MTFCA Forum

I am in the process of refinishing my wooden Kingston coilbox. A couple of years ago, one of the first things I did when I got the car was to refresh and rewire the box and switch. I replaced the original wire with door bell wire of exactly the same size (both measure .036" diameter), but it looked too small to me. Could this tiny wire actually carry enough juice to operate a car??? The car ran like a champ and nothing melted or burned.

Now that I have the box all apart again it would be a good time to install larger wire but ONLY if it is needed. Can one of our electrical experts confirm if this small gauge wire is correct and reliable for this application?

Overthinking in Pennsylvania, Bill

The original Kingston coilbox wire was solid copper insulated with silk and, later, cotton. That light wrapping allowed a slightly heavier gauge wire to be used. Your doorbell wire is probably OK; the (primary) current it will carry is pretty low.

I bought a roll of 18 gauge solid copper insulated wire today that is intended for thermostat wiring. It is rated for 150 volts according to the packaging, but that must be for very low current. The original wires lasted for 100 years, so these will probably outlast all of us, even a youngster like you RV! Thanks for your input. Cheers, Bill