Lucas ‘TLC’ spot/driving lamp connectors

[iain1967s]

I’m re-wiring the driving lamp bar on the front of my Mk1 S to use a plug/socket connector instead of being hard wired into the loom. To try and keep some semblance of period correct for Mk1, I was thinking to use a Lucas ‘TLC’ works-style connector next to the right-hand front indicator.

Lucas TLC5 (aka the Land Rover Series 1 trailer lights connector) is what the mini works teams used for this purpose, it has 5 pins so could be either power+ground pairs for two circuits (two lamps per circuit) with one pin left unused, or four individual power feeds (one circuit per lamp) with chassis ground.

Does anyone know what the per-pin current rating is for the Lucas TLC connector, and whether they are usually wired for chassis ground or using ground pins in the connector? Moylan’s “anatomy of the works minis” isn’t too helpful - the build sheet just says “use snap connectors”.

I’m planning on using two 6RA relays on the right hand inner wing with a second Lucas 2-fuse box, one circuit for each pair of lamps. TLC5 are hard to find, but I have a TLC2 which is visually similar but only two pins. Just not sure if there is sufficient current rating for running two pairs of lamps on those two pins, with chassis ground. i.e. want to make sure that running two lamps per pin isn’t too high a load.

[Dearg1275]

Iain,

On my works replicas I have used a Lucas TLC5 wiring a earth/ground to the large pin and an individual live supply to each of the four lamps. This has worked fine on three cars I have wired.

The original plug has 38 strand cable to each of the pins. Standard supply for headlamps is 28 strand 0.3 cable and is good for 17 amps so you should have plenty of margin as long as you are not using stupid wattages in the lamp bulbs.

A word of caution though. The insulation on the Lucas plugs & sockets is often completely perished allowing cross connections and shorting. It is worth stripping a length of outer cover and seeing what the state of play is.

Hope this helps. D

[iain1967s]

thanks. TLC5 seems impossible to find, and I don't think the TLC2 is going to be sufficient, so have ordered TLC3 from Blanchards.

[iain1967s]

Received the TLC3 from Blanchard’s and it looks like it will work well.

Two smaller pins for the light circuits and one larger pin for the return.

[iain1967s]

Father’s Day, so I finally get some time alone to work on the mini

To recap: My car has been carrying around a 4-lamp bar ‘just for show’, which is not actually connected. I figured it’s time to wire it up... but given that this is a Mk1 I want to do it in period rather than using modern parts.

The current lamps are four “KC dayliter” (a USA brand) but I’ll be changing them out for two Lucas SLR 576 driving/spot lights in the center and two Lucas SFT 576 fog lights on the outside.

I want to wire them in without splicing the existing wiring loom, so that I have a master on/off switch on the dash, and then the fog lights come on with the side lights and the driving lights come on with main beam. I saw that the Works cars used 6RA relays on the bulkhead so I figured I would try to replicate that setup. But I’ll be putting them on the inner wing underneath the brake servo, so the cable runs are shorter.

Per the above posts, I’ve already sourced a Lucas “Trailer Light Connector #3” cable and socket, and two 6RA relays (SRB111 single pole type).

For the master switch, I’m using a Lucas 31356 rotary on/off switch from an A35, because it nicely fits the round hole left in the middle of the dash where I removed the ignition key switch (my car is a German market model, so the key switch is now part of the Mk1 export type steering lock).

It’s only a single pole switch, so to control two light circuits independently it has to switch on the ground side of the relays. This is the bit I am most doubtful about - I may need to put some diodes in the W2 wires to prevent the relays energizing via leakage to ground through the head/side bulbs when the master switch is in the off position.

The final piece of the puzzle is to add separate fusing, since I want this to be isolated from the rest of the cars electrics as much as possible I’m taking a direct feed off the solenoid battery live via a separate Lucas double fusebox.

I’ve drawn up a wiring diagram, and bought some cloth covered wire of appropriate gauge in various colours that make “some” kind of sense. Now I just have to put it all together, drill a huge hole in the front panel for the TLC3, and plug the trigger wires into the existing side light and main beam bullet connectors on the slam panel...

[iain1967s]

More spaghetti wiring...

[Peter Laidler]

We had those what you call TLC connectors for everything used to connect up to our recovery kit, on everything from Land Rovers to Bedfords, Scammells etc etc. They were used to connect the recovery lamps, external radios IR kit....... everything!!! Long leads, short leads...., you name it! If they are rare or hard to come by I'm sure the ex WD vehicle specialists would have them by the bucketfull

[mk1]

I'm sure the ex WD vehicle specialists would have them by the bucketful.

I think you would be surprised.

Those TLC5 Plugs have been impossible to get for years, I have seen a lot come out of WD stores, but that was YEARS ago.

A truly difficult to find part.

[mk1]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-S ... 3345146327

Ha, ha, ha.

[Peter Laidler]

I'm lost for words Mark........, can't believe what I've just seen, Phew

[Dearg1275]

They are six pin so not really a repro. They might just be OK though.

D

[iain1967s]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-S ... 3345146327

Ha, ha, ha.

Now you know why i settled for the 3pin version
https://pablanchard.co.uk/Military-Land ... -LU8441991
https://pablanchard.co.uk/3-Pin-Trailer-Lead-LV8441935