umpteen of these, but they will have all been tarnished with oil mist and road dust which would make them darker of course. As for the routing, thats a new one on me. Mine, 860897, ran over the top of the front of the cylinder head and dropped down through a plastic sleeve beside the breather and the top hose from memory. Actually I have rerouted the same as yours as its rather easier!

[Heuer]

Neil

The Champion WC548 plug caps come from http://www.steadfastcycles.com/cart/ind ... ts_id=6420 (ignore their photo, they are black not gold). They are the only people who supply them with 'Champion' embossed although you have to add your own white paint. The ones from Green Spark Plug Co are plain. All UK cars after about October 1961 were fitted with suppressors which are separate from the plug caps and slide in. They are not reproduced but you can find them on eBay etc. Without the suppressors you will need the brass terminal clips:



Full details on spark plug caps, and which of the three versions goes with which build date here: viewtopic.php?t=2006&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=23 I would not recommend using any of these caps with the EDIS kit Ray supplied as he used silicone leads and the screw in connectors are unlikely to work, hence the moulded plug ends.

Andrew

The early cars used two circular Bakelite lead separators and a chromed ring to route the cables over the cam cover. The Factory deleted these and put the leads in a PVC shroud but continued to route them over the cam cover. They then decided to route the cables over the front of the cylinder head which was how it remained for the rest of production. IIRC dates of change-over were Nov 1961 and April 1962.

If you have any photos showing the red conduit on an E-Type I would be most grateful to receive them. As you say the shade does change and gets duller over time with the effects of heat and fumes. This is the one we gave to Julian as the basis of the reproduction. This one was over painted black:

[andrewh]

here you are

[andrewh]

my observation is that the new ones are slightly more pink rather than terracotta but very close. A

[Heuer]

Thanks Richard. Did that come off an E-Type? SNGB are limited by what colour Vulcanised Fibreboard is available today and they got the closest. Of course the conduits are now over 50 years old and have been subject to a hostile environment so are likely to have darkened with age, much like wood. They are made of cellulose after all.

If anyone has a photo of an original red conduit on an E-Type it would be most helpful for our Factory Fit thread.

[andrewh]

its Andrew! yes it was off my 62. 3.8

[Heuer]

Sorry Andrew, trying to reply to two people at once!

[neil4444]

Thanks David. Conduit & plug caps ordered. Struggling to see any suppressors available though (except for 5mm lawnmower ones on Ebay).

[Heuer]

Very hard to find but other than 'concours originality' they are pretty pointless with resistor plugs. If you have EDIS/Megajolt anyway I would not worry - you are not going to be winning any concours competitions :D

[neil4444]

Thanks. I'm aiming for aesthetically pleasing rather than concours :)

[Heuer]

Andrew - it would be good to get a side by side photo of your original and the new one when you get it. Judging colour in photos is very difficult. By the way can I use a couple of your blog photos for the Factory fit conduits thread?

[ALAN COCHRANE]

David

I've ordered one as well. I was never happy with the black plastic conduit that came with the car. It's also missing the mounting brackets so doesn't sit level.
Stock levels are low according to the SNGb website so take up must have been good.
Well done to everyone involved.
One thing though, i see from your photos that the leads are strapped together very neatly. Mine are loose and look a bit untidy. They are also fitted with individual heat resistant sleeving. Is this correct and what is the correct strapping for the leads?

Thanks In Advance

Alan

[Heuer]

Alan

The leads are strapped together by a black PVC sleeve #C19889 on all cars post November 1961. There should be no individual heat sleeving, just the standard HT cable (e.g. SBS1010 x 21 feet) and the Champion WC548 spark plug caps. There is no other strapping. On cars post ~April 1962 the HT leads are routed over the front of the cylinder head. Earlier they are routed over the cam cover. Pre October 1961 there was the paxolin disc separators and chrome ring to support them.

[ALAN COCHRANE]

Thanks David

My car was built in October 61 so I suppose I could have a choice of either strap or paxolin.
The part number for the sleeving doesn't register at SNG or David Manners. Is it a Jaguar part number. I also can't see the paxolin separator listed either.

Cheers

Alan