New fuse box tabs - and new long fuses?

OK guys, here is the photo of the new tabs with original fuses.



So all is well there.
But the notch keeps the clips from going out further, so I had to do this with the new ceramic fuses I got...




Is that enough contact to be OK?
Otherwise I either have to stick with the glass fuses, OR dremel the notches out which will in turn mean gluing the clips in place.

While on the subject of fuse boxes, if I trimmed the wires RIGHT at the original tabs, I should have plenty of wire to solder with even if trimming some crap wire off the tips, right?

 

Man, that looks like a lot of work... I don't mean to be rude, but if you're doing all that soldering anyway, is there a specific reason you're not just putting in an ATC setup instead?

You can only polish a turd so much, you know...

 

That much contact should be fine; you won't find glue that would willingly stick anyway.

It may be close. When I repaired my first one, I just clipped the old contacts off and didn't have a lot to work with. With the next one, I carefully cut away the old staked-on clip and freed up the wire that was trapped where the clip grabs the insulation. More than enough that way. Lovin' me some Dremel...

 

Remember that wire could be corrodide to dust just back of the connector.
You want to be sure you have solid wire or this is all for not.

 

Purse, ear, sow's, silk, no matter how you arrange them, it's still a bodge.

 

I guess that makes the lot of us "bodgers" then?

If the wires are in poor shape then you'll have to extend them. I was lucky in that I had no corrosion to deal with, just crystallized clips.

 

Bodge
v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bodged.] To botch; to mend clumsily; to patch. [Obs. or Dial.]

 

It'll get you by I'm sure, but they will probably corrode if not kept clean and dry. I'd go with the blade type fuse block with a cover over it eventually if it were my bike.

 

Clean and dry was never an issue with either of my XJs including the one that was kept outside for four years (maybe because of the location on the 550 Seca tho.) The clips got crystallized and just broke on their own or if you so much as looked at them.

The RS clips are modern spring steel and will probably hold up fine. Biggest drawback to glass fuses these days is availablility.

That being said, I personally plan to retrofit one of my bikes, but leave the repaired original in place in the other one. (That way I'll have lots of spare fuses.)

 

Firstly, I am trying to keep the stock look, and these fuses aren't the flaw in the system - it was the tabs. So, replacing the tabs keeps it 99% stock.

As far as clean - they'll be as clean as, uh well, stock ones!
But better, because I am going to silicone around the wires where they go in.

I will be extending all 8 wires, because I want nice clean metal. I will be cutting about 2 inches from the harness, and solder and heatshrink them. Then solder new ones to tabs, and get the wires straightened out, then use some silicon caulk (clear or black) around the wire 'strap'.
As far as clean goes - I have the stock cover as well. So they'll be nice and clean in there.

Radioshack has a TON of glass fuses Fitz, and if you do what I did, you can use the ceramic quick-burn ones.

<-- Not worried about it being dirty, wet, or corroded. It can't happen now!

Will update this post with fresh pics when I finish it tomorrow.

 

dpawl,
on mine i was able to cut then right at the old clip and had just enough to reattach them. As for the ATC fuse block we dont have enough room to put it the stock location. and I havent seen a suitable location to move it to.
If you have by all means post some pics. I as well as other 1100 owners would like to replace ours with the blade fuse. I'm trying to find a ATM fuse panel they are quite abit smaller than the ATC fuses

 

I still don't understand what the big deal is with ATC/ATM.
If you can get new clips for the original factory fuse block - for $3.50 - why not?

I guess people would rather 'upgrade' if they have to go through the trouble of soldering. Personally, I think it is fun to try and made it look as stock as possible.

Have pics of it all put together in the stock box just not soldered yet.
Will get those up within 2 hours (at work)

 

I'm happy with the upgrade I have done figured the OEM tabs lasted 20 plus years, these should last at least that long. I was looking for those that are wanting to change.

 

Well guys, here 'tis!
I have not soldered yet, doing that when I get home tonight (in about an hour) Will get a pic of the solder work done too, after.


Wow... doesn't that look JUST like the original box...?



But wait, it's the same, but different, but, THE SAME!


I'm lovin it!

And yes, that is 14 gauge wire. Bit too big, but I think I like it.
Guess my guess of how big the wire was on the bike was a bit off. But it's better than being smaller than what I had on the bike!

 

The wires are all the same color! Doug!!!!!

Other than that, looks great!---especially how the wires were run down the center of the box, rather than around the outside.

 

So what about the wire color?
You think I am gonna blow seperate amounts of money of 4 colors? lol.
The colors in the bike are obviously different, and I am going to label these ones with a dymo writer.

No big deal right?
Or am I missing some big important thing about colors? lol.


PS - I am WICKED colorblind. haha.

 

Very neat job, looks great! Take a pic once everything's soldered and in place.

 

Tech, I have never heard of silicone caulk causing corrosion...
Where'd you hear that? Anyway. What is liquid electrical tape, or rather, where can I get it?

Thanks stereo- Should be interesting to solder. I think once I figure out how the wires will mount to each tab, I'll draw a diagram of it, then take the actual tabs OUT so I can get them soldered easier.

What do you guys think: Solder to the BACK of the tab straight across, or trim some of the heavy wire off and push it through the hole, bent it, then solder?
If I do that way, I should probably bent it over the front and THROUGH, and pop out the back, right? Look cleaner?

I think I should just solder to the backs, but let me know what you guys think.

 

either way will look good. some solder will come thru the hole so that might not look good on the front

 

Solder the wires flat to the back with some good eutectic solder and heat-shrink the joints, for posterity. Heat-shrink always makes things look very professional, and you can even color-code with it :-D

 

What's the value of those fuses you got in there?

 

very good idea! I have to get heatshrink to do the wire-to-wire soldering, so I'll iget a multi color pack and color code all my tabs too.

I'll glue a piece of each shrink color to the back of my box cover and use the dymo to print descriptions.

ooooo... that makes me happy!

 

Looks nice Dpawl. I need to do the same thing with my 1100. Like HardLucktx said not enough room to install blade style fuse holder. You know its alot easier for us lazy guys. You are doing a great job keeping it stock. Keep the pics coming.

MN

 

thanks mn!

wizard- do you mean value as in purpose or $$$ ?

if purpose, they are ceramic and are supposed to blow faster. called quick burn I believe. plus I like the look! they will blow faster so there is less chance of frying something. I believe the standard ones take a bit to blow which can shock the electrical.

as far as $$$, I think they were 4 for $3 at radioshack. might have been 5.

 

Dpawl is the reason I went ahead and just replaced the clips on mine the stock look sounded good to me, and the fact we dont really have anywhere we could mount a blade box and make it look good.

 

Noooo, dpawl, value, as in how many amps.

 

lol, damn aussie!

20 amp main, 10 amp everything else, just like stock!

 

D LOL

 

OK, I am home... now, to solder this setup!
I am setting up on my PC desk - and I have a VERY powerful custom built PC... and I don't need to be blowing a breaker - in the basement - under the first floor apartment I can't get into without waking the 'neighbors'.

So, I am shutting the PC down while I do this.
Hopefully only take me an hour or so!

Post pics when I am done, or when I botch the whole thing!
Either way, it'll be a good time!

 

Yay! All done. Now just need to wire it into the bike.

Overall, I am very happy with it.
But once you take the cover off, my OCD kicks in.

Due to the soldering technique + the heavy gauge wire...
the solder traveled up inside the wire, causing it to be even harder to bend than it already was. You can see this in the picture, furthest from the wire output area, on the right. Big kink, barely got that tab in there.

Also, soldering the wires on OUTSIDE the box, and then attempting to push them in, with all that other junk in there... not easy!
But I got it done. And hey, it ain't going anywhere.

The original fuses are still in the backup spots in the cover, and it still fits fine!

I wish I could have got the wires rerouted better, but they don't want to bend easy as it was, and if I bent too hard - the clip popped out. Grr.

Anyway, I am settling with it. It makes me happy that everything is REAL tight, and solder is rock solid. The wire strap is working great, and without the cover off, it looks 100% stock!

I like it. Really I do. But I still wish it was better. Meh.

Without further ado, the photos!

The case, as it will lie in the bike!




And what you've all been waiting for...
My botched up wiring job!

 

Dpawl, you are a masochist, my swap over to blades took an hour.

 

Booooo what a mess!

lol jk... Bet that cost ya more than $3 for the fuse box though!

 

Only about $12 & every servo sells those fuses.
What is your next project, perhaps you could re-cut your skins :lol:

 

theres that aussie slang again lol. I have no clue what you mean by 'recut my skins'.

I'm lost!

 

re-groove your tires.

 

Tires are only about 1.25 years old!