6.04.2023 Knit two, cast on, knit three.

 ~o~

 Thursday 6th 4C/39F grey. Possible wintry showers and/or some sunshine promised. Aching all over after yesterday's exertions.

 11.00 Safely home from an early visit to my British friend. Who kindly donated a bag of Scotchlok connectors. To repair the damaged e-bike wiring. I am still struggling to replace the Bosch motor. With the mess of cables crammed, or rather trapped, on top. 

 After a long life of mechanical and electrical work it is very frustrating to be so easily defeated. By such a simple [but very poorly designed] arrangement! 

I have watched every YT video where Bosch e-bike motors are concerned. Ironically the most useful videos are by so-called "tuners." Whom, buy commercial chip kits to increase the speed of their officially governed e-bikes. 

 These mods are illegal for road use and nullify any guarantees. However, the modded bikes may be ridden on private land. The mod kits don't alter anything. Being merely small boxes with standard cable connectors for the original wiring. Their videos show the original wiring arrangements of similar motors. Though not, as yet, a Bosch Gen 4 Speed motor. 

 Problem solved: It was the chain ring guard jamming on the chain stay. This was preventing the motor from returning to its place in the frame channel. I dug out my decades old crank extractor and miraculously it fitted.  Equally luckily, I had seen somebody slip a rod into the hollow, bottom bracket axle. I used a small, socket set extension and sockets to provide the correct length of spacer. The rod pushes against the fixing screw in the opposite crank. I removed both cranks and the chain ring.

 After some careful dressing of the multitude of cables the motor finally slipped into place. Now safely bolted up. I was working with the bike upside down to aid visibility of all the cables. Gravity was aiding motor replacement. Rather than fighting it. At this point the cold, SE wind was getting really annoying. So I decamped to a sheltered spot behind the house. 

 The next task is to knit the broken wiring back together. Using the new Scotchlok compression connectors. I believe these cables are colour coded for the lighting. Though one may well be the speed sensor. 

 I read somewhere that Bosch moved the rather obvious, original speed sensor. From a rear wheel spoke to the brake disk. Thus making it harder for "tuners" to easily modify the legal set-up. I imagine the sensor is triggered by a magnet. Much like a bike computer. Don't quote me on this.

 The broken wiring. I have visually connected the coloured wires. There are one thick and one thin blue and one thick red looking for a home. 

 The red spot marked on the triple connector [centre] can't be coincidence. There are no other connections available. The wire's inner insulation is visible though the connector. Confirming my colour connections.

 Some of the tails are too short to work with. So I'll cut off the original connectors and replace them with new connectors. There is no need to bare the wires. The Scotchlok automatically makes contact through the wire's insulation. Then surrounds the wires with an insulating gel. 

 It is important to push the wires right to the very top inside the connectors. I have now connected the blue to black. [Right connector] 

 Grr! I need a three way connector to join the two thin blues and the two reds. [Center connector in the image]  It is Easter. So online orders will take ages. Wednesday at the earliest. The big shed DIY and Car spares places are open but do not stock Scotchlok. Nor the identical Presslok.

 13.30 10C/50F. Bright sunshine but breezy. Lunch over.  Back to the fray. Or not. I fell asleep repeatedly at the computer. Before finally accepting my fate and taking a [long] nap.

 16.00 The wind is now more southerly. Still bright sunshine. Though N.Jutland had 10cm or 4" of snow!

 19.00 46F. I have tidied up and brought the bike indoors. Mackerel on toast? I haven't had that for ages. I'll follow up with soup and a roll as usual. The house has been warmed by the greenhouse. No stove again today.

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