choke wire
- Thread starter andrew
- Start date
Remove the alternator so you can see what you need to get at. The bolts that hold the earth strap either side of the engine mount will need to be undone, remove the old strap and the new fitted in it's place. This is where the least amount of engine movement takes place so the least likely for the earth strap to fail - but it is the most awkward place to get to:I
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andrew
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An update on my earthing problem, i have shortened my choke wire so its no longer touching metal, i have also strapped up the choke casing to rubber so that is no longer touching metal. My mate who is a mechanic is going to replace the earth strap for me as he says this will be causing the problem,as its freyed and isn`t connected properly.
Hi Andrew, you made a bold effort but it's pretty much impossible to isolate the choke wire. The end under the drivers seat is connected directly to the vehicle body, the other end is clamped by a metal clip to the carb and the carb is bolted to the engine so you have a complete circuit. The earth strap is nice and big and provides an easy path for the electricity so takes the load of any other connection between engine and body. You've heard this already but get the strap done as soon as you possibly can.
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In the mean time you can always put a temporary solution in place to at least make the van driveable if you need to take it to a garage to get them to do the work. Get a jump cable and attach it to a clean metal part of the engine, and then put the other end onto a cleaned bolt or something bare metal on the body of the van. As a typical jumper cable is quite long, you might have to you cable ties to make it work and stay in place. This will make an alternative earthing cable for the engine and stop the choke strap being used as an earth - which you are not going to be able to isolate as it's impossible due to either end being fitted to the engine and body.
Even if you were to take the choke cable off, the current would find another wire to go down to earth itself when cranking - and that could lead to a melted wire and worse.
You don't have to take off the exisitng earth wire to replace it. You could always buy another and fit it in another place, on the other side of the engine, for instance - from the front engine plate to the engine mount on the other side - just make sure that one end is on a clean piece of metal on the engine, and the other side on a cleaned bolt of some kind attached to the body of the van. If it were me, I wouldn't bother taking the alternator off to fit a new earth strap, I'd fit it on the other side of the engine, where there is a bit more space.
Good luck
Andy
A wandering commer blog - http://commerblog.wordpress.com/
Even if you were to take the choke cable off, the current would find another wire to go down to earth itself when cranking - and that could lead to a melted wire and worse.
You don't have to take off the exisitng earth wire to replace it. You could always buy another and fit it in another place, on the other side of the engine, for instance - from the front engine plate to the engine mount on the other side - just make sure that one end is on a clean piece of metal on the engine, and the other side on a cleaned bolt of some kind attached to the body of the van. If it were me, I wouldn't bother taking the alternator off to fit a new earth strap, I'd fit it on the other side of the engine, where there is a bit more space.
Good luck
Andy
A wandering commer blog - http://commerblog.wordpress.com/