Fuse panel guidance

[MEMO43]

Hello all
I have an 83 k5 (actually building it for the daughter)
It came stock with a 350 700/208
The old tired engine was recently replaced with a crate 350. In doing so I switched the quadrajet 4me with an edelbrock.
I ditched all the electronic stuff, mostly because either it was burned or the mice chewed it up.
Since I'm not running the ECM, unless it still has something to do with the 700r4
What all can I remove from the fuse panel.
Everything I've found on the interweb is more confusing than help.
Any an all help would be appreciated, if you have done something similar pictures of your box would be awesome

Memo

 

[Big Ray]

The factory fuse panel and wiring is marginal at best, even when new. Undersize wiring, coupled with corrosion from time & the elements and damage like you mentioned can be very problematic.

A popular upgrade here is ditching the factory panel and using something like the Blue Sea panel and making a new or using an aftermarket harness.

That's my plan for my 86 'burb.

 

[MEMO43]

Thanks for the reply big ray
I have a panel from blue sea I picked up from Amazon.
I guess my end goa is to terminate all the extra wires that still hold current
I currently have the excess wires terminated and cap at the fire wall, but if I can free up the space in the fuse box and minimize under dash wiring
I wonder If I could tap into the back of the alternator or starter an use it as a key on power source

 

[6872xtc]

Hello all
I have an 83 k5 (actually building it for the daughter)
It came stock with a 350 700/208
The old tired engine was recently replaced with a crate 350. In doing so I switched the quadrajet 4me with an edelbrock.
I ditched all the electronic stuff, mostly because either it was burned or the mice chewed it up.
Since I'm not running the ECM, unless it still has something to do with the 700r4
What all can I remove from the fuse panel.
Everything I've found on the interweb is more confusing than help.
Any an all help would be appreciated, if you have done something similar pictures of your box would be awesome

Memo

Can you elaborate on what electronic stuff that you removed? On an '83 I wouldn't think that there is much except for the distributor and an electric choke coil. I didn't think that they had the computer carburetor that early, but I don't know. If you had an ECM for the carburetor, couldn't you eliminate the wiring for that by tracing them and leave the necessary wires for electric choke?

It looks like you are in Nevada so I doubt that you have many corrosion issues in the electrical besides what can happen at the battery cable ends. The only circuits that I have found to be undersized are for the headlights and the power windows, but I would rather just upgrade a couple of circuits rather than install a completely new harness, and then add relays to that for the improvements on the higher amperage circuits. A big stereo system would be something that I wouldn't run through the factory fuse panel, but I would still use the factory wires to control the system.
The possibility of mouse damage being hidden is definitely a concern, but maybe you could spend time inspecting the wires?

I just get concerned about someone pulling the stock harness out and then never getting things back to functional. I saw this happen a couple of times.

A complete replacement wiring harness costs a fair amount in my opinion, and you still spend a good amount of time on the installation of it.

As far as finding a place to use for a power source, I always go to the battery, even if I install a power distribution stud by it. Otherwise there is more clutter at the starter terminal, by the hot exhaust, or too much current going through the charge wire to the alternator. It originally has a fusible link sized to the alternator charging capacity.

 

[Big Ray]

Agreed. My rig was $1000 beater. It needs a rewire...

 

[MEMO43]

6872XTC
I live in Northern NV about 30 minutes from Tahoe, most of the corrosion is caused by what ever they add to the roads during the winter.
As for the electronics I was referring to are the harness for the spark control to the distributor, the feed to the carb (Electronic Qjet)
O2 sensor, the choke wire was tied into the oil pressure gauge, temp sensor as well as everything that went to the smog pump, MAP sensor. All of these wires were bundled up together and fed to the bulk head, then to the ECM underneath the dash behind the glove box.

I am just trying to clean up all the unused wires, as well as replaced those damages, (wires from window switch to rear window motor)

 

[6872xtc]

Ahh, I see. I would remove the extra stuff too.
The power for the choke was ran through the oil pressure switch originally so that it would start to open the choke after the engine had oil pressure. That doesn't mean that you have to keep it that way.
And I didn't know that they used salt or chemicals on the roads around there. I never thought about it, I think of Nevada as Reno and Vegas. I'm not well traveled.
I believe that there is a improved circuit posted somewhere with relays for the rear window motor, hopefully someone can link it for you.

 

[MEMO43]

They have even started to add some sort of salt mix on the roads up in the Reno area as well (I'm 40min south of Reno)
but commute to the military base in Cali for work, same base I retired from the Marines.
We have about 4-5" of snow so far.
Hopefully someone chimes in on the relay mod, although not the best at wiring/ soldering I hate sloppy wiring from PO's.