Lucus Auto Electrics Explained

[DarcyG]

Thanks to a Singer friend I have found this source of information about auto Lucus electronics for dummies, like me.

http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/books/lts_otcc.htm

[mothy]

Yes this is an excellent set of documents. Despite all the rude things said about Lucas and "The Prince of Darkness". I believe these comments to be wholly unjustified.

A Lucas apprenticeship was second to none and I have met a few who did this apprenticeship.

Many cars in the 1930s had a design life of about 5 years and this specification was also the specification for externally sourced parts. We have Lucas items lasting over 80 years and still functioning well. A far better performance than their design life was supposed to be.

Admittedly bullet connectors are a pain, but I am sure that if Lucas, as a supplier, had had the option, they would have provided a more lasting robust method (albeit more expensive) of connecting cables together.

It also had to be said that a modern pattern replacement for something like a Lucas overdrive relay is far worse in quality that a broken original Lucas part, which generally can be overhauled and made to work reliably again.

My view point is as someone who went through an aparenticeship at a Standard Triumph dealership in the 1960s. The quality of most new cars sold to customers at that time was horrific. In 1969 I was seeing cars built in 1963 that had rotted to much that they were beyond repair. Engines which needed replacement after 30000 miles, gearboxes similar etc etc. The Lucas parts easily outlived these cars.

Roly

[ColinB]

That looks like really interesting reading. Thanks for posting.

[Phillip]

I have to agree with Roly here...Lucas gets no love, yet were a huge company supplying many industries with electrical components for many years.

I have also recovered Lucas parts from old wrecks left many years in poor conditions and have been able to salvage them and make them work again.

I'd go further than just the bullet connectors, which I haven't had too much trouble with in general. I just close up the diameter of the female parts when I get a loose connection. The main problem for many years in my view, was the construction of the wiring harnesses; copper spiral-wound wire was wrapped in a natural rubber insulator and bound with varnished cotton braid. Once the rubber perished and the cotton allowed water in or rubbed through, bare wire could make contact and short out. These harnesses were a nightmare of electrical gremlins once they aged.

When I had an electrical issue on my more modern Land Rover someone said to me, "no wonder...what so you expect from the lousy British Lucas electrics!" Ironic joke actually as the electrical system is all Bosch!