UNDER $20 FIXES

Larry -
one suggestion I don't see on your list - remove the second spring from the shifter assembly. This modification is attributed to Dennis Quella, and involves removing the redundant spring in the shifter assembly. I did it to mine a few years ago, and I've heard nothing but positive things from the people who have done it.

I'm going to see if the Bulletin Board will allow me to upload .pdfs. I have a Mike Drew .pdf that went around the 'net a few years ago that gives the complete procedure and description.

Great list for Newbie's Larry....
But I am curious where you find these....
I've looked all over and can't find the fuses with the points on the ends...

Replace stock ceramic/aluminum-strip fuses with GBC glass fuses and clean all fuse holders.

Listed on Garth's Banzai Runner website, written by yours truly ;-)

http://www.banzairunnerpantera.com/best_fixes.htm[/QUOTE]

quote:

But I am curious where you find these....
I've looked all over and can't find the fuses with the points on the ends...

Coz,

I found them at my local Kragens. I suspect a well stocked foreign auto parts store would also have them?

But I haven't bought them for a couple of years - maybe they are getting hard to locate? I better check and buy more spares, eh?

If you still draw a blank, let me know. I'll grab some for you and send them down your way.

Larry

Larry,
I've looked at Checker, Autozone, Napa and have searched the internet hi and low, can't find them anywhere. If they still have them, PLEASE pick me up a dozen, or what ever they have less your spares, of each of the amps. 8,16 & 30's.
Let me know and I'll send you the $ right away....
It's either that or I'm going to replace the fuse block at some point to accept the fuses that don't have the pointed ends.
Thanks brother.

[QUOTE
But I haven't bought them for a couple of years - maybe they are getting hard to locate? I better check and buy more spares, eh?
If you still draw a blank, let me know. I'll grab some for you and send them down your way.

FYI, Last I heard Buss had discontinued producing the glass/german car fuses thus the difficulty in finding them, even in the import stores. The only places I have found a few are non-auto parts stores (walmarts, etc), when you locate the german car fuses, start looking for the packs waaaaay at the back. I have found a few of what is now considered "old stock" glass ones back there. If you find them, buy them!

Probably easier at some point to just upgrade the fuse block and be done with it.

quote:

Originally posted by ParaPantera:
FYI, Last I heard Buss had discontinued producing the glass/german car fuses thus the difficulty in finding them, even in the import stores. The only places I have found a few are non-auto parts stores (walmarts, etc), when you locate the german car fuses, start looking for the packs waaaaay at the back. I have found a few of what is now considered "old stock" glass ones back there. If you find them, buy them!

Ron,

I am afraid you must be correct. I hit my Kragens today, and though they still have Buss GBC fuses, they are made in Taiwan ceramic style.

Fresno auto parts stores are all going to be visited by me this week.

A fuse box upgrade is a great $olution, but not cheap.

Larry

Larry, Coz,

Do any of the vendors carry such an item as the new blade type fuse box upgrade kit? I have one of the fuse connectors on my stock box giving me fits and needs replaced.......I'm ready to swap the whole thing out right now!

Ron,
Mark Green was kind enough to send me this picture of his upgraded fuse block. Which he got from PPC. I'm sure it isn't cheap $$$$

Here is a link to a UK website that sells blade type fuse boxes.
http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.co.uk/VWPweb2000/fuse-1/fuse-1.html

After doing the headlight and cooling fan mod I’ve never had any problems at all with the stock fuse block system.

http://www.panteraplace.com/page109.htm
http://www.panteraplace.com/page116.htm
http://www.panteraplace.com/page113.htm

Mike

Hi Mike, Good to hear from you!
I have also done the relay mod for fans and headlights and have never had a problem with my original fuse box either.

Johnny

quote:

Mark Green was kind enough to send me this picture of his upgraded fuse block. Which he got from PPC

This is what Larry Stock of Pantera Parts Connection makes/sells. It is a stock fuse housing, with blade style fuse holders epoxied into place. A true plug and play. Bob Timma sells a Nissan 20 position blade style holder that goes in the stock location using pigtails for hookup to the stock wires. Not quite plug and play, but very close. But if you keep your fuse box clean, check the tension of the fuse holders now and then, and do all the relay mods, you should be doing fine with the stock unit which most of us are still using without problems.

The glass GBC fuses (now apparently rare) are much less prone to corrosion than the stock ceramic ones, but the ceramics are cheap and could just be easily replaced before corrosion issues occur.

Larry

I agree with the relay mods and such, but I have an "issue" with my current box. At one point in time one of the fuse holders got hot enough to anneal itself so it no longer maintains good contact. Rather than do a band-aid fix, I figure just replace the box with a contemporary blade type with an additional number of fuses to off-load some of the marginal circuts. Some of the products in the links that Johnny posted above look like they would work. The problem is I know just enough about what circut needs to go where that I have a 95% chance of creating one helluva fire! Anyone out there have a diagram of what wires go where on a (insert # here)blade type fuse box?

As for the fuses, a couple months back I found a place on-line that had a picture of the glass type GBC fuses for sale at like $9 a box (10 packs of fuses per box), I thought "Yea, deal of the century on the discontinued fuses!". Upon arrival much to my dismay they were the ceramic ones, a phone call confirmed the "Can't get them anymore" status of the glass fuses. Needless to say, I have enough ceramic fuses to supply an entire POCA chapter for at least a year.