Gillig Phantom Fuse Box Clean Up

[TJones]

That is a good looking electric panel. Nice work. If your worried about moisture on your connections a little dab of dielectric grease would prevent corrosion. It would attract dust though.

Ted

[BlackJohn]

Yes, dust is a major problem gathering on wiring. It will just wick moisture to the connection sooner.


John

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

Yes, dust is a major problem gathering on wiring. It will just wick moisture to the connection sooner.

You're killin' me John...

Merman!

"Moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9BISHFOFXQ

[BlackJohn]

"Here is a pic of the fuse box. The metal under the screws is fixed in place..."


If those screws are backed out there should be plenty of room for the wire.
You strip it long enough to wrap around the screw. Twisting the wire also reduces the diameter to allow this. Place the wire so that it is under the screw first then tighten. The screw will shape the wire around itself.
This way whatever you used there as a crimp on connector is eliminated and

if shrink wrapped will not allow moisture to enter and work its way up inside the wire.
When you stripped those wires how did they look? Obviously not a new copper colour. Maybe turning dark black? They are 40 plus years old and likely were never meant to last any longer than a bus company would have that bus in service.


I can understand your desire to get that job done with family to consider and everything, but in bus builds plans are often changed after implementing them. Forethought has a lot to say for itself before tackling any of these tasks.
If you are happy that is all that matters. Sometimes I am too critical but for good reason mostly. Maybe the next person to revamp or build a new panel will have learned something.
Cheers,


John

[BlackJohn]

"Not saying this is the best way, just a different one. Could just be that this is how we've done it my entire career as to why I like it. I'm a bigger fan of individual lace points as oppose to gang lacing."


That is nice looking no doubt but cost prohibitive for school bus production.
I have seen it in industrial apps that were mostly old school control panels, where quality was emphasized over installation time.


And of course the old saying in the trade,


"If you don't know knots, tie lots!"


John

[BlackJohn]

"You're killin' me John..."


I think we are even Rick. Where do you find all those beauties? rofl



John

[ComfortEagle]

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

You strip it long enough to wrap around the screw. Twisting the wire also reduces the diameter to allow this. Place the wire so that it is under the screw first then tighten. The screw will shape the wire around itself....

This sounds like a terrible idea.

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

I can understand your desire to get that job done with family to consider and everything, but in bus builds plans are often changed after implementing them. Forethought has a lot to say for itself before tackling any of these tasks.

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

If you are happy that is all that matters. Sometimes I am too critical but for good reason mostly. Maybe the next person to revamp or build a new panel will have learned something.

John, your comments are incredibly condescending, unwelcome, and further comments from you will be ignored.

[badmaners]

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

"Here is a pic of the fuse box. The metal under the screws is fixed in place..."


If those screws are backed out there should be plenty of room for the wire.
You strip it long enough to wrap around the screw. Twisting the wire also reduces the diameter to allow this. Place the wire so that it is under the screw first then tighten. The screw will shape the wire around itself.
This way whatever you used there as a crimp on connector is eliminated and

if shrink wrapped will not allow moisture to enter and work its way up inside the wire.
When you stripped those wires how did they look? Obviously not a new copper colour. Maybe turning dark black? They are 40 plus years old and likely were never meant to last any longer than a bus company would have that bus in service.


I can understand your desire to get that job done with family to consider and everything, but in bus builds plans are often changed after implementing them. Forethought has a lot to say for itself before tackling any of these tasks.
If you are happy that is all that matters. Sometimes I am too critical but for good reason mostly. Maybe the next person to revamp or build a new panel will have learned something.
Cheers,


John

Do Not do this. Copper gets hot and cold. The screw will never stay tight. And will deform and want to push the wire out from under the screw. Trust me on this. He is correct with solderless terminals on the screw...

[Yukon Cornelius]

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

"Not saying this is the best way, just a different one. Could just be that this is how we've done it my entire career as to why I like it. I'm a bigger fan of individual lace points as oppose to gang lacing."


That is nice looking no doubt but cost prohibitive for school bus production.
I have seen it in industrial apps that were mostly old school control panels, where quality was emphasized over installation time.


And of course the old saying in the trade,


"If you don't know knots, tie lots!"


John

Well... you may be onto something...
but once you explain to the young feller that slow is smooth and smooth is fast, you'd be amazed at how much wire a fella can lace in a day.
I used to have the cuts and calluses to prove it lol.

[TJones]

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

You're killin' me John...

Merman!

"Moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty..."

Ha! Love the Zoolander clip.

Also +1 on using wire terminals. If the screws had a floating plate like a 120/220 circuit breaker to sandwich the wire it would be ok to use bare wire. Wrapping stranded wire around a screw does not work well. It squishes out and strands that get caught in the screw break off. The wire is much better protected in a crimped and shrink wrapped connector from the "essence of wetness"

Ted