Your Help Please

[T Race]

This is a story about me and my fuse block replacement.

The story starts with the fuse holder (photo 1 below) not wanting to stay in its place, which is the old fuse block (photo 2 below).  Notice the red 40 thingie in photo 2.


PHOTO 1


PHOTO 2


So, not wanting to have fuses flying out of my junk, I decided to replace it.  I purchase the Blue Seas fuse block in photo 3 below.


PHOTO 3

When I took it all apart, I found the red 40 thingie and could not figure how it would attach to the new Blue Seas block.  Here is another photo of the red 40 thingie in photo 4 below.


PHOTO 4


Well, being smarter than a rock (but not so much smarter than a bucket of rocks), I took photos and sketches of the wires before I unwired (improper verb?) the old fuse block.  I re-drew my notes and it looks like this in photo 5 below. Be advised, to where these wires head off to, well, I will have to get back to you.  (the boat is not here at my house, but I took photos, and I probably can figure it out from the photos, if important at all.)


PHOTO 5


Here we get to the jist of my questions. My big question involves the two Big Red wires, much thicker than (what I am guessing to be 18 Gauge wire).  They attach to either terminal of the red 40 thingie.

Question 1: I am guessing that this red 40 thingie is a 40 Amp circuit breaker of some type, and that those two Big Red wires are independent of the other 4 wires coming into that old fuse block (since it touches none of them at all).  True or False ?

Question 2: I am guessing that the new Blue Seas fuse block cannot accommodate the circuit composed of those two Big Red wires which requires (guessing here) 40 amp protection ?  True or False



If my surmises are correct - and if I may be so bold as to having already purchased the components    - I would like to present for your approval the following single fuse, fuse block for the big boys, a Blue Seas fuse block seen below, photo 6.


PHOTO 6

Question 3: I am guessing that this will replace (independent of the new 6 circuit Blue Seas fuse block) the red 40 thingie and the two Big Red wires that were coming into the old fuse block will attach to this.  True or False?

Question 4: I am guessing that polarity is NOT an issue here? (perhaps "polarity" is a term used erronerously here... I mean does it matter which of those two Big Red wires is attached to any particulary pole on this new 40 amp Blue Seas fuse block?)



The remaining 4 wires going into the old fuse block, I present for your approval, they will be wired onto the new 6 circuit Blue Seas Fuse block as such, in photo 7 below.
 

PHOTO 7


Re-reading one last time before submitting I noticed something in photo 7.  The drawing shows me using jumpers between the remaining 3 circuits, but I think I remember one of you guys saying that on this type of Blue Seas fuse block, all 6 circuits share the "power in" on the bottom... so power is carried to each circuit by the block itself, correct?  In sum, I don't have to use the jumpers as depicted in the drawing, photo 7 ?

Thanks for your help.... I was up tossing and turning trying to figure this crap out...   I hope I have it sorted out.  

If not, then I will have a fat George Dickel, take a deep breath, and then attack it anew.

Thanks for your support and anticipated assistance.  Whew !

[wingtime]

Seabob ?  Hello Seabob?  Calling Seabob.

Yes the red 40 thingy is a 40 amp breaker that you can reset.  The maxi fuse you bought will work but there is a 40 amp surface mount type breaker that is available.  I'm not sure if you should use a 40 amp fuse or something higher or lower due to the difference in time it takes for the old breaker to trip and the new fuse to blow, Bob can answer that question.  No the polarity of the maxi fuse does not matter.

your right about your last wiring drawing you do not need the jumper between each of the fuses since the new fuse block supplies power to the inside leg of each fuse.  In fact the way you have it drawn with the jumpers you tied the circuits together after the fuses (bad)

[T Race]

Thanks for responding so quickly... I have the day off tomorrow, and if I can get all the questions settled, I will do it tomorrow.

Thanks, enjoy your new boat !!

[wingtime]

T  here is what the wire diagram of how the inside of the fuse block works.

[seabob4]

I'm typing, I'm typing...

[seabob4]

Hey Trace,
Well, it's great to see you've got new parts, and good ones too, I might add!

The problem is integrating the existing 40A push-button breaker into the new set-up.  Very easy, and it looks in good shape, so definitely re-usable.  

Here's how you do it.  Go to Home Depot and get a small electrical J-box with mounting tabs.  That's going to become your breaker enclosure.  Helps to be an enclosure to keep as much moisture out as possible.  They're pretty cheap.  Transfer the hole pattern from the breaker to the box cover, drill the appropriate sized holes (for the mounting bolts and the pushbutton), and t/bolt the breaker to the cover.  Punch out the appropriate "knock out" in the box to accept the incoming and outgoing wires.

Now for the wiring.  I think you have a battery switch, so, coming off the "common" of the switch (lower post in the middle), run 8GA wire from the common to one side of the breaker.  From the other side of the breaker, run an 8GA to the + post on the fuse block.  From there, wire each positive lead from each piece of equipment to an open fused position, then install a fuse of the proper amperage rating.

Now, here's the "tricky" part.  Those 3 fuses in the existing box have nothing to do with that 40A breaker...Why, you might say.  Well, the 3 fuses are for Stereo Memory, FWD bilge pump float switch constant hot, and AFT bilge pump float switch constant hot.  So, that being said, you can use your new Blue Seas fuse block for these functions, but it has to be wired "constant hot" from the switch, either off batt 1 or batt 2...

You want a diagram?

[wingtime]

Bob,  on my 245 I noticed a similar black fuse box next to my battery switch inside the bilge access door to the starboard side of the live well.  I haven't investigated that yet.  I assume its the same thing?

[seabob4]

Bob,  on my 245 I noticed a similar black fuse box next to my battery switch inside the bilge access door to the starboard side of the live well.  I haven't investigated that yet.  I assume its the same thing?

Yep, identical.  So, let's look at this drawing, Bruce, Trace, this is how it is wired in it's original configuration...



So Bruce, now you know what's in there.

Trace, this is how I would wire the components you have...



What a lot of owners don't realize is that the 40A breaker has absolutely nothing to do with the other fuse, except for the tabs.  The other fuses are fed straight from either the batt or the batt switch...

So have another George and digest the drawings...

[wingtime]

OK so my #1 Batt supplies constant power to the aft and forward bilge float switches and the stereo memory circuit.  The 40 amp breaker supplies switched power to the helm panel and the trim tabs.

[seabob4]

OK so my #1 Batt supplies constant power to the aft and forward bilge float switches and the stereo memory circuit.  The 40 amp breaker supplies switched power to the helm panel and the trim tabs.

Bingo!  I just chose batt 2 in the second drawing 'cause it was easier to draw...

[T Race]

What a lot of owners don't realize is that the 40A breaker has absolutely nothing to do with the other fuse, except for the tabs.  The other fuses are fed straight from either the batt or the batt switch...

So have another George and digest the drawings...

Thanks, Bob.

It looks pretty straight forward, thanks to you taking your time to make me drawings.  

...you shouldn't be wasting your time with me on a Sunday night, you need to be snuggle-buggling with your pretty bride  

I can't thank you enough, you are a blessing to us all.  Thank you my friend.

If I can get crackin' at the break of dawn, by mid-morning I might be throwing out a crab pot or two !!

Thanks again, very, very much, Trace

[T Race]

Here is the work I did today.  CPT Matt and Seabob are right... you can do it but all that experience on the right way to do first time around is priceless.  What would have been a 90 minute job for Bob took about 5 hours :cry:

But I figured I saved some money having a mechanic do it...   and thanks to help from ya'll, special BIG thanks to Seabob.

Bob, you said to run on down and get a box from HD.... I'm layin' in bed wakin' up and thought "Hell I've got a box with the holes already there - the old box !"

So I just stacked that new red fuse block on top of the old block to save room, problem solved !

I forgot and started pictures about halfway through the project... the hard part was getting the two biggest red wires attached to the breaker then attaching that to the box... tedious...

I finally found my shrink tubing and put that to work...anyhoo, thanks for helping and enjoy the photos.

Oh, if you spot something amiss, be gentle....   its nothing that the mechanic can't fix   :tongue:  

[seabob4]

Trace, looks like you got it right!  Lead coming off the common on the batt switch to the existing 40A push-button breaker, then running forward to feed the helm, and the smaller lead coming off Batt 1 to the fuse holder, then feeding the constant hot leads...very good, my friend!!