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Best place for Fuse Box?
Blairm - 9/3/04 at 07:19 PM

Hi,

About to start making my own loom. Any suggestion as to the best location for the fuse box to keep it as tidy as I can. As I am not modifying the escort loom I figure I have a little more flexibility

Cheer Blair

stephen_gusterson - 9/3/04 at 07:46 PM

near to battery. you dont want unfused wires from battery to box to be long lengths

unless you want an electrical fire....


atb

steve

Blairm - 9/3/04 at 08:09 PM

Thanks, But what if the battery is rear mounted?

Cheers Blair

Staple balls - 9/3/04 at 08:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Blairm
Thanks, But what if the battery is rear mounted?

Cheers Blair



um, put the fuse box at the back? y'know, if you get a nice little fire near your fuel lines. that's gonna be great fun that.

Fifer - 9/3/04 at 08:30 PM

Lots of cars have battery at rear (Jag XJ6 for one), if you use very heavy duty cables for main run to starter solenoid, keep them well insulated and clear of metal !, and fit an inline fuse link for the feed to the fuse box etc, you will be fine and dandy.


JoelP - 9/3/04 at 08:35 PM

ideally a pair of jump leads to the front, since the wires will be up to ten times as long thats a lot more voltage drop down the length.

David Jenkins - 9/3/04 at 09:55 PM

Apart from "near the battery", somewhere that isn't likely to get water running over it is a good idea. Either that, or a REALLY waterproof cover!

rgds,

David

Blairm - 9/3/04 at 10:02 PM

Hi Thanks for all the advice. I have 32mm cross section (100mm diameter approx) cable running to the starter relay at present. Should I run a seperate heavy earth or will the chassis be OK?

stephen_gusterson - 9/3/04 at 10:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Blairm
Hi Thanks for all the advice. I have 32mm cross section (100mm diameter approx) cable running to the starter relay at present. Should I run a seperate heavy earth or will the chassis be OK?



The chassis will be more than OK.


I dont think you mean 100mm or 32mm do you?


yep - many cars DO have the battery at the back - ther current beemer 3 series does.

If you do put the battery in the rear you need a thick cable thats WELL PROTECTED cos if it shorts, it wont be fused at all. Id suggest taking it to a common point at the front - like starter solenoid - then bringing a cable up to a power distribution stud - insulated - and use that to spur off short leads to the fuses in the fuse box.

Run the thick cable the rear in round plastic conduit if I were you.

why cant the battery fit the front - mines in the bulkhead centre inside the bonnet.

Julian B - 9/3/04 at 10:32 PM

A battery in the rear is exactly what i was thining of doing. I would like to fit a heater alla caterham. This takes up quite a bit of bulkhead room so a boot mounted battery would be nice nice.

stephen_gusterson - 9/3/04 at 10:47 PM

i managed to squeeze a mini heater inside the scuttle, but it is tight

atb

steve

Blairm - 9/3/04 at 10:56 PM

Sorry Guys, I meant 32 Square mm cross sectional area for the battery cable.

The reason it is in the back is that is the way the McGregor Chassis I am using in New Zealand is set up.

I head the warning about shorts and am running it on the opposite side to the fuel line and will look at conduit for saftey.

Cheers Blair

Blairm - 9/3/04 at 10:59 PM

Stephen,

you mention an insulated stud for distribution. What do these look like?

Cheers Blair

timf - 10/3/04 at 08:55 AM

generally like this Rescued attachment sum-g1431_m.jpg
Rescued attachment sum-g1431_m.jpg

JoelP - 10/3/04 at 09:14 AM

FWIW, my battery ended up in the passanger footwell and ground level.

James - 10/3/04 at 09:30 AM

quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
FWIW, my battery ended up in the passanger footwell and ground level.


Yeah that's my plan too- keep all that weight nice and low!

James

JoelP - 10/3/04 at 09:45 AM

plus its the passanger who loses space! all good...

stephen_gusterson - 10/3/04 at 01:59 PM

actually, I made my own.

I got a peice of plastic about 50mm square, 10mm thick, and put a 10mm bolt / stud thro the middle.

I drilled some fixing holes in the corners of the square, and mounted it from the dash side of the scuttle with the stud passing thro a big clearance hole into the bonnet side. The battery, alternator and starter cables junctioned to the side poking into the bonnet side of the scuttle, and the live feeds to the fuses and whatever come from the side within the dash area.

Tims suggestion looks same kinda idea, but mine looks more 'ballsy'.

atb

steve


[Edited on 10/3/04 by stephen_gusterson]

alfasudsprint - 10/3/04 at 07:20 PM

Steve,
so where is the fuse box, under the scuttle??? does your website show any of this...(am looking now!)

Tim

stephen_gusterson - 10/3/04 at 10:38 PM

I have two 8 way fuse boxes. In the pic you can just see the upper one to the right of the battery.

The 'thro stud' is being hidden by the battery - its fairly close to its side.

The fuse boxes are mounted from the rear of the scuttle, into oblong holes, so that the fuses can be accessed from the bonnet. Its a bit crowded there, with the ABS valve block and washer tank, but its acessable.



atb

steve Rescued attachment fuses.jpg
Rescued attachment fuses.jpg

elitewiring - 11/3/04 at 01:58 AM

it looks like on a couple of fuses are fitted, (this could be my eye sight), say 6 out of the possible 16, is this right, if so why ?? or are you in mid build???
i dont mean to question your car just interested.

stephen_gusterson - 11/3/04 at 09:06 PM

cos when the pikky was taken - and is still the case - most of the bodywork and subsequent fitted lights etc are not fitted!


Most wires are open ended at the destinations.

I just have the fuses for iginition and horn fitted (and heater motor in the one below). Not fitting fuses until needed is a good way of isolating incomplete circuits!

atb

steve

[Edited on 11/3/04 by stephen_gusterson]

jmbillings - 18/4/04 at 10:49 AM

Our Battery is in the engine bay on the passenger side with the main ignition/permanant feeds to the ignition switch going throught the bulkhead. The fusebox is under the scuttle on the passenger side, and any cables that need to pass back through the the engine bay (lights/instrument senders etc) go through 2 big multiway plugs that Steve found.