Wiring it Right

By: Dave Mowitz

Rewiring a tractor isn’t the place to scrimp on restoration costs. Compared to the cost of engine parts or a paint job, the expense of rewiring is nominal. Although it may look sound on the surface, old cloth or plastic-covered wiring may be long past its prime for transferring electricity efficiently. The best advice is to go with entirely new wiring.

Selecting Wire

A number of firms offer a wide selection of cloth wiring to match the original equipment on vintage tractors.

Selecting a wire size depends on a wide variety of conditions such as the voltage and amperage expected, where it is used (transferring power from the battery to the starter vs. from a magneto to a spark plug), and the length of its run.

As electricity moves through a wire, it builds up resistance, which creates heat. The longer the wire and the greater the load it carries, then the greater the resistance.Using a wire that is too small in diameter can cause enough heat to be generated to melt a wire’s covering.