[r-mm]

Hello all

I'm working on the harness of my 73 while its too cold to do anything else. Wondering if anyone has used a modern fuse block. There was one thread about 3D printing, which was cool, but I'm not going that way. I honestly can't recall what exactly the fuse block attaches to and how tight the fit is. I'm not obsessed with originality here, I'd like reliability and the lack of fire more than anything. Ideas?

 

[cabikefreak]

I thought there was a thread on someone adapting a new block without changing things so they couldn't be put back. I just tried to find it and I can't but maybe someone will chime in.

 

[r-mm]

This is the closest I've found so far after searching old threads for a while. 8 Circuit ATO/ATC Fuse Block - WiringProducts

It is close, but the bolts are facing the wrong way. I really can't recall how the fuse block sits under the dash - anyone have a pic?

 

[eedneco]

I've not done it, but I did think some Cooper Bussmann things looked like a good starting point.
Some notes I had for whenever:

Leash electronics was the box Daron used in a video approx Aug 2013. I think this one New Pro Street Wiring Board
I also think this bussman one looks good
The 31000 series VEC at Connector Concepts, Inc. - Cooper Bussmann Transportation Products: Power Distribution Modules​

gprocket had a thread about fuseboxes but it sounds like you had found that one.

/Neil

 

[r-mm]

Both of those are quite nice and look positively submersible - maybe overkill for me.

The easiest route would be to find replacement conductors/fuse holders and reuse the plastic block itself. I'm not sure if the bullet fuses are totally outdated or if I might find new holders in the TE/Tyco/AMP catalog. I got a headache last time I delved that deep. I now have everything else I need on order so maybe I'll take a look tonight.

 

[TehKyosho]

Sealed Mini Fuse & ISO 280 Mini Relay Combo Panel - Partially Bussed

holds fuses and relays

 

[r-mm]

I've decided to give the existing fuse box a clean up and adjust all the contacts for correct tension. These torpedo / bosch style fuses are disparaged widely. What is the source of their unreliability?

Mechanical - fuses get kicked out of place?
Electrical - pointy ends of fuses make incomplete contact and generate hot spots?
Fuses themselves - inherently unreliable themselves?

 

[eedneco]

As far as I've seen, it's that the metal ends that hold the fuse in place (ie fusebox, not the fuse itself) lose tension easily, or basically have little in the first place.
The older advice was to get elastics for braces from your dentist and loop them over the fuse holders to try to keep the tension on them... Yes, I've done that. Fine until the elastic gets a bit too old and breaks itself. All in all a bit silly...
I'm not very attached to the original fusebox, between this and the additional wiring I've done for relays, o2 sensor, etc, I will re-do my harness and fusebox when time allows. That said, it's not given me trouble till now, really.
/Neil

 

[Alfajay]

As far as I've seen, it's that the metal ends that hold the fuse in place (ie fusebox, not the fuse itself) lose tension easily, or basically have little in the first place.

Yes, that is one problem. The brass "ends" just aren't that rigid - no matter how you bend or adjust them, they aren't beefy enough to generate much tension. Also, the contact area between the hole in the ends and the pointed part of the fuse is miniscule.

Plus, the pointed ends of the fuses tend to corrode, creating resistance across that tiny contact area.

Blade-style fuses are a far superior design. The contact area and pressure is much greater.

 

[1750GT]

This is the closest I've found so far after searching old threads for a while. 8 Circuit ATO/ATC Fuse Block - WiringProducts
It is close, but the bolts are facing the wrong way. I really can't recall how the fuse block sits under the dash - anyone have a pic?

It looks the mounting tabs would have to be revised....but not too difficult really. For the cost of that blade box....it sure is tempting to give it a shot....especially if staying OE is not a key consideration to one's restoration objectives. Plus those LED fuses are a neat solution to the sometimes difficult task of identifying blown blade fuses.

 

[r-mm]

View attachment 707433

It looks the mounting tabs would have to be revised....but not too difficult really. For the cost of that blade box....it sure is tempting to give it a shot....especially if staying OE is not a key consideration to one's restoration objectives. Plus those LED fuses are a neat solution to the sometimes difficult task of identifying blown blade fuses.

Thanks - exactly the pic I was looking for. I'm happy to test the blade fuse block for the team but have a question - how do you achieve the ganged terminals seen below - top row 1-4, 7-8, 9-10 are ganged. 1-4 is fed by a middle tab with a 2.5mm red wire.

 

[Del]

Don't know about the later GTV's, but the fuse blocks in the mid 60's were a pain, as they got dirty in a hurry, and then the connection for any given fuse would be lost. Was always cleaning the darn thing to restore headlights, etc. Ended up wrapping it in plastic film to try to keep it clean.

 

[Alfajay]

how do you achieve the ganged terminals seen below - top row 1-4, 7-8, 9-10 are ganged. 1-4 is fed by a middle tab with a 2.5mm red wire.

Not sure I understand your question. You gang the terminals by connecting them together. One way would be to use "piggyback" connectors like:

But you really don't need two of the pairs of ganged connectors (7-8, 9-10) if you install headlight relays. Alfa only did it that way because each bulb filament had its own dedicated fuse and wire. If you are driving relays with those circuits, the second fuse and wire can be deleted.

 

[Luscombe1940]

I would love to see a workable and reliable solution to the dreaded fuse block. While I was making a new wiring harness for my Spider, I struggled with this same issue. I too ended up just cleanning up the old fuse block. I also used dielectric grease on the ends of the fuses and the clean brass.

In spite of all the attention to detail and new wires, new terminals, when I was ready to test the system I had issues with one of the fuses not making contact even though everything looked fine. I am looking for a reliable solution to this before I do any serious driving next spring and summer.

The work that Gprocket (Rich) was doing to convert the bullet box to a blade type seemed to be just the ticket. It was a bolt on mod, way cool. Unfortunately, he has had some issues with the reliability and because of that I doubt he will produce any for others to use, liability and all I think.

It would be great if someone were to make a project out of converting the old fuse block to a new blade type and then share their work with the rest of us.

For my restoration, I am more concerned with reliability than originality when it comes to the electrical system. I added relays and a sub-fuse block in the engine compartment but still have the original block beneath the dash.

 

[Alfajay]

I would love to see a workable and reliable solution to the dreaded fuse block.

My sense is that the fusebox that r-mm showed in post #9 in his thread at: http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/gt-1963-1977/382514-wiring-harness-refurb-questions-leave-wires-replace-conxs.html is as close a "drop in replacement" as you are likely to find. Sure, it would be great if someone took the part that Gprocket developed and put it into production, but I just don't think there would be a large enough demand to justify that.

Adapting the Hella fusebox to an Alfa is going to take some work: making an adapter to mount it and probably lengthening some wires to make them reach. In my experience, nothing aftermarket ever just "bolts in". But I'll bet that the Hella box that r-mm found would take as little modification as anything else commercially available.

When I built my Sprint GT, I wasn't aware of the Hella fusebox and used a different configuration. Since I was re-making most of the harness, this wasn't a big deal. Here's a photo I took in-process (sorry it isn't better):

 

[raff_gta]

I replaced the old style fusebox with a modern version a little while back. Wasnt too hard, just takes a bit of time and a wiring diagram. You just need to be careful with what 'blocks' of fuses to join up and what ones you need to keep separate. I ended up tearing it all out and replacing my entire wiring loom with a Painless Wiring kit, much better!! Or else Id have photos!! As for the wiring diagrams, there is someone on the BB who has made excellent diagrams that I used to wire up the car, and he'll send them to you for a small donation to the site!! Either way, a blade style fusebox will make things easier for you, just need to be confident enough to do it!! Good luck!!

 

[r-mm]

Thanks for all the replies.

Alfajay - your point is well taken on 7-8/ 9-10 and I will be using headlight relays. However if my eyes are working it seems that terminals 1-4 share a common connection at the top, and they are all fed by a single red awg12 wire that the factory sends to a sort of "bus". I realize that those ganged blade connections are one solution, but if I'm not mistaken, it would be tricky to achieve what the factory did without more rewiring, which I'm happy to do. Is it clear what I'm getting at?

 

[r-mm]

A diagram...

 

[raff_gta]

Headlight relays are a great idea, make a massive difference!! 7&8 and 9&10 are also connected too. You'll need to do a few adjustments to get the wires working properly. It doesnt help, but here in Australia, I bought a universal fuse box from a parts shop that was pretty much the same size as the original Alfa unit, so you should be able to find the same in the US!!

 

[Alfajay]

Alfajay - your point is well taken on 7-8/ 9-10 and I will be using headlight relays. However if my eyes are working it seems that terminals 1-4 share a common connection at the top, and they are all fed by a single red awg12 wire that the factory sends to a sort of "bus". I realize that those ganged blade connections are one solution, but if I'm not mistaken, it would be tricky to achieve what the factory did without more rewiring, which I'm happy to do. Is it clear what I'm getting at?

No, sorry, it's not clear what you are getting at. As I recall, fuses 1 - 4 are powered by the ignition switch, and power devices that only work when the key is "on". So that 12 ga. wire powers all four fuses.

Why couldn't you use "piggyback" terminals on short jumpers to interconnect 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4 and just bring the 12 ga. lead into one of them (probably 1 or 4)?