Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
I moved the battery to trunk on a friends 73 Dart Sport. We need to replace the fusible link. How long does the fusible link wire need to be? He bought 12 gauge wire too.
Fusible link ????
- Thread starter Rat Bastid
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What fusible link are we talkin about here?
6" fusible link is pretty standard.
I'd consider 12 gauge to be minimum spec for a wire carrying charging current. It'll do the job, but if it's being done with new wire, why not upgrade? Cost is one reason. If a serious race car, weight is another.
I use 8 gauge with a 12 gauge fusible link and have people tell me that's too small (it isn't for my applications).
I'd consider 12 gauge to be minimum spec for a wire carrying charging current. It'll do the job, but if it's being done with new wire, why not upgrade? Cost is one reason. If a serious race car, weight is another.
I use 8 gauge with a 12 gauge fusible link and have people tell me that's too small (it isn't for my applications).
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
The one that hooks to the starter relay. I didn’t cut the old one off and he doesn’t remember.
I thought there was only 1 FL. I could be wrong though.
And we moved the battery to the trunk and did the ammeter bypass so I’m ASSuming it goes into the wire that now feeds the system.
I thought there was only 1 FL. I could be wrong though.
And we moved the battery to the trunk and did the ammeter bypass so I’m ASSuming it goes into the wire that now feeds the system.
It depends on what the vehicle is. The later ones, like 73 and up started havin more lecktrik junk on um and I've seen more than one. S'why I asked. I agree on the length. I'd think 6" would be about the max. Just cut a length twice the length of your little dingy and that'll be it. lol
So it's analogous to the wire over my index finger? There's no fusible link in that line.
Still, when compared to a OEM cable, it looks a little thin. Could be insulation, but the crimped end looks like there's more wire on the factory cable.
There's only the amount of current going through the wire to energize the relay, but a 10 gauge line compared to one with a 16 gauge fusible link is considerably stouter.
*Edit - but there should be a fusible link in the ammeter bypass wire.
Still, when compared to a OEM cable, it looks a little thin. Could be insulation, but the crimped end looks like there's more wire on the factory cable.
There's only the amount of current going through the wire to energize the relay, but a 10 gauge line compared to one with a 16 gauge fusible link is considerably stouter.
*Edit - but there should be a fusible link in the ammeter bypass wire.
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Looky here now, don't you be usin them college boy big words and kornfrooshin us dumb rednecks.
I only went to college after spending a good bit of time down the road from you at Fort Benning learnin' how to kill Commies.
Dang right!
I only went to college after spending a good bit of time down the road from you at Fort Benning learnin' how to kill Commies.
A fusible link needs to be short to do its job. If it is too long, it will add too much resistance in the circuit. Seems like 6 inches or less would be good. I believe the rule of thumb is two wire sizes below the main wiring (excluding odd sizes), so if you have 8 gauge wiring, you would need a 12 gauge fusible link.
Regular wire will work, but to be safe fusible link wire insulation will not combust. Fusible links get hot enough to melt copper when they function, so you don’t want to set the plastic insulation on fire, and maybe the car…..
Regular wire will work, but to be safe fusible link wire insulation will not combust. Fusible links get hot enough to melt copper when they function, so you don’t want to set the plastic insulation on fire, and maybe the car…..
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
THIS. I dislike fuse links and believe you should use some of the big audio type fuses. But regardless of what type, ENGINE HEAT degrades the fuse rating. Also, the OEM design was poor and under-protected. the links do not necessarily blow before the harness sees considerable or even catestrophic damage. the original harness wire should have been larger to carry the current, and the links/ fuses should have been better.
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
My bad. I did the ammeter bypass so I put the FL in the wire that feeds power back to that bypass
charger426
Well-Known Member
Why in the world you want to keep a fusible link is beyond me. What happens when it fails... are you going to replace it on the side of the road? Put a properly spec'd fuse and fuse holder on the car and be happy if you ever pop the fuse and you can just slap a new one in. There is a reason cars moved away from them.
This is true ^^^^^
After all....you don't see glass fuses that are 8 feet long do ya.
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
Because if the electrical side of the car isn’t junk it can’t fail.
I agree. I've always loathed them.
RB,
Better than a fuse is a cct breaker [ CB ] to replace the FL.
If you decide to keep the FL & lengthen the wires, then the CSA of the new wire needs to be increased in proportion to the length to keep resistance [ & current loss ] to a minimum. Too much resistance would stop the FL from working, could cause a fire from wires heating up.
Same would apply to the use of a fuse or CB.
Better than a fuse is a cct breaker [ CB ] to replace the FL.
If you decide to keep the FL & lengthen the wires, then the CSA of the new wire needs to be increased in proportion to the length to keep resistance [ & current loss ] to a minimum. Too much resistance would stop the FL from working, could cause a fire from wires heating up.
Same would apply to the use of a fuse or CB.
charger426
Well-Known Member
I wish I lived in the land of nothing bad every happens.... If thats the case then **** it why have a fuse at all???
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
Exactly. What are you arguing? If something fucks up is your fuse better than the FL. It isn’t. I call a rollback and work on my **** at home, fuse or FL. FUCLK that working on **** along side the road.
Plus, I take care of my **** and dont cobble **** together.
Never had an electrical fire yet, but now the car will burn to the ground because I used a FL and not a fuse.
Welcome to the land of bullshit. I don’t live there.
charger426
Well-Known Member
HAHAHA yes because thats what everyone said to you. Do what you want with your car man BUT a fuse or circuit breaker is by FAR easier to replace than a melted section of wire should it become necessary.
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
I appreciate and respect your advice more than you know.
I read every post in this thread to my friend who owns the car and he made the call to use the FL. I have no problem using a fuse but ultimately it was his call.
The crazy thing is, I have no clue what took out the FL in the first place. I haven’t found a bad wire or anything else on this car anywhere and I’ve been digging through its guts for months now.
My friend has no idea either as he bought this barely rolling turd (actually it’s not a bad car it just wasn’t taken care of very well and as far as we can tell it has been sitting since somewhere around 1990) to make a street/strip car out of (more on the strip side of things) and we are this >< close to firing this pig off. Were it not for a leaky fuel pump (yes I sold him a GOOD used pump that I inspected and tested and somehow the diaphragm in the pump was torn…me thinks my friend was “checking it out”, took it apart, tore the damned thing, put it back together and then not tell me what he did…isn’t that what friends do lol???) it would have fired up last night. I say that about the pump because it was on maybe, MAYBE 5 seconds and he shut the pump off (I never even saw pressure on the gauge…hmmmmm) and says “I smell fuel”!
I’m thinking WTF?? I have known this dude since 1982 and he is nose blind, can’t smell **** if it was sitting on his head. So methinks he screwed it up and rather than tell me he just let it slide.
At any rate, neither one of us has a clue if when when put power to the system the first time if the FL was already toast and we never caught it or what. We just don’t know.
FWIW, when I do my own car this winter I will be removing the FL and using a fuse just because of this thread.
So I thank everyone for their responses. I didn’t ignore them. I listened. I just couldn’t get my friend to do it.
Want to know what tends to happen with a fuse or CB? People go out, replace fuse or push reset and continue on, meanwhile stuff still continues to melt in the car. Seen it too many times. Not saying people here will do that, just what tends to occur.
I did a ton of FL replacements on off road jeep stuff because they don't have the option of being stuck many times and the get it going and back to camp outweighs the melting. See above for some of why the fuse isn't always better, user error.
Protect the circuit however you wish. If your protection pops/fails, don't ignore the fact that it did its job.
I did a ton of FL replacements on off road jeep stuff because they don't have the option of being stuck many times and the get it going and back to camp outweighs the melting. See above for some of why the fuse isn't always better, user error.
Protect the circuit however you wish. If your protection pops/fails, don't ignore the fact that it did its job.
Location can also be important. The closer the fuse is to the battery the better. If I were running a big fat hot wire the length of the car, I would put it inside a piece of heater hose or something like that.
Some folks use a ford starter solenoid near the battery so the big positive wire is only on when the car is running or starting.
Some folks use a ford starter solenoid near the battery so the big positive wire is only on when the car is running or starting.
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