Need to know what gauge fusible links to buy for this truck.
First off, this isn't an RV, it's an 1986 Chevy C30 crew cab dually truck, 454 V8, used to tow a horse trailer. From what I've read, Chevy's wiring from the batt to the fusebox followed this same wiring for many many years so perhaps someone has already done this repair.
Headlight and tailights went out, traced the problem to a bad fusible link at the starter's battery cable solenoid lug. Looks more like a fatigue problem due to recent work there as one link was disconnected right at the lug. Insulation on them has seen better days, wire intact except where it came off the lug.
There are 2 fusible links coming off, both appear from the outside to be the same diameter. Each has a black plastic barrel, one marked 16, the other 4. The 16 one splices off to 2 heavy gauge red wires. The one marked 4 splices off to only 1 heavy red wire.
I'd like to replace both fusible links but don't know what to buy. It doesn't appear that there is a dealer part for this.
So, what fusible link do I use for the pair of heavy red wires connected to a fusible link with a 16 on the plastic barrel?
16 ga I would say but why does that single wire /single fusible link have a '4' marked on it?!
Here's a followup.
The 16 link is indeed 16ga, and the 4 link is really 14ga.
- bought both 14 and 16ga fusible wire on a spool from RockAuto.
- the plastic barrel marked '4' is really marked '14', the '1' is so close to the step in the molding that it's hard to see.
- Cut and removed both existing fusible links, crimped, soldered, heat shrunk in new fusible link of the same length and same original ga.
- the line with the 2 red wires coming together and then going to one fusible link, the 2nd red wire goes right to the alternator field/sense connector so it must be used for voltage sensing. The other heavy red wire goes back to the fuse box and powers the headlight and parking lights.
In other news, it took me forever to find ring terminals that I liked and still I'm not happy. Needed 3/8" ring terminals and the only ones I could find, the O.D. of the ring wasn't much larger than the I.D.
Mouser does sell factory delphi ring terminals HERE the nice ones with plenty of meat and a 2 stage crimp section (one for wire, one for insulation) but I didn't have enough time to get them on order.
FWIW (in another thread) I'm going to put in a trailer light converter to get the electrical load off the truck's factory wiring.
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