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87 W150 Wiring

1SykRyd

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Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
I want to replace the multiple connection fuseable link insulator under the hood of my truck with a fuse block. I'm thinking I need to cut the insulator from the battery feed, use that as the 12v input on the new fuse block, then remove the links and put a correct amp fuse in place of them. Is this right?

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Is a fusible link blown now? Why do you want them gone? If you keep blowing one you need to find the short that's burning it up. Yes, a fuse block will be easier, but usually fusible links last forever unless a short kills one.
 
Is a fusible link blown now? Why do you want them gone?

Well... I've never really been a fan of the fuseable link, and to be perfectly honest I never understood why MoPar didn't just use a fuse block in the first place. So when I rescued what was left of this rust bucket '87 W150 from behind a barn... I decided to do a resto-rat mod on it instead of restoring it to factory specs. And since I'll probably end up rewiring the entire truck... there's really no reason for me to keep the problematic links. I was just confirming what I was already thinking concerning swapping in fuses in place of the links. I'll still need to determine the correct amp size for each link though.

Basically I'm at the "buildup before the complete tear down" phase now... removing the rusted out parts and installing the rust free ones. The doors and fenders I picked up in Bakersfield, CA last winter. Future plans involve replacing the drivers side floor pan, swapping in a SWB frame and mounting a 6.5' step-side bed.

Hmmm... maybe I should just turn this into a build thread instead.

1987 Dodge W150 Left Front 01.jpg
1987 Dodge W150 Left Front 02.jpg
 
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You will need a wiring diagram to see what each link powers, it's usually more than 1 circuit so size the fuse accordingly.
 
I have done it on my D350. The reason for doing it was the wire feed to the splitter for the various fuse links was no long viable. You should be able to size the fuses needed from the color of fuse link wire. Each different color wire is rated for a certain amperage rating.
 
You should be able to size the fuses needed from the color of fuse link wire. Each different color wire is rated for a certain amperage rating.

Thanks for the reply. I found a color chart for the fusible links in my '87 service manual showing the color used for the gauge of wire (e.g. black = 12g, red = 14g, dark blue = 16g, grey = 18g, and orange = 20g, etc.), but it doesn't list the amperage rating of the individual links, nor does the manual have a master wiring diagram for me to reference. Just a series of location images for the harness. :arghh: :banghead: Do you happen to have any of this information?
 
I picked up a straight and rust free '84 SWB frame for $100 last night. It didn't come with the axles, but it did include the fuel tank, both rear springs, and the rear driveshaft. I'm planning to sandblast and powder coat it matte black.

1984 Dodge SWB Frame.jpg
 
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Thanks for the reply. I found a color chart for the fusible links in my '87 service manual showing the color used for the gauge of wire (e.g. black = 12g, red = 14g, dark blue = 16g, grey = 18g, and orange = 20g, etc.), but it doesn't list the amperage rating of the individual links, nor does the manual have a master wiring diagram for me to reference. Just a series of location images for the harness. :arghh: :banghead: Do you happen to have any of this information?
Different guages of wire are for different amp ratings. Just need to find that chart.
 
I came across this sketch of where the six links under the hood go (and their amps)... but it's for a '90 D150 with a Cummings and so I'm not sure it's accurate for my truck.

Fuseable Link Amps.jpg
 
posting here to save/bump the post. I have the same questions on my 85.
We redid the wiring harness on my son's 89 Ramcharger last year (did away with the lousy Holley TBI that was stock in those years and went carbureted. We used an 87 harness and deleted the Lean Burn from that harness, and we found a small factory underhood fuse box from a different brand of vehicle, (we wanted a small one with only ~6-8 fuse holes) and wired everything that used to be fusible linked to that but guessed at what ratings of fuses to use at the time.
Engine is out, in the process of becoming a stroked 408.

This year I (ol Dad) bought an 85 D150 with a slant 6. The wiring was a train wreck from He11, thanks to past owner "interference". Have never seen so many hacks under 1 hood, and that's coming from someone who has owned strictly Dodges since the 80s, and have been working on cars and trucks for a living "almost" as long. (I did get out of it for a few years, thinking the grass may be greener somewhere else but I'm baaack)
I am either gonna revamp the original harness (and delete the lean burn awhile I am at it) or else use the 84 harness I found in a junkyard that came from a 1-ton '84 w/a 360. just have to extend a few wires like oil sending unit, coil, alternator and such.... plus fix a few spots of cracked insulation and it too has 2 fusible links that were cut at some point. still less work than fixing the original harness.... the "HOT" from the alternator changed color 3 times in the length of the valve cover, for God's sake.... just twisted and taped not even a wire nut or scotch lock, nothing.... )
I like crimp, solder, heat shrink kind of wire repair.
I just got in yesterdays mail, enough uninsulated barrel crimp fittings and Packard 56 terminals to fix/ rebuild a few wiring harnesses.... these trucks are getting harder to find in the boneyards around here and the ones I do find are likewise botched anyway or weather cracked at best. so I may as well work with what I have and make it the best it can be.
I am glad to find that someone has assigned a value to the various fusible links in this thread though Im wondering "who" and where did those amp numbers come from? I had also heard way back that the length of the fusible link wire can make a difference in how much current will make it blow.
I ran into an issue last week at work on an International 7400 where the starter solenoid had stuck, melted the points together on the starter relay and fried a fusible link.... and found out that NAPA has fusible link wire in 10 ft spools, in the various colors/wire gauges while fixing that truck. but no mention of amperage limits on that package or in the Mitchell med/heavy truck wiring schematic for that truck, don't remember seeing that info in any Mopar factory service manual I have here either.....
 
my plan for this 85 is one of 2.... unsure which way I will go. Either crimp/solder/heat shrink "
MAXI fuses" into the existing wiring harness I am working on, in place of the existing fusible links or to do the same as we did on my son's Ramcharger…. any thoughts/better Ideas? (yeah I know that was Fords tagline, NOT wanting to turn this into a Fu***** over rebuilt Dodge here) Id rather eliminate the fusible links while still fusing the circuits with an easier to replace fuse than the fusible links are to replace "just in case" I should ever have to/
 
I did away with the fusible links in the 82 when the wires fell out of the link holder. I got a 6 fuse holder from NAPA and found it to not have an adequate amp rating. I to will be going to MAXI fuses. I pulled the box out of the going to salvage 93 Dakota just last week. It should carry the load for everything in place and room for additions.
 
On my son's Ramcharger we wound up using an underhood fuse block from (somewhere around) a 98 ZX2. plenty of spaces plus a couple of extras for future expansion for possibly a stereo or added fog lights, etc.... I have a 96 Dakota, and have owned 5-6, 87-96 Dakotas, that fuse box seems too big and unwieldy for my needs. but use what you have available. I don't care about "chalk mark correct" restored look, I just want it to be functional, and easier than cutting and splicing a new link in, IF the need should arise.
 
Where did "1 Sik Ryd" come up with those values for the various gauge sizes of fusible links? 20 GA = 40 amps? that seems way high..... though to date its the only thing I have seen that assigns "some" value to them.
 
Just do a search for fuse link amperage rating and pick the chart you like. The colors and amperage are standardized. Any box that uses maxi fuses should work.
 
Im working on the harness at the kitchen table today in this monsoon-y day. I don't have an extra fuse box on hand at the moment, leaning towards individual fuse holders in each fusible link line. (I have those in both 10GA and 14GA on hand) if the rain ever stops I may make a run to the junkyard to see what I can find for a small underhood fusebox.
 
thanks for posting but that didn't really answer anything.... "they can't relate a given fusible link to any certain fuse".
 
update.… I have my junkyard find '84 D350 harness all patched up, all cracked/peeled insulation taken care of, new ECU pigtail, new VR pigtail, as these were some of the worst cracked up/bare sections of wire in the harness...
I ordered some new Packard 56 spade terminals for one of the ballast resistor plugs and one that went to the starter relay/ just have the fusible link - delete part of the job, and to extend a few wires to things like the coil and the OP sending unit as needed for a /6.
cuz the harness I got (best one I could find in that yard, from a choice of 3 or 4 trucks that vintage, in the yard) came off a 360.
and today, when it dried up enough, I ventured out into the junkyard, scouting around for a suitable fuse box. I like the MAXI fuses, large blade style instead of the small low profile type of fuse, like on the one we got for the Ramcharger…. the top is clear plastic, but hard to tell by a visual if one of those is blown. Lots of choices, most were too big, clumbsy, lots of mini blade type fuses and relays I didn't need, took up lots of room.... I wound up with one from a '90 Ranger. 10 MAXI fuse slots, 2 std blade type "ATO" slots, anywhere between 7-all 10 MAXI fuses wired (depended on options) and either 1 or 2 of the ATO slots wired....
there is an aux (relay?) lower box on the same bracket as the fuse box, none of those directly tie into the fuse box, so I cut the metal mount bracket with this 2nd relay box, off and threw that part of it away. The last of the "Square body" Rangers seem the best type of vehicle to source a fuse box like this from, for this job. reasons I passed on most listed above in the post.

I grabbed 3 of them. I'm friends with the yard owner, he usually leaves it up to me what I pay for "small stuff" like that.
I have a use in mind for at least 1 of the "spare" fuse boxes I got (my popup camper)
and it was cheaper to grab an extra fuse box for its spare fuses, than to buy them later at the store.
I took the bottom cover off, and drew up a master schematic of wire colors, gauges, and original fuse rating per slot. so I can mount it to the truck, and not have to keep taking it off, to see which fuse slot I was tying into.
Just because there was a given amp fuse in a certain slot don't mean I will put the same back in, once wired in to my truck....I will use the original size fuse from a given slot as the "maximum" that I will put in a given slot.
I had looked online at various available fuse boxes and they either didn't have enough slots (and I don't want a "bank" of fuse boxes under the hood) or they had lots of fuse slots but were the smaller blade type fuses that I didn't feel comfortable putting as large a fuse into them as I need, say, for the main off the alternator....
Please DON'T bug me for a pic... me + pix on forums never seems to work out.
 
You will need a wiring diagram to see what each link powers, it's usually more than 1 circuit so size the fuse accordingly.
exactly what I am trying to figure out/ Anyone have a clue what each gauge size fusible link is equivalent to in a MAXI fuse? HELP
 
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