| Moderated by: Greg Fletcher | ||
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edward_davis Member 
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Has anyone out there used a fusable link or large-amperage fuse to protect their ignition and/ or alternator/ battery circuits? After all of the work I've done getting my headlights, etc. to work, it has occurred to me that there are still several places I could have disastrous shorts in my wiring harness that could result in damage or destruction of my JH. Also, I've heard that fusable links aren't a good way to protect the car because they still burn in a dramatic fashion that could ignite vapors under the hood. Any ideas out there? |
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Mark Rosenbaum Member 
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Ford used to use a really short fusible link for general system protection, but I'm under the impression they quit doing that in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Might have been a cost cutting measure, or maybe they had one fail in an exciting manner and got sued as a result, or perhaps my memory is faulty... don't know. Personally, I wouldn't worry about trying to protect the alternator with a fuse or equivalent -- the odds are very high that the alternator diodes will burn out long before the wiring melts. Also, I don't see any need for a fuse in the ignition circuit if you still have the ballast in place. For the headlights, however, relays and suitable fuses might be a good idea if for no other reason than to protect the various switches, and an inline fuse for the lights at the rear of the car might be desirable too. |
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