Fuse block for red wires from batt, EDIT: 3/06/13. not making kits anymore. Options

[Tom]

EDIT: 3/06/13
I won't be providing these kits any longer. I apologize to the members who have been waiting. Please feel free to use any info in the thread to help you come up with a fuse solution that meets your individual needs. Parts list on last page.
Tom
NEW INFO FOR EARLY CARS. THEY CAME WITH ONLY THREE RED WIRES!! Two 4.0mm and a much larger wire running forward to the dash area. Please check before ordering.
Last round this summer. Maybe next winter I will do this again if there is a demand.
See pics of the new 4-way and 6-way kits, and the completed install of mine. Kits are designed to go on the outer edge of the battery box, however some have mounted elsewhere. If you have need for longer wires so you can mount yours differently, let me know and we can make that work for you.
Also, please see the two pages of info below. You should be able to print copies.
From the supplier: 4/6 individually fused circuits with connections that enter and exit from the bottom allow this fuse block to be mounted in narrow locations. Clear plastic dust cover is included. Max load capacity for all circuits combined is 50 amps, 65 amps for the 6-way. Connections are made using 1/4" female push-on connectors.

I will open round four as I already have 3 folks who want one. There will be two models, a 4-way and a 6-way, and three stages; 1-basic, 2-connections on and soldered, 3 - with new battery connector.
4-way
stage 1- basic kit $25.00
stage 2- connectors on and soldered and harness heat shrinked $30.00
stage 3- With new battery connector $32.00
6-way
stage 1- basic kit $30.00
stage 2- connectors on and soldered and harness heat shrinked $35.00
stage 3- With new battery connector add $37.00
I will leave this open until 5 June, them order parts. It looks from the last round that you can expect about a month to receive the kit. IE: if I order parts by 6 June, the kits will ship no later than 30 June.

.

[tradisrad]

I think putting the fuses in place for the always hot wires is a great idea. On the early cars there is a hot wire that jumps from the ignition switch to the turn indicator and it seems that this wire is prone to shorting out (from the 4 steering columns I have and all 4 are burnt), so the fuses may be a good idea to prevent a car from burning.
I would probably be in for a kit.

[Cap'n Krusty]

Why? I have never heard of an instance where those wires have shorted out. Not once in the 38 years I've been working on 914s. Besides it being a non-issue, you'd need fuses capable of handling the entire max load of the subcircuits and their current users at max capacity. Big fuses.

The Cap'n

[Tom]

Cap'n,
A member in Canada just had a fire last week. Fire originated at the 14 pin connector at the relay board. Probably damaged the wiring harness before he could get the batt disconnected. Wiring harness is pretty expensive and a fused red wire would have prevented that.
Fuses shouldn't have to be too big. Max capacity of stock alternator is 55 amps. I think each red wire fused at 25 amps would be sufficient. Do you think that would not be enough? Just trying to get the info needed to make a decision.
Thanks,
Tom

[76-914]

Besides the "cheap insurance" issue, I think the greatest benefit will be separating the wires from the main + cable. When tracing a short, it is much easier if you can check each red wire for current draw, one at a time. I'd take one just to replace this. Yours is much neater.

[andys]

I'm not going to contest the 914 electrical system, but most modern systems have a power distribution module somewhere near the battery that contains fuses, circuit breakers, and assorted relays. I think it's wise to have something similar, and fusing those hot's is a safeguard. For my V8 car, I did away with the red wires, and ran a main hot to a power distribution module (of my own design, but in retrospect I would have rather used an OEM type module) with circuit breakers and relays where needed.

Andys

[shoguneagle]

I have just completed complete wiring of my Sixer including the engine to car items. To protect my electrical since I had the potential for shorts, I fused all the battery wires plus the battery wires I added with 20amp fuses (fuse holders can handle 30amps) for protection. The car is alive with complete electical functioning. Did not have even small sparks on the negative terminal when connecting the battery. Only problems I had was with the turn signals/emergency flasher lights, light connections, and a couple of grounds.

I decided to leave the fuses in on the hot battery wires and so far I have not had any problems. It does make trouble shooting for shorts, etc. easier since the circuit can be more readily traced.

Steve Hurt

[r_towle]

seems like there are two people in this thread that had burned wiring without a good fuse solution in place.

One of the guys has 4 wiring setups that melted.

Seems like a very valid idea.

Rich

[AndyB]

I am interested.

[Razorbobsr]

Looking at doing this for my car. Is any one else interested in a kit? I think I can put it together for under $20.00 + $5.00 shipping.

From the supplier: 4 individually fused circuits with connections that enter and exit from the bottom allow this fuse block to be mounted in narrow locations. Clear plastic dust cover is included. Max load capacity for all circuits combined is 50 amps. Connections are made using 1/4" female push-on connectors.
I would run new 12 GA wires from the batt positive to the fuse block ( overkill) and hook up the red wires from the harness with new spade connections to the other side of the fuse block. I think an insulated piece of material about 1 1/2 inches wide could be attached to standoffs alongside the battery to mount this fuse block on.
What do you guys think?
Tom

I can dig it, slicker than most! Bob

[wingnut86]

I'll be in as well...

[Tom]

I'll order some parts and when they get in, I'll put mine together and add pics and some instructions as to what I did. In researching, I've found that 14 ga. wire is good for 40 amps, so really no need to go 12 ga. Of course you are welcome to modify yours as you think necessary. Wire is expensive!!
Later,
Tom

[JmuRiz]

I'd be in...I've got too many red wires running to my battery...this would make it look not so cobbled together.

[swl]

Good initiative Tom. The border is too much of a hassle for me to get involved but I'll happily steal your idea (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[AndyB]

Good initiative Tom. The border is too much of a hassle for me to get involved but I'll happily steal your idea (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Steve I am an hour from you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Cap'n Krusty]

Cap'n,
A member in Canada just had a fire last week. Fire originated at the 14 pin connector at the relay board. Probably damaged the wiring harness before he could get the batt disconnected. Wiring harness is pretty expensive and a fused red wire would have prevented that.
Fuses shouldn't have to be too big. Max capacity of stock alternator is 55 amps. I think each red wire fused at 25 anps would be sufficient. Do you think that would not be enough? Just trying to get the info needed to make a decision.
Thanks,
Tom

It would be interesting to know how and why a fire originated in the 14 pin connector. and why the fuses for some of the circuits that go through there failed to protect the wiring.

The Cap'n

[swl]

Good initiative Tom. The border is too much of a hassle for me to get involved but I'll happily steal your idea (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Steve I am an hour from you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

We'll talk!

[swl]

It would be interesting to know how and why a fire originated in the 14 pin connector. and why the fuses for some of the circuits that go through there failed to protect the wiring.

The Cap'n

The how and why will be interesting. http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=141045&hl=

The fuses on the relay board won't do anything to protect from a short upstream of the fuse. If there is a short anywhere from the fuse tab back to the battery you are going to get full current flow from the battery to ground. The fuse will only protect if the short is on the other side of the fuse so the grounded current is actually passing through the fuse.

[Cap'n Krusty]

I'm thinking about this a little more. Basically, the only things fused on the panel are the fuel pump circuit and the rear window defroster. If there's a short at the points, say the wire is hooked to the hot side of the coil by accident, it'll fry the wire right back to the ignition switch. Tach wire might do something similar. The backup lights aren't fused until the fusebox, but that would blow before the wires cooked. I don't see where a fuse in the power supply is gonna prevent any of that. I could be wrong here, but it still seems to me you're adding complexity for no really good reason. Good maintenance and care in hooking things up seems to me to be the way to go. If you allow a connector to become hot because the connection is raggedy, you're gonna start a fire.

The Cap'n

[swl]

That fuse also protects the heater fan and the AAR.

All the fuse box that Tom is proposing will protect are the two power leads from the battery to the relay board (pins 12 and 14) and the run to the forward power distribution box. In normal operation these extra fuse should never blow. But of course that is also true for any fuse in any car.

I do agree that care and maintenance should eliminate the need but ...

These connections are getting really old and the insulators are getting old. The risks are rising with time.

The cars are also being maintained by non-professionals who do make mistakes. Sometimes we have to protect the cars against ourselves.

So for a couple of bucks we can protect our expensive wiring harnesses. Not necessary but good insurance. As someone noted earlier, modern cars are being designed with the fuse box right next to the battery. The designers have learned about best practices over the years.

If nothing else the process is bringing to light the dangers of unfused power and people are learning to be careful.