Fuse Boxes

[texasz]

Are the fuse boxes from all the 240Zs the same (i.e. '70-'73 all the same) or where there differences? If not the same can someone please tell me what the differences were?

I have an early '71 (8/70 production date) that has a melt in the fuse box and I have a '73 parts car with a good fuse box.

[mdbrandy]

I've never directly compared the two boxes themselves, but I know that the earlier ones are "short pigtail" and the later ones the "long pigtail". This refers the the harness that comes out of the box and attaches to the dash wiring harness. The one for the early boxes is only a couple inches, and for the later boxes, I think it's more like a foot.

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by mdbrandy

I've never directly compared the two boxes themselves, but I know that the earlier ones are "short pigtail" and the later ones the "long pigtail". This refers the the harness that comes out of the box and attaches to the dash wiring harness. The one for the early boxes is only a couple inches, and for the later boxes, I think it's more like a foot.

Actually, it is the opposite. Earlier cars (70-71) had the long pigtail fuse boxes, while the later (72-73) had the short pigtail fuse boxes.

I, too have not compared detail for detail between the two types of fuse boxes so I can't help you there. Sorry

[mdbrandy]

Originally posted by BambiKiller240

Actually, it is the opposite. Earlier cars (70-71) had the long pigtail fuse boxes, while the later (72-73) had the short pigtail fuse boxes.

Rats. Thanks for the correction Carl. I should have looked at my picture library first instead of relying on the old, failing memory :stupid: .

The attached picture is not very good, but shows the long pigtail from my car with the fuse box in the lower left corner.

[St.stephen]

why not just use the complete 73 harness?

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by St.stephen

why not just use the complete 73 harness?

Lots of extra work to pull all of the early wiring out of the dash, etc; compared to just replacing the fuse box with the correct one, but it certainly can be done.

[St.stephen]

from the looks of the pics, it doesn't look like the car is ready to go anywhere anytime soon, and I don't think it could be more apart than it already is

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by St.stephen

from the looks of the pics, it doesn't look like the car is ready to go anywhere anytime soon, and I don't think it could be more apart than it already is

Which picture(s) are you referring to? Mark's pic or?

[St.stephen]

the ones that are in mdbrnady's gallery of the dash completely disassembled, the rockers cut out, etc. I thought if those were current, than swapping harnesses wouldn't be terribly and issue.

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by St.stephen

the ones that are in mdbrnady's gallery of the dash completely disassembled, the rockers cut out, etc. I thought if those were current, than swapping harnesses wouldn't be terribly and issue.

Oh OK, but isn't it texasz that wants to swap the fuse boxes?

[St.stephen]

you know, my shoe never tastes good, I don't know why I eat them :stupid:

[Marty Rogan]

TexasZ,

Let me guess which circuit melted down .... Third one down on the right side, the dash/tail light circuit. Am I right??? I have 2 early 240's a 1970 and a 1971. Both melted down in that same circuit. MSA is coming out with a more modern replacement for the fuse boxes. The "Long Pigtailed" version, which is correct for an early car, is supposed to be available in October. At $199, it is not cheap, but neither are used ones that could suffer the same fate.

I am keeping the stock one on the 70 show car, but going with the MSA model when its available for the 71 racer.

Anyone out there tried one of these? The later "short pigtailed" version was supposed to be available first.

Marty

[Bambikiller240]

Save some for me. I just assembled my rebuilt engine and I can't get oil pressure! :stupid: New pump, etc everything else works, but no pressure (yet). guess I'mm pulling the pump on Wednesday.

[St.stephen]

I do have you beat though. I pulled my car off the jackstands onto the floor of the garage this weekend using it as a crutch to pull myself up

[mdbrandy]

Originally posted by St.stephen

I do have you beat though. I pulled my car off the jackstands onto the floor of the garage this weekend using it as a crutch to pull myself up

Wow! Good thing you werent' under it! :dead: Where were you supporting it?

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by St.stephen

I do have you beat though. I pulled my car off the jackstands onto the floor of the garage this weekend using it as a crutch to pull myself up

Good to hear that you didn't get squashed by it.

[Dtsnlvrs]

Afew words about the fuse box in 240s. If you are melting the parking or headlight fuses the first step is to replace the combo switch....trust me on this one. Age and corrosion in this switch leads to increased current draw wich melts the fuses. The original boxes can be rebuilt if done very carefully and can result in a much safer electrical system.

[kmack]

Ok, so if the "early" cars had the long pigtails, then how come my '71 Series I has the short ones on it? I even have the harness from a '71 Series II car (1 month newer than mine) that has the same short pigtails! Both were melted to some degree.

On the topic of switching dash harnesses, you would have to switch the entire harness for the car to use a '73 dash harness on an earlier car. I tried this once. The plugs are slightly different where they come out of the dash and hook up to the body harnesses. It could be made to work, yes, but it would take a little time.

texasz,

You can repair the fuse block. Do as Dtsnlvrs suggested and clean up the contacts in the switch. Then remove your fuse block from the car and carefully clean all the contacts in the plastic block. Then take some JB Weld and rebuild the melted area of the fuse block.

On mine, the plastic had melted so bad that the contacts were actually hanging in mid-air. A little JB Weld here and a little there, a few days to let everything setup real good, and I haven't had an issue yet in the last year and a half.

[Marty Rogan]

Ken,

I thought their was nothing you could do with a melted box. Never would have thought of using JB Weld to build it up. The inner holder od my tail light circuit is suspended in mid air too, and it still works!

It sounds like JB Weld is the duct tape of the adhesive family!

Marty

[Dtsnlvrs]

When rebuilding the fuse boxes...I remove the box...then use a very small drill bit and drill out all of the rivets holding the fuse clips in. Re-solder the clips to the contacts on the back of the fuse block (once you have it in you hand you will see what I am talking about.) For a severely melted box..ie clips hanging in air...I use two part "Double Bubble" epoxy to rebuild it. Also...clean and or replace ALL elec. contacts on the car.....results in much cooler fuse blocks

[texasz]

Here's a pic of mine that melted sometime before I bought the car. It is the third one down on the right side that melted (not sure what that is for).

The easiest thing would be for me to replace it with the one from my '73 parts car if I could then I could worry about rebuilding it later and not be rushed to complete it and take the chance of doing something wrong.

[kmack]

HEY!!! That looks like you took a picture of my fuse block before I fixed it! Same big gaping hole! The JB Weld will work , but there is a trick to keeping it in place while it sets up:

Mix the stuff up and then let it sit for a bit before you put it in place. Let it get a little like a paste. Otherwise, you'll end up rolling the fuse block over from side to side to keep the stuff in place (it will want to flow out due to gravity) for the next few hours.

[gramercyjam]

I did the same JB Weld fix for the melted plastic. I have a slightly different approach to the corrosion and poor electrical contact problems. You may notice quite a bit of corrosion where the wire lugs are riveted to the fuse box and where the fuses clip in too. I soaked mine in phosporic acid for a few minutes to remove the corrosion, rinsed in clear water several times, blow dry with compressed air, restake rivets. It held up for at least 8 years after that and may last longer. I just took it out of service and converted to the spade lug fuses.

[Inf]

I had a really hard time trying to solder the contacts on the back of my fuse block. There is a layer of some dielectric film over the metal that just made the solder bead up on the surface. I sanded it pretty well, but it seemed to be more trouble than it was worth (especially when another member gave me a good deal on a clean used fuse block) to clean out/flatten the back head on that rivet so it would hold on. My box was the short pigtail version.

I don't have a picture of my original block, but you can see what i'm talking about in the picture of the good one.

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3997&size=big&password=&sort=7&thecat=500

My original block looked just like the picture TexasZ linked of his. I actually failed an inspection because of it! The parking lights wouldn't come on after I drove it to the inspection station (on the last day that the registration was still good!). Didn't figure out until I got home what the issue was. Seemed the combination of some corrosion and the loose joint (not held in tension by the plastic) caused the connection to be intermittent.

[lordbiotree]

Looks like the best way to go is use JB weld untill you have the money to poney up for MSA.

I vote is as soon as MSA has the new ones I'll do my best to upgrade.

-Brandon