Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

The Regular Stuff: Chat, Buy, Sell, Off Topic, etc. => General Discussion - Model & Toy Steam Engines – Stirling Cycle – Flame Lickers – Small Antique Originals => Topic started by: parallelmotion on August 15, 2026, 10:08:32 am

Title: Re: Jensen heater cord question
Post by: Kmot on August 15, 2026, 11:41:29 pm
You're welcome. :)
Title: Re: Jensen heater cord question
Post by: parallelmotion on August 15, 2026, 04:07:01 pm
Thanks Kmot--just what I was looking for. Looks like that sheathing is not so heat resistant after all.
Title: Re: Jensen heater cord question
Post by: Kmot on August 15, 2026, 04:03:24 pm
I recently restored a Jensen. Inside that heat resistant sheath are the two leads, soldered to a stiffer piece of wire each. That is the stiffness you are feeling. Note how many wires were cut and not passing current!

I did not re-use those. I just put a new cord on and attached the leads to the screw terminals. I also converted it to a 3-wire grounded cord. Works fine.
Title: Re: Jensen heater cord question
Post by: parallelmotion on August 15, 2026, 02:49:05 pm
Not sure I understand your question. The one I'm restoring had no heater at all--someone had removed it. Then bought a junk firebox (no engine) but with a working heater attached to the remnant of a power cord (shown in the photo). I'm putting that heater in the engine I'm working on but need to attach a new cord. My question was what's under that sheathing, just more of the power cord?
Title: Re: Jensen heater cord question
Post by: komet163b on August 15, 2026, 11:49:19 am
One question.  If you bought an old Jensen that heated and
ran would you be taking it apart to check the wiring?
I know I wouldn't and I never have taken a runner apart
to check working wiring.  Anyway, the woven shroud is heat
resistant and just another reason Jensen products are
mostly bulletproof.  I suggest you figure out how to
do the swap.  I did just such a swap with no problems.

Good Luck,
Wayne
Title: Jensen heater cord question
Post by: parallelmotion on August 15, 2026, 10:08:32 am
I'm replacing a bad blanket heater in a Jensen with this one which still works, but it obviously needs a new power cord. Was just wondering about this sheathing that's under the firebox (yellow arrow in the attached photo). Is it important and what's underneath it?--just the power cord? Feels stiffer than the rest of the cord. Or made of fireproof material? I'm wondering if I should strip it off and solder the new cord onto a short section of the old one under that sheathing? All suggestions welcome.