How To: C15a Wire-3 restoration

[David Dunlop]

Hi Jordan.

Quite another milestone. Congratulations!

A few posts back you commented about sorting out the Signal Buzzer wiring feed. My suspicion is the feed from the buzzer in the cab to the box is very probably the same on your WIRE-3 as the WIRE-5.

The wire would drop down from the buzzer to the Cab Roof Seam and turn to the rear to follow the seam until it arrives at a hole in the seam that allows it to pass through to the lower wall. Small cable clips hold it in place. On my WIRE-5, these clips were all painted. You should be able to spot the small holes where the clips were secured.

The wire dropped down to the lower wall/floor seam in a fairly straight line and disappears through a hole in the floor, the same size as the one in the Cab Roof Seam. This takes it out of the cab floor close to the Left Frame Rail of the vehicle. It then follows the Left Frame Rail, but I can not remember if that is along the top edge, or close to the top of the outer side. Clip holes should identify the route for you in that area.

At the leading edge of the WIRE-5 box, about 12 to 18 inches in from the left side of the box, another hole in the floor allowed the wire to be fed into a conduit assembly built into the front wall of the Wireless Box, behind the plywood wall. Your WIRE-3 is an open box inside so once the wire arrives in that area in your vehicle, you may have to rely on the small clip holes to guesstimate where it went. If the WIRE-3 box was set up for Wireless Operator seated centre front and a Cypher Clerk to the rear and left of the operator, odds are the buzzer switch was situated to the left side of the WIRE-3 box somewhere easily accessible for either the operator or clerk to use it.

Hope that helps.

David

[Brian Gough]

Jordan,

Congratulations. Well done. What a great day for you. This has been a long time coming.

Your truck looks good and sounds good.

OK, now back to work - the Otter is waiting.


Brian

[David Dunlop]

One other point I just remembered on the buzzer wiring, Jordan.

Where it turned to the frame rail from the cab, that curve had a fair bit of play in it. I think that was to allow for any flex of the cab in relationship to the frame at that point. At the box end, the frame and box are a solid, fixed fit, so the curve of the buzzer wire was not as relaxed.

I do not recall ever seeing any trace of rubber grommets in these particular wire holes, but it could make sense. Perhaps test fit a piece of the shielded wire in the holes and see if it leaves enough wiggle room to fit a grommet.

David

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Excellent, great milestone you have passed there!

Just the last couple of 100 yards to be finished of your marathon. And then it's on to the next. I'm sure the Otter will be done as nicely as this one!

[Peter Duggan]

Jordan,

I can feel your pride and your smile is what we all need in these troubling times. All the best to you and Vicki. Looking forward to your posts. Keep up the excellent work. Your work is a bright moment for a lot of us viewers.

Peter

[Alex van de Wetering]

Well done Jordan! The truck looks brilliant outside and I am sure it gave you a bit of extra energy!

Alex

[Jordan Baker]

Thank you all for the compliments. I’ve watched so many on this forum get their vehicles restored and take them for a drive. It’s nice to finally be n that “group”.

Back to the nitty gritty.

This is part of the ignition suppression system on the truck. It was to done to reduce any electrical interference during the use of the radio set. I replaced the wires with new made wire that is done to copy the period wiring. The woven metal braid shielding on the wires is original but was carefully removed from the original wires and then crimped back in place using the original crimps. These two wires attach to the coil and then down to the distributor. The internals of the box were in very good shape. I only removed and cleaned up the contact points under the two screws. I also replaced the nuts and washers on the external stud as the originals were badly rusted.

I also installed the two metal “mud flaps”. I’m not too sure if the canvas mud flaps were also installed or is these were used in their place.