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Wwhat is this? I think i destroyed it.

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n8brown

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So i was putting my new alternator in. When i put the wire that fits on the bolt in the back on it started sparking. then, something on the firewall started sparking and made some noise and then smoked. I THINK it was this but what the heck is "this?" Also, how screwed am i?
 
probably just burned up a fusible link.

find it and replace it.

next time disconnect the battery when changing the alternator.
 
n8brown said:
I THINK it was this but what the heck is "this?" Also, how screwed am i?
Click to expand...

the "this" he is referring to is the following picture.
 
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this is just the junction block for the power

still next time disconnect the batt first
 
I agree fusible link fried. This is like a circuit breaker in the wire that chevy put in. I don't know what for but they are hard to find if you don't know what to look for. The insulation on the wire will be a little blackended and look melted but will most likely still be on. Happy hunting.
 
They are a resistor for the coil. Chevy use to use a piece of wire a certain gauge and thickness (to gain a certain resistance), now GM uses (well when your truck was new) a 'fuseable link', the thing you smoked. ;) Just go get a new one, im sure your local PepBoys/AutZone will have them.
 
oh man i hope so. so after all that happened i connected my batteries to try and start my truck so i could move it and nothing happened. No electricity. That problem is becuase of the fusable link?
 
I would think the truck would still turn over without it, just run poorly, but Im not sure. Dont think Ive ever had a bad one. ;)

edit: on second thought, you probably aren't getting any current to the coil if its actually fried, so ya that would make sense.
 
The fusible link is there to protect the rest of the electrical system in case of a short like you caused. It is basically a short length of wire about 2 or 3 sizes smaller than the rest, designed to allow normal operation but melt first if there is a short. With a blown fusible link you won't have power to much of anything...

Rene
 
to add to his story, he had the battery disconnected before this happened, but when he reconnected the battery, that's when this occurred. recently, his batteries only last about a week or two before they need a recharge (not the reason he changed his alternator tho - it tested good, just had broken fasteners). I was thinking maybe there's a leak in his electrical system, and that's what initially caused the sparking. could this aid in his search for an electrical leak?
 
I roasted the fusibile links in my trail truck one time (it has a 6.2 with a gasser wiring harness) and i would not make any indication of life when I tried to crank it. The insulator between the alternator case and the positive output stud on his alternator might be bad, and cause the short. Is the stud loose or wobly?
 
If you fried the link(s) on connecting the battery, that's a fairly good indicator that something is wrong in the electrical system, and probably also likely what the problem is with the battery charging issue.

If sparks came from the junction block pictured, you might want to double check that the fusible links are actually bad, and that something isn't going on with the other component hooked up to the block. It almost looks like there is another wire hooked up to the junction block going to the other side of the firwall?

You will also need to test to see what kind of draw there is on the battery when the truck is turned off. But *if* it was enough to burn the fusible links, it would be enough to burn the fuse out in whatever you use to test draw.

Probably can't hurt to pull the nuts off the junction block and clean up the terminals on the wires, they look a little corroded, plus if you are going to check the fusible links...
 
just to expand on dorians good advice...

if you think you have a draw, turn the key to off, disconnect the ground for the battery, put a testlight between the post and disconnected cable. it should light if you have a draw.. you can isolate the prob by then pulling different fuses till the light goes out..

also, when electrical connections fail, a prime culprit is often the end connectors.. corrosion and movement tend to make these the weak links... often it is a good idea to cut the wire back a couple inches to fresh meat and solder up a new connector...

definitely sounds like a fusable link in your case, but thats something to look out for at places like that junction block, starter wires, etc...
 
chevyin said:
They are a resistor for the coil. Chevy use to use a piece of wire a certain gauge and thickness (to gain a certain resistance), now GM uses (well when your truck was new) a 'fuseable link', the thing you smoked. ;) Just go get a new one, im sure your local PepBoys/AutZone will have them.
Click to expand...
You have been misinformed... :rolleyes: You won't find a resistor for the coil on a GM newer than '73 or so. A fusible link is a piece of special wire that is calibrated to burn in two at a specific current (just like a fuse would, hence the name "fusible" link). It is covered with a flame proof insulation to prevent starting a fire when the fusible link gets toasted.
 
HarryH3 said:
You have been misinformed... :rolleyes: You won't find a resistor for the coil on a GM newer than '73 or so. A fusible link is a piece of special wire that is calibrated to burn in two at a specific current (just like a fuse would, hence the name "fusible" link). It is covered with a flame proof insulation to prevent starting a fire when the fusible link gets toasted.
Click to expand...


the infamous resistor wire... :wink1: i remember my bud having fits with his 70 Chevelle after installing an MSD cuz of the wire, need that full 12 obviously... very obviously a different style wire when you look at em with that cloth-like covering they had.. seen them give people fits on a few occasions... :doah: :haha:
 
Chrysler used a big, ceramic resistor back then, that would burn out on a regular basis. The engine would start (resistor was bypassed in "crank" mode), then die immediately when you released the key. Everyone I knew that had a Chrysler product kept a spare resistor in the glove box. Great design... :rolleyes:
 
haha, yup, i grew up a Mopar guy.... :D

you can add torsion bars to that list of wonderful engineering too imo.. :haha: once i went Chevy with coils i was like what was Mopar thinking with that one... :doah:

tho i always liked the shaft mounted rockers... ya could really spin up some rpm's with them....
 
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