I was wondering if there would be any advantage to converting over to a new fuse block that uses the blade type fuses versus using the cylindrical type stock fuses that my Volare came with.
All of the aftermarket wiring harnesses that I've seen have the "newer" blade type fuses. Opinions?

_________________
"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

Wesola78,

Changing to the new spade type fuses is a good idea. They don’t rust, are much easer to read if blown, and replacing is much easer.

Downside is you will have to stand on your head under the dash for a good length of time to convert over to a new fuse panel. I changed out the old glass tube type to the spade stile on my Dart a few years ago, and have been pleased with their performance.

I did remove the front seat so I could lay flat on my back in order to be able to easily access that nasty spot under the dash, and avoided a trip to the bone crusher once the conversion was completed. LOL

Bill

_________________
67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

I agree that they are better, I just don't see a point to it. Sure it's one of those things where they are easier to pull and easier to read. But is it worth all the uncomfortable under the dash work to mess with fuses that you probably only have to pull once every few years? Seems like a lot of work for very little convenience.

How many years are between each fuse change?


Not worth the trouble........

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Yeah, I would definitely do that to make the job easier.

I have been thinking about installing an aftermarket wiring harness and installing it under the dash on the passenger side. I already have the ECU, voltage reg, ballast res, and starter relay mounted on a panel under the dash on the passenger side. A member of this board has a '56 Dodge pickup set up like this, he's got some good pics of his handiwork.

Thanks for the replies fellas! This is a possible future project.

_________________
"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

Here it is:
http://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=34468

_________________
"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

I did this in my '76 for a couple of reasons...glass fuses of the proper amperage are not being carried locally anymore, I also notice that Buss fuses I had bought recently aren't really holding up to the amp rating they advertise.... Rust eventually took a toll on the OEM fuse box connectors causing a short...the wiring harness is 34 years old and as much as most people would replace it, nobody will make a post '74 wiring harness for the dash...oddly enough...(anyone with a pre-72 has things made for simplicity in the amount of circuits...). $5 for a fistful of various amp spades in a multi pak and I'm good to go now.

-D.Idiot

I installed my new fuse panel during a major rewire project. The OEM unit was a rusted mess.

_________________
67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

D.I. and wjajr,
What brand of fuse block did ya'll go with?
Thanks again for the replies!

_________________
"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

Wesola78,

Below is the seen in March, a few years ago in my unheated garage. Can you feel the love?




I just used a generic 6 fuse blocks, and bolted it to the striped OEM glass tube fuse holder. I may have gotten the block from RonFrancisWiring, can’t remember for sure. Or this universal unit, made in several sizes, from Summit.

It all mounts in the same factory location after a little English was applied to the metal where the mounting screw attaches under the dash.



As you can see I just used an insulated generic spade connector so no un-insinuated conductor is exposed once mounted under the dash. This is a crude, but dirt cheap fix.

I just copied the sequence that Chrysler used so the wiring diagram still applies. I did make use of a terminal that wasn’t used from the factory to power the convertible top. That circuit now utilizes a pair of relays to power the top motor instead of the factory method of passing 30 amps through the cheep little dash switch which is no longer available…

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Oh yeah, I feel the love!

Okay, that gives me another option. I may just get a whole new harness, or just a fuse block.

Thanks again!

_________________
"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

I've had old glass fuses stop making a connection for no obvious reason, but I've also had old blade fuses start melting their plastic. Either way, corrosion has been a problem.

Also, I'd avoid fuses from Harbor Freight (they had a safety recall).

Hey Wes,

I’m way too cheap, errr, rather, frugal, to have installed a new harness. All I did was replace any suspect, hacked-up, stiff insulation coated conductors with same gage & color conductors, as well as all the brass connectors & the bulkhead connector with a NOS unit.

If you have the time, ability, and tools, you’ll save a ton of dough over a new harness. 70% of the wire under the dash was in good shape, the rest was either melted, or hacked up from several sound system installs over the years.

All the brass connections had some corrosion, and particularly the connections under the hood & out front in the headlight area. Once all your connections are good & clean, and tight, resistance is cut to a minimum, which reduces hot spots in the harness.

_________________
67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Speaking for myself, I am a cheap SOB, or economically minded, take your pick. That said, it's difficult for me to spend money on new stuff if I don't really have to. However, with wiring, I'm also a little paranoid when it comes to replacing/rewiring stuff that is still working.
So, we'll see...

_________________
"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

I changed all the fuses in my '64 Valiant to the new style, and I also added another fuse block to accomodate additional circuits required for my aftermarket A/C, power seats, and seat belt control module.

There was plenty of slack in the OEM wiring to re-terminate the wires with insulated terminals.