The recommended 17 blow 35 amp fuses are Lucas fuses. The electrical systems
for all lbc's were designed to use Lucas fuses. The blow point is typically
1/2 of the amp rating (25 for 50, etc). Although USA tube fuses may look
alike, your melted wires without the fuse blowing is why we ALL need to use
Lucas fuses. They are available through the usual parts purveyors...MOss
TRF, etc.
Valerie Stabenow, mga, tr4a, xk-e, tr6
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick Huber" <rickhuber1@home.com>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2000 8:01 PM
Subject: Mere Mortal Conquers Prince (longish)
> Once again, a mere mortal (web assisted) has conquered the Prince of
> Darkness.
>
> Well, as it turns out, all the burnt / melted wires in the boot of my 75 B
> and the inoperable brake lights were completely unrelated events. After I
> finished rewiring the entire harness across the back of the boot - 3
green,
> 2 red, and 2 black wires - the lights worked almost exactly as they had
> before; still no brake lights. One light didn't work, that was the left
> license plate light. It looks like the red power wire had come in contact
> with the black ground wire inside the left license plate light housing and
> caused the red wire to overheat. It's the red wire that powers the left
rear
> running lights from the second fuse in the fuse block. The 20 amp fuse in
> it was still intact. Amazing how everything melted without blowing the
fuse
> - the red wire melted out of its protective coating, out of the harness
> tape, out of the rubber shroud around the two wires going out the back of
> the boot to the license plate light, two connectors, and several other
> wires. I literally had about two feet of exposed wires in the boot, a
> combination of about 6 different wires. Also amazing that they weren't
> shorting each other and sparking.
>
> The brake light problem was the adjustment of the switch at the back of
the
> master cylinder, something I would have looked at first if I hadn't found
> all those burned wires in the boot.
>
> I've put 10 amp fuses in the light circuits for now just in case. The
book
> says 17 running and 35 amps blow rating, but I now know from experience
that
> the 20 amp fuses I had in the light circuits are enough to really do some
> damage. Are 35 amp fuses really recommended ? I've got 30's in the bottom
> two fuse slots.
>
> My reward was a drive tonight with my lovely wife on a beautiful New
Jersey
> summer evening. Something very satisfying about getting the once crippled
> motor carriage back on the road again. It just doesn't get any better
than
> that !!
>
> Thanks again for all the help. I reread all the answer posts and visited
> several suggested web sites before challenging the Prince this morning.
> Armed with the knowledge and experience of many, the Prince was humbled.
>
> Safety Fast,
>
> Rick Huber
> 75 V8 B
> 65 B undergoing lengthy restoration
>
>
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