Eliminating rear fuse panel and relays

[dipso]

Do I even need that stuff?
My engine is out right now. When it comes back it will be twin plugged with 2 MSD boxes.
I am looking at locations for the boxes and coils.

Currently my MSD is mounted on the Aluminum panel, but that is it. There is nothing else on that panel except for the 3 fuses, which I don't need. I don't think.
I have no rear window defroster, no CIS stuff, no sportomatic transmission. There are no relays on it either. I think one or both of the relays are empty and shoved beneath the panel.

I was looking at it today and was thinking. I should just pull this whole panel out, connect the fuse wires together, if I even need to. And then I would have more room to mount the boxes and coils directly to the wall.

I wouldn't mind just snipping every wire that is connected to an unused relay or fuse and dumping the whole thing.

Does this sound like a bad idea? Heck I wouldn't even mind snipping every unused wire under that panel and then disconnecting at the fuse panel up front. But in this spider web of a car who knows where these wires go.

I was thinking about keeping one hot wire and putting a cap on it, for engine compartment power.

[whiskyb]

Removed mine awhile back. Made a carbon fiber panel for the firewall and have my MSD and voltage regulator mounted there. Coil is vertical beside distributor. Cleans everything up nicely in my opinion

[dipso]

I think I can figure out the fuses and unused wires, but what about the relay bases? Can I just cut those off? I am not using any of them.
A little unsure if they loop together inside the relay base somewhere and then return or go somewhere else.

[whiskyb]

I have a friend with a vinyl graphix sign shop. I asked him one day to print me off a wiring diagram in vinyl so as to not worry about destroying my paper copy. He showed up later that day with a 4X5' vinyl wiring diagram. I can follow a wire from across the room its that big!

Guess my point is to just follow your schematic and its pretty easy what can be eliminated.

[304065]

If you do that there will only be one person in the world, you, who can diagnose electrical problems, and future prospective owners of your car will gasp in horror.

[fred cook]

Won't you need to fuse the main power leads to the two MSD boxes? Or, are you gutsy enough to run power to them with out fuses?

[dipso]

Fred, I think the power to them is directly from the starter.

304065, i don't understand what you mean diagnose electrical problems. The car is carbed and those things on the panel are no longer needed. My single MSD is still in the car and still hooked up. I wouldn't touch anything that is being used.


Whiskey, i don't have a schematic. I just figured I could look under and behind the panel and remove what is not in use.


As far as future owners I am not concerned with that. i doubt anybody would want to put a CIS system, defogger, or heater blower back in. They couldn't anyways without putting in a whole new motor.

[fred cook]

Originally Posted by dipso

Fred, I think the power to them is directly from the starter.

Don' know about you, but I would have a fuse in the circuit to the MSDs! And yes, it could be powered from the yellow starter wire. Remember, the purpose of the fuse is to be the "weak link" in the circuit. That way if something nasty happens, the fuse blows instead of the wiring harness catching on fire! By the way, if I remember correctly, the MSDs each pull about 1 amp per 1000 rpms so each would need 7+ amps buss capacity.

[dipso]

Fred, You mean something like this?



That's a good idea. I could hook one end to the starter and then keep the block itself in the engine bay.
I'll look for something where one wire goes to the starter and then all the fuses are hot.

[whiskyb]

I am in the process now of moving the front fuse panels to the smugglers box along with a new battery. For the fuses panels I am going to be using something similar.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by fred cook

Don' know about you, but I would have a fuse in the circuit to the MSDs! And yes, it could be powered from the yellow starter wire. Remember, the purpose of the fuse is to be the "weak link" in the circuit. That way if something nasty happens, the fuse blows instead of the wiring harness catching on fire! By the way, if I remember correctly, the MSDs each pull about 1 amp per 1000 rpms so each would need 7+ amps buss capacity.

The MSD boxes do not require a fuse on the battery wire, they are internally fused.

Dipso, i have removed/modified most of the engine wiring. I have no heater blower, so that's all cleared out. Internal regulator cleans things more. I do still have the rear window defogger, but i replaced the fuses and most wiring with a basic Painless harness. It takes straight battery power and a hot-on-start line, and feeds a block of various fuses. This feeds my MSD and defroster. I did leave intact the wiring harness that feeds the emissions stuff and sensors.

[fred cook]

Originally Posted by whiskyb

I am in the process now of moving the front fuse panels to the smugglers box along with a new battery. For the fuses panels I am going to be using something similar.

Be careful what you buy. The small fuse blocks like the one shown are generally only rated to carry 15 amps per circuit and a max load of 50 or 60 amps. It would be easy to over load one of these types of fuse holder blocks.

[fred cook]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

The MSD boxes do not require a fuse on the battery wire, they are internally fused.

Dipso, i have removed/modified most of the engine wiring. I have no heater blower, so that's all cleared out. Internal regulator cleans things more. I do still have the rear window defogger, but i replaced the fuses and most wiring with a basic Painless harness. It takes straight battery power and a hot-on-start line, and feeds a block of various fuses. This feeds my MSD and defroster. I did leave intact the wiring harness that feeds the emissions stuff and sensors.

I am using an MSD 6A in my SC. I don't recall that it is internally fused, but I might be wrong. At any case, it would be much easier to change a fuse in a small fuse block than having to pull the MSD to get to a fuse. But, that's just my take on things!

[dipso]

I'm out there messing around right now. It looks like most of the wires for the relay bases and fuses go to the 14 pin connector or eachother. I think i am going to remove everything that was connected to either a relay or a fuse. I am looking right now at a 14 pin connector diagram and will just pull the wire out of the pin connector instead of snipping it.
there will be a few that i most likely have to snip. But the one big red wire that connected to the center fuse i will leave, for power to the engine bay.

i think it is starting to make sense now.

[whiskyb]

There are wiring diagrams in the tech section here on our host if you do need them.

[dipso]

Well, I'm done. Here is what I came up with.

I eliminated all this stuff. Everything that was connected to an unused fuse or relay is gone. I pulled them out at the pin. There were a few that were left over from when I removed the blower, defroster and external regulator a couple years ago. Those were just tucked under the old aluminum piece and not being used anyways.


This is what it looked like empty.


Then i figured i could use the existing rubber mounts from the old piece and make a new piece that was big enough to hold 2 msd boxes.
Here is my cardboard template.


And here is what it looks like finished.


The holes are pre drilled for the second MSD unit, over and and about halfway up from the first. That should be perfect.
Now I can put the 2 coils on the inner wall of the wheel well and I think it should look pretty good.
I may have to remake that panel out of thicker aluminum. All they had at the hardware store was .025. It is pretty flimsy, but will make a good template if I have to redo it.

My mechanic is either going to be happy or sad when he re installs the engine.

[rw7810]

what about putting the two MSD boxes up on the firewall and the two coils where you have the MSD box mounted?? Think that would look a little more Zuffenhausen

[dipso]

That was my other choice. But I wasn't sure how to mount on that wall. I didn't want to just fire a couple of drywall screws in there, but I almost did. Besides I didn't have thick enough metal and don't know how to bend it if I did.

I kind of like that firewall clean. I figure with the visual weight of the oil filter and breather lines on the right. The MSD stuff on the left might balance out.

It looks like **** right now, but once the motor is in and all the remaining wires are tucked away. it should look pretty good.

[JohnJL]

This is mine.

[rolls 912]

Keep the old stuff. These cars will end up like 356's one day where people will value authenticity. Interested to hear your thoughts re. Mad. Cheers