Harness and cables through the bulkhead for competition

[Catmint]

A shout out to the great wisdom of the Forum

What is the current consensous of passing the the harness and control cables through the front bulkhead for competion use and making it fire proof? More rally orientated than race, but assume it will be the same pricipal. The hoses are not a problem as bulkhead connectors I can turn up

Cheers, Gordon

[Oneball]

Pass them through with a grommet, you’re supposed to seal any gaps with a flame proof material such as a fire proof putty. I’ve always just relied on the grommet and never been picked up on it.

[Peter Laidler]

I thought about this yesterday evening Gordon, following on from what I'd done a couple of weeks ago. By accidentally kicking the cables out of the vacuum pump of my home made hydrolastic machine since you asked!!!

If it was me asking your question, I'd go to an electrical wholesaler and but a plastic thinggy that allows cables to be passed into a switch box etc AND SECURELY HELD in place, I'm sure someone will know the proper name, but the thinggy is a 3/4" o/d or so black plastic headed HOLLOW 'bolt, put through the opening. Sealed with mastic and nutted down from the other side by the plastic nut. So far, so good.

Then the cable(s) is/are put through another enclosed OUTER nut with a slightly tapered interior. Then a rubber bush/ferrule is slid onto the cables. Cables pulled through to suit and then the outer nut is tightened down on the bolt part. In doing so, the taper squeezes down on the rubber bush/ferrule and grips the cables tight. You've got a watertight and secure grip on the cables, They cannot chafe....., they're as tight as a ducks ar......, er....., ducks bottom.

That's just what I did to my vac pump. Any of you budding sparkies know what the thinggy is called? Is it a something gland?

[Tim]

Just a gland, or sometimes a cable gland. I use them a lot in my work, trying to keep electronics dry on fishing boats. Most are plastic but stainless ones are best. There are special fireproof ones and double-sided ones for use on bulkheads that have to remain sealed.

Tim

[Rusty old S]

I do away with the fresh air tube , buy a van style blank plate cut a big ish hole and pass the loom through using large grommet with hole,pass along the top of the parcel shelf up into speedo housing, and down through to switch panel and the rest across to join into rear loom. For wiper drill and grommet back through front bulkhead near wiper motor. Block off speedo rotisserie hole with alloy pate only passing speedo cable through. Done a few over time keeps engine noise out looks neat.

[Exminiman]

This was best bulkhead blanking plate I found, its a bit dear though, you pay more for it without a hole !
https://www.minisport.com/mini-bulkhead ... plate.html

I ran the loom inside straight from the fuse box, so it follows a similar path just inside

Ran the battery cable inside, though a decent cable gland through the bulkhead near the fuse box

Then rigged up an independent live from the battery cutoff to power every thing else to a fuse box on back of dash board, so didn’t have to rely on the standard two fuse fuse box….
.

88D62AB1-C739-448C-983F-782639F8E024.jpeg

[hanlminiman]

From personal experience way back in the 1960s when an electrical fire produced smoke from the dashboard I would recommend fire proof grommets to prevent chafing of the wires. A bit larger than the wires/harness to allow for movement.

[Catmint]

Thanks folks, has given me some food for thought