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I am trying to recreate the wiring loom from the front part of the Lucas lighting Kit that powered the two side lights and main headlight on a Ferguson tractor. I didn’t know you could buy a loom ready made when I started but somebody told me at one of the tractor shows after I had bought the wire. It would probably be cheaper. I’m not sure if they include the wiring for the horn? If anyone has a shop bought loom please get in touch let me know where you got it from, and if it is any good.

I made one small addition to mine, a connector at the bottom of the bonnet so I could disconnect the wires when removing the bonnet without having to remover the whole loom. It seems as though the bonnet has to be removed before working on anything to do with the engine!

To keep to the authentic Lucas colour scheme I looked around and rather than buy 10m drums or spools of all the colours needed (very expensive) I bought 10m of 7 core trailer wire. The only extra I needed was a reel of purple. I went for 10m as even though I worked out I only needed 3m of the longest wire when ordering the cost of shipping was the main factor and I was bound to mess it up and have to start again.

Raw Materials

I checked to see the current rating for the wire before ordering.

Power = Current x Voltage,

Power/Voltage = Current,

or  116watts (all light on at once front and Back) /12 volts = 10Amps.

The wire I bought was rated at 16amps.

So I set to work following the pattern I had made already out of string.

Bare Loom

Once made before adding connectors or heat shrink to seal the wires I tested the loom out on the tractor.

Wires Behind Dashboard

Wires To the Bonnet

There was only one modification to make, that being to the length of the earth to the fuel tank mounting bolt.

Once I was happy with the wires I covered then in an outer sleeve to protect them. and add the connectors. At this point I cut the loom into two sections Bonnet and Tractor with a connector between them.

Loom Cut Into Two

Wire End Connectors

Next stage complete

Finally for the wires I reenforced the section that passes from tractor to bonnet and tidied everything up. I still haven’t found a steel armoured length so I have used plastic for the time being.

Finished Loom

There was a pipe the cables ran in along the side of the engine I presume to spot them overheating or getting oily? I’m making mine out of copper tube. It is painted it just needs fixing to the side of the engine.

On this picture the cable conduit can be seen running along about where the cylinder head gasket is. It has wires coming out of the front. This is from Mike’s tractor where I got one of the swing out side light arms from

I have also stripped the side lights and am in the process of giving them a new coat of paint, new bolts, new cork gaskets and new side lights.

Side Arms Being Painted

Thank you Jerry who emailed in with this link to a vintage car spares company who I think sellsgalvenised flexible steel sleeving suitable for carrying the cables to the bonnet. I thin one of the larger sizes 12mm could also be useful for replacing the lead to the strater from the battery

http://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/en/list+electrical~sleeving/