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[Ken Stone]

My TR4A owners manual shows braided battery cables with helmet terminal heads.  I'm wondering if anyone knows when or if these vehicles began coming out of the factory with the more contemporary wire type cables?  My vehicle is a 1966.  Also, if anyone out there has a good Trafalgar windshield water bottle, I would be interested.  Thanks!

[vila]

Ken

I am currently restoring a TR4 built in April 1962.

I have also noticed the Helmet style connectors were used on early TR4 battery cables and have no answer to your question, but I do have another question to add on this topic.

How are the helmet style connectors attached to the battery?  There appears to be a screw in the top of the connector, so does this mean you need to drill an appropriate sized hole in the battery posts to accommodate the screws? 

Bob Beers (AKA Vila)
Visit my website at:  http://mysite.verizon.net/vze114b79/

[charley fitch]

The cables are attached by drilling a hole in the top of the battery post and using a sheet metal screw.

The TRA Judging standards state that the helmet head cables were used on the TR4's and do not state any change during production.  I also note that the Spare Parts Catalog does not even list the battery cable, so that is my only other source for finding a change order on the battery cables.  The TRA does state that many dealers changed the helmet head cables once the cars were here in the USA.  I will add that the cables that were used were a round cable and not the flat style that is often found today.  I used an old engine ground cable (TR 3 or 4)and heat removed one end where I then soldered on the helmet head. I believe that this combination is correct.

Charley Fitch 

[TomMull]

Charlie's right on this. I would add that in my experience, the helmet terminals were problematic. The metal screw will not carry starting loads and the design calls for the taper on the inside of the helmet to meet the taper on the terminals for contact an conduction. The problem is that there is very little taper and a couple of cleanings cause the top to "bottom out" and leave the tapers loose. Of course, this is not a problem on a show car but it is on a daily driver. They are unique and correct (I think they were original on most, if not all, of the sidescreens) and deserve to but used on a truly original car.
I assume that if these were often changed at the dealer when new the, judges will make no deduction for clamp terminals, should you decide not to use them, but I haven't checked the standards.
Finally, I've seen these terminals for sale somewhere. I'll post it if I can find the source again.
Tom mulligan

[vila]

British Wiring has them at http://www.britishwiring.com/

Then select Components Catalog, then select Battery & Starter Terminals.

They can fabricate battery cables to any length using the Lucas brass cast helmet style terminals or any of several other period terminals style.

If I were ordering from them I would provide details on the exact length desired.

They also have the screws.

Bob

[charley fitch]

I have an original cable here if anybody wants to know the length of the cable.
 I have used the cables on my Concours car now for ten plus years.  I  have had no problems keeping contact.  I have put on a set of the colored rings for anticorrosion at the base of each post.  The only problem I have encountered was trying to get a new battery mounted at Sears.  The young man just about went cross eyed looking at it to figure out what it really was.  Of course this was at the same time I ask him to check to see if the charging system was doing okay.  I told him it was a positive ground system.  Then after he could not figure that part out and appeared to mess up his testing equipment he tried to mount the battery for me.  After I spent an hour of this I told him to just slip the helmet head over the post and I would finish it at home.
I 'll bet we all have some great stories about young technicians trying to figure out our cars.
Charley Fitch   

[TomMull]

I got the same look 40 years ago. Reason enough to keep the helmets. Tom Mulligan

[Ken Stone]

Thanks to everyone who replied to this chain.  As always - very helpful.

- Ken