Wiring Connectors & Carpets

[GrahamFountain]

Why do you say those pictured aren't the Lucas RISTS 3mm pin connectors? I got to find the box with the spare ones in to be sure, but they look like what I remember.

Graham

I found the spares, which are a S/H set from S&S I assume are TR7 ones, and pulled the rear screen heater switch, which has a Lucas 3mm 3-way connector on it. I've included pics of these - I'm fitting a £2.50 lighted pull switch off ebay while I see if I can fix the light in the old one.

They are both types different, both from one another and from the ones pictured, but from what I can see, they should all be fully compatible. At least the two types, my spares and the screen heater switch are compatible - as pictured (I checked the mating halves in the car too).





Graham

[Carledo]

As far as I can tell, the 2 slightly different sorts of Lucas/Rists connectors used on Dolomites are divided into "indoor" or "outdoor" use, ie 1 sort used in the cabin and the other sort under the bonnet. Not exactly sure why the difference as both sorts appear equally (non) waterproof!

Modern stuff, even the cheap chinese kits you can buy, are much better in that respect. I've bought a couple of these cheap kits myself and they seem fine, but with the proviso that they are much more suited to modern style "thinwall" wire than the old fashioned fat stuff used on Dolomites Thus far, i've only used them on wiring nicked from the Omega for that reason.

Steve

[GrahamFountain]

I don't think I've found any of the 3mm connectors under the bonnet of my 73 car, other than the ones I put in the front lighting, which are compatible with the ones the under dash. I think all the original connectors I have elsewhere are Lucas bullet ones (4mm?).
Is it possible the other type are later than 73? And any chance of a picture?

Graham

[Carledo]

I don't think I've found any of the 3mm connectors under the bonnet of my 73 car, other than the ones I put in the front lighting, which are compatible with the ones the under dash. I think all the original connectors I have elsewhere are Lucas bullet ones (4mm?).
Is it possible the other type are later than 73? And any chance of a picture?

Graham

I've had a few inconclusive conversations about series 1 Sprints and whether they used bullet connectors on headlamp and sidelamp connectors or Rists plugs.And even more doubt on series 2 cars. My 73 Toledo deffo had bullets and i've always assumed the Sprint was the same till sometime after 73. My own 78 series 3 Sprint has Rists plugs of course, but i've messed about with lamps and plugs so much I can't now tell or remember which are original. So yes, AFAIK the Rists plugs came later, maybe at 76 rationalisation. But you should still have a 5 pin 3mm Rists plug at the starter/inhibit bypass/reverse light/O'D loom connection near the clutch master cyl as a pattern of the "outdoor" variety.

One thing I DID notice, is that I was forced (burnt loom) to put a series 3 1850 loom into a series 1 Sprint auto. Both looms had the Rists plug at the inhibit switch interface and the disparate plugs fitted together perfectly. But when i'd finished the install, the car would no longer crank over and it turned out the wires at that interface were in a different sequence in the plug! Easily fixed but it had me going for a minute or two! Even now i'm not sure whether that late series 1 car (VA102xxDLA) had Rists or bullets on the headlamp/indicator wiring, much of it was burnt and had been messed about with by a previous owner anyway, including fitting halogens without relays. (Part of why it burnt, the rest was stupidity) It has relays AND Rists now, cos I did it!

Steve

[GrahamFountain]

Sounds like I shouldn't have found RISTS then.

Still don't know what these different ones look like, or what's different about the pins they take.

On the issue if pins for the ones under the dash, I noticed when I did the temporary switch, I was running short of new pins and went looking to restock. They seem to be running to short supply, and the place I last got 10 pairs for £4.80 now want £14. Found another place that had some a bit cheaper - £11.88 inc p&p for 10 pairs: https://www.automotiveconnectors.com/. But they only had the females in silver coloured (copper-nickle?) plated not the genuine goldish plated ones, and they're running low on them. They also had the female 3-pin bodies in natural nylon colour, but no males so I've gone to S&S for them.

Graham

[Carledo]

Sounds like I shouldn't have found RISTS then.

Still don't know what these different ones look like, or what's different about the pins they take.

On the issue if pins for the ones under the dash, I noticed when I did the temporary switch, I was running short of new pins and went looking to restock. They seem to be running to short supply, and the place I last got 10 pairs for £4.80 now want £14. Found another place that had some a bit cheaper - £11.88 inc p&p for 10 pairs: https://www.automotiveconnectors.com/. But they only had the females in silver coloured (copper-nickle?) plated not the genuine goldish plated ones, and they're running low on them. They also had the female 3-pin bodies in natural nylon colour, but no males so I've gone to S&S for them.

Graham

I still have a fair quantity of 3mm male and female Rists pins in 2 wire sizes. Mine came mostly from 3way Components with a smattering from Car Builder Solutions (more expensive from CBS) I think CBS mostly supply the nickel plated ones rather the correct all brass version. Nearly all my Rists bodies are pre owned, I have a considerable collection of used looms in varying stages of completeness.

The suppliers don't seem to differentiate on pin length so I think the plastic body is what makes the difference. I've not had any problems of pins not meeting sockets except when deliberately mismatching body types.

I'll have a look in my boxes of wiring stuff and see if I can find bodies of different types for photo comparison, maybe when/if it stops raining!

Steve