basic electrical question

RICH MUISE · 2014-12-05 22:50

I picked up one of these distribution boxes thinking it was more of a heavier bus bar type box. It is a bus type, but the terminal posts each have a fusible link connecting to the main bus bar. I guess I wasn't expecting any fusing at all on the post terminals. There are (2) 100 amp, (2) 50 amp, and one 40 amp post terminals. and (3) 30 amp fused blade type terminals.
I like the design, the size is good, and it is covered, which I wanted for the engine compartment.
So a few questions....Is this going to be adequate for power distribution to things like the main chassis fuse panel, the engine management panel, A/c, etc....is one of the 100 amp post terminals going to be adequate amps for the feed wire to the main wiring panel. I'm thinking maybe not, and I should just go with the simple 3/8 threaded post type.

Ford Blue blood · 2014-12-06 08:56

Rich that box will carry enough load to power up a good sized machine shop! Simple answer is yes, it will searve well to feed the main panel and then some. The main power connect fuse on an Explorer parts car I have only has a 60 amp fuse for the +12V hot and a 30 amp for the +12V run circuits. You will be OK with that panel.

RICH MUISE · 2014-12-06 10:20

Awesome...Thanks for the input, Bill. I wasn't wanting to sit down and make a chart with all the amp usages for all-time and intermittent use that was coming off that panel.
Another question...I know grounds aren't (normally)fused, but would there be any potential problems if I got another of these panels to use for the negative distribution? I realize this would essentially be double fusing the circuits. Someplace a long time ago I read you can't have too many grounds, but you can have too many fuses.
That box, btw, was 31.66 with shipping. I did have to disassemble it to remove the supplied lead cable, no biggie. The main problem was making brackets to mount it as it was made to snap into whatever mounting structure is on the VW's it was made for. I made some light weight brackets that'll work, but I'm gonna look into another idea using one leaf from a cabinet hinge. I also figured those fusible links could be exchanged for little short jumpers.

RICH MUISE · 2014-12-07 10:32

Cancel the question on fusable links for the grounds...why ask for potential problems...but I can still use the neat little panel for grounding. I'm going to remove the posts that are connected with the fusible links and just go straight in to the posts on the bus bar.

Ford Blue blood · 2014-12-07 11:19

See, you do know electricity.....

.....Ford put a circuit breaker on the ground side of the power window motors in the 65 T-Bird and others I'm sure. Did a really good job of protecting the motor and wiring ONLY for some idiot holding the switch in the up or down after the window was up or down and if there was a jam of some kind. Any issue before the breaker and the wires fried.....I call that "Ford's Better Idea"! Kinda goes along with GM's "Mark of Excellence"!

lalessi1 · 2014-12-07 14:06

That panel is ideal in my opinion. The only problem I have ever had in the wiring of a car is the grounding of a positive lead before a fuse in a 1957 Ford in 1965. The fire wasn't that bad and the burns on my hand healed quickly. Learned quickly "always fuse all power as close as possible to the source". I left all my wiring as stock as possibe but added a 60 amp "main fuse" at the feed from the solenoid.

hiball3985 · 2014-12-08 08:02

I'm planning on putting some protection inline after the solenoid also but thinking about using a 70 amp manual reset breaker rather then a fuse http://www.texasindustrialelectric.com/breakers_cb185ld.asp

VwDrvFnd · 2014-12-08 09:19

It was originally designed to snap into the top of the battery box on a VW. I had one never had any problems with that fuse panel the 8 years i owned the car (2001 VW GTI).

RICH MUISE · 2014-12-08 09:40

Good to get some positive responses to my often off the wall choices! I've removed the fused links and installed the panel for use with the negative/ground lines, and I'll be ordering a second for use with the positive side. Biggest pain with them is coming up with a mounting bracket without a machine shop handy.

RICH MUISE · 2015-01-10 20:51

update....I've got two of those boxes now. One for pos., one for neg. I had an idea for a bracket a bit stouter than the thin sheetmetal one I made first. I found some cheap residential door hinges at Lowes that had one of the leafs in the correct spacing. Pain in the but trying to make small stuff like this with no fabricating equiptment...but (or butt in this case) all that was needed was a cutoff tool and drill.
OOPS...I see in my pic that I don't have the "hook" in one if the pockets

RICH MUISE · 2015-01-13 23:19

Power distribution....I mentioned I had bought an Optima battery with both top and side posts. I got to thinking I am going to use both of the Positive posts just to keep the cables neat, but I'm only going to use the side neg. post, and not the top. That way I only have one cable to disconnect as in what would normally be the case. The $95 six foot battery cables I bought from Ron Francis ended up being perfect for this...the positive just had the #1 sized cable for the positive, but the negative had the #1 gage and a smaller (6 gage ?) cable both attached to the terminal.

Ford Blue blood · 2015-01-14 08:11

Computer engine controls run their ground directly to the battery to ensure the reference voltage is a "pure" voltage. The reference voltage goes to the sensors (throttle position, air temp, water temp, absolute air pressure and O2 sensors etc). All the prints I remember ground goes to the battery as well as to the chassis.

Might be RF made it that heavy for use in glass cars?

RICH MUISE · 2015-01-14 09:14

"Computer engine controls run their ground directly to the battery ...." Yep, I'm finding that out. I was seeing alot of them, that's why I started looking for something to organize them near the battery a bit better. I haven't been spending much time on it lately...but I can get back to it today after the garage warms up. It's suppose to be in the 60's for 4 or 5 days at least, so maybe I won't have to wait half the day this week waiting for garage temps to rise enough.
LOL...keep an eye on me, Bill. If you see anything wrong give a holler.
Just last night it finally dawned on me about the power supply for the main chassis harness. I finally realized the panel actually gets it's power from two sources...one direct battery feed, and the second thru the ignition switch. Same for the engine harness/panel. Not that big a mystery, just never thought about it before.

RICH MUISE · 2015-01-15 16:17

Got a question for the electronics experts.....I called Ron Francis too late to get the tech line tonight.
I'm running into some duplication of efforts between the Ron Francis chassis harness and the engine management harness.
I've already encountered that with the neutral safety switch, which I discussed wth them and resolved that it was in fact a duplication. I'm not sure if this next one is also a matter of redundancy or a requirement...I'm thinking the later. It concerns the brake light switch/brake light wiring. I already wired those with the chassis harness, but the engine management is calling for a wire to be run from the cold side of the brake light switch to a specified terminal on the panel. I'm thinking it may be for engine or transmission control such as cruise control and needed. I think I'm going to wire it in. What do you guys think?
I'm trying very hard to resolve issues as I get to them rather than moving on.

canadian_ranchero · 2015-01-15 18:55

Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2015-01-15 16:17
Got a question for the electronics experts.....I called Ron Francis too late to get the tech line tonight.
I'm running into some duplication of efforts between the Ron Francis chassis harness and the engine management harness.
I've already encountered that with the neutral safety switch, which I discussed wth them and resolved that it was in fact a duplication. I'm not sure if this next one is also a matter of redundancy or a requirement...I'm thinking the later. It concerns the brake light switch/brake light wiring. I already wired those with the chassis harness, but the engine management is calling for a wire to be run from the cold side of the brake light switch to a specified terminal on the panel. I'm thinking it may be for engine or transmission control such as cruise control and needed. I think I'm going to wire it in. What do you guys think?
I'm trying very hard to resolve issues as I get to them rather than moving on.

it is for the lock up torque converter control

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basic electrical question