At 11:38 PM 5/6/2012, neil n wrote: >https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy#5739625339124636370 > >That corroded strap doesn't appear to be OEM and I can't see it >anywhere it Bentley. > >Is this strap stock? If not, any harm in have it there? (engine >management sensitive to the added negative to frame wire?) It is stock. I think the one you have is a home-made replacement as it looks skinnier than the original and also looks as though it may be tinned (original is bare copper). It's braided for one of two reasons: to provide a good radio-frequency ground* or for mechanical resistance to vibrations, or possibly both. *there's a phenomenon called "skin effect" which causes AC currents to preferentially flow on the outside of conductors. This effect increases with frequency to the point that radio amateurs working up in VHF bands often use silver-plated copper plumbing as wiring in transmitters. The braid has a great deal more surface area than an equivalent volume of solid or stranded wire. There's a fancier version of this called Litz wire where every tiny strand is insulated (bugger to solder to) but this is plain (flattened) hollow braid.
>I replaced it with a chunk of #12 wire. (and thinking now maybe a >stranded wire wouldn't wear well in this application) It will be inferior for either of the reasons I stated. A place that installs transmitters for taxicabs and such ought to be able to help you out. Or a local ham operator, possibly of the less modern sort. Yours, David |
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