Old wires !!!

[Nurse Julie]

Part of this winters fettling included removing the plastic tubing on the front of loom which had gone brittle and split. Disconnected all the wires in the head lamp and they were in good nick, all connectors clean and nice and tight. Unlatched the block connector that joins the wires from the loom to the ignition and the red wire has completely corroded through with no wire left in the spade at all. How my bike started, or didn't conk out going over a bump, I will never know. There must have been just enough contact between the tip of the wire and spade to allow it to work.

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[hondarc166]

which bike Julie

[Nurse Julie]

which bike Julie

Hettie, the CB400/4

[Athame57]

Blimey Julie...is this the one in the huge rebuild that has its own link in your signature? I'd have thought you'd missed nothing!

[Green1]

Looks like theres still more copper there then italian wiring too me.

[hairygit]

Looks like theres still more copper there then italian wiring too me.

Mick, you're finally learning!

Sent from my X6pro using Tapatalk

[Green1]

I lernt this very recently when the guzzi didn't want to start.

[Nurse Julie]

Blimey Julie...is this the one in the huge rebuild that has its own link in your signature? I'd have thought you'd missed nothing!

It is indeed George but, I only did the engine and refurbed the front forks. The wiring is generally in very good condition and if the loom tubing hadn't of split through age, I wouldn't have even considered doing anything to the wiring at all. Just shows, things that are hidden need looking at to prevent a problem occurring.

[matthewmosse]

Always the red or white with red tracer on these old Hondas that does that. Had similar a few times. Cannot think that it's ever caused the bike to stop though, always found it when doing something else. Famous last words.....

[Athame57]

I had a new loom fitted to my bike but I got confused from the start, so I let a mechanic do the job instead, I wonder then did that job extend into the headlamp....I hate undoing the things!

[vraksianrebel]

How hard is it to get replacement plugs and things?

[Bryanj]

Not easy

[Nurse Julie]

I had a new loom fitted to my bike but I got confused from the start, so I let a mechanic do the job instead, I wonder then did that job extend into the headlamp....I hate undoing the things!

Most of CB400/4 wiring loom connectors are in the head lamp bowl. It is like a birds nest in there when everything is connected and is an absolute pain to find or get to the wire you need. The block connecter the red wire came from is behind the head lamp and is still very awkward to get to as difficult to get hand/ fingers in there to disconnect.
Here is what goes in to the head lamp bucket [ Guests cannot view attachments ]
And the other ends
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[mattsz]

Is that from the ignition switch block, Julie?

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Interesting that of its five wires, the red is the only one with issues.  Do you think the connector crimps worked their way through the insulation, and time just took care of the rest?

[Nurse Julie]

Yes Matt, ignition block connector. The other 4 wires in the block were fine so I'm not sure why this happened to the red wire. But, that's old bikes and original wiring for you I suppose.

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