Date:         Sat, 22 Jun 2013 14:36:14 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Fuse Box 85 Vanagon
Comments: To: Jon Durham <jon_durham@KNOLOGY.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <51C5E451.9050800@knology.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 01:52 PM 6/22/2013, Jon Durham wrote:
>I'd like to know if there is a fuse box with blade fuses for my 85 Vanagon.

In practical terms, I reckon not.  But you can give it a new lease on life:

a) Pull the wires off one by one, tighten the female terminals if
necessary and renew any of the crimp terminals that show signs of
overheating.  Use a tool like a Channellock 908 (see
https://picasaweb.google.com/117189706757545167023/VanagonMeltedEngineHarness02#5487300480980688162
) to get a good crimp without breaking your hands.  It's an
electrician's tool,  makes an ugly but effective crimp by
concentrating force on one side of the connector.  Channellock,
Greenlee, Klein.  H-D has 'em in electrical dept.

I had a $50 ratcheting crimper long ago, it was even better.  The $30
ratchet crimpers from the FLAPS are complete junk.

b) Get a small abrasive point for Dremel or similar and use it to
clean/polish the holes in the fuse clips.  That type of fuse holder
only makes contact on the edges of the holes.

c) Swap out your GBC fuses for fresh clean ones.  If you can find
glass ones (Littelfuse and Bussmann both used to make them) so much
the better, because they have regular plated ends instead of just
continuing the fuse element over the end of a ceramic form.  At the
very least, shine up the ends of your old fuses with fine sandpaper
and replace any where the contact surface is pitted, or is grooved to
where your sandpaper can't get to the part that needs shining.

Yours,
David