Dirty, Dirty Fuse Block

[Slammed84]

So I have been having an electrical issue where the engine won't start with the key. Having figured out that for some reason I was not getting power into the ignition switch, I figured out I could take a hot wire from the fuse block and jumper it in to the ignition switch and it will start and run.

The truck has been sitting for a couple years ( in my garage ) and I am trying to get it back on the road.

I started the truck this morning and let it run for a minute and decided to try a different ign. switch to eliminate that as the problem. Plugged in the new switch w/ the jumper and got Nothing. So I put the original switch back on and still nothing, which is weird because It had literally just been running a minute before.

So I decided to trace the power into the fuse block and this is what I found!!!

I checked the back of the engine harness plug that connects to the bulkhead and 5 times out of 10 the test light would not light. I cleaned just the main power terminal and now it lights every time.

I need ideas on how to effectively clean the terminals on the bulkhead. I figure I can get down and dirty with some q-tips and contact cleaner on the plugs themselves but how do I get into all of the connections on the bulkhead?

[1981Stepside]

I've always hosed connections down with either contact cleaner or brake kleen, wrap it in saran wrap overnight to prevent it from evaporating too fast and hose it down again in the morning. Should get most of the crud out. If there is corrosion and/or rust you can either remove each wire one at a time and lightly sand the connecting surface to remove the corrosion, or wrap a small bit of sand paper on the end of a small flathead screwdriver and use that to sand the connectors while they're still in the block. Either way it's quite tedious, but effective.

[Axle]

Make sure you put some electrical contact grease back on there before final reassembly. Otherwise moisture will have a field day in there.

Thin strip of sheet metal and a rough rag with your cleaner will let you get into the cavities.

Alex.

[motornut]

tricky but I'd slide them out ,clean,and lock back in

[Slammed84]

How does the bulkhead on the fire wall actually connect to the fuse block? Is it a physical connection, or is there wires? It seems like they are butted up right on each other.

I got the contact cleaner on it and it is better, at least holding contact now but it is still dirty.

I still have the problem of not getting power into my ignition switch from the fuse block though. I have to jump from a keyed source and plug it into the red wire terminal on the black plug that plugs into the ignition switch.

I dont understand why this happened from rhe truck sitting.I can only guess that its corrosion.

Does the power pass through a fuse before it heads to the ignition switch ?

[mrolds88]

As far as how the fuse block is connected, there are wires that run to the various places on the fuse side of the block from these terminals. Another thing you may want to check is how tight the terminals grip the terminals on the engine side connector. I had one one time that absolutely drive me up the wall. On my 77 GMC I could start it and run it however long I needed, then shut it off and sometimes it wouldn't restart. It would turn over all day long, but wouldn't fire. Replaced everything, plugs, wires, cap and rotor, carb, and whole distributor. Nothing. Then finally I did something with the power wire to the distributor and it started, then didn't. I pulled the terminal out and re crimped it. Never had a problem since.

[Slammed84]

Originally Posted by mrolds88

As far as how the fuse block is connected, there are wires that run to the various places on the fuse side of the block from these terminals. Another thing you may want to check is how tight the terminals grip the terminals on the engine side connector. I had one one time that absolutely drive me up the wall. On my 77 GMC I could start it and run it however long I needed, then shut it off and sometimes it wouldn't restart. It would turn over all day long, but wouldn't fire. Replaced everything, plugs, wires, cap and rotor, carb, and whole distributor. Nothing. Then finally I did something with the power wire to the distributor and it started, then didn't. I pulled the terminal out and re crimped it. Never had a problem since.

yeah man its been a bit odd for this to happen. I guess I can live with the jumper wire in there for now, but for some reason it just really bugs me. Electrical has never been my strong point either.

I pulled the cap the other night when I finally got it started for the first time in a couple years and it was like the tab on the rotor had somehow been bent away from the terminal on the cap. It was weird.

Luckily I had a nice distributor laying around and robbed all the internals plus the cap from it.

I remember in the past when this motor was in my buddy's truck, this distributor seemed to eat up ignition modules left and right. Im not sure if that was really the problem or not, but every time it quit runnin for him, he would change the module and it would always start back up...

who knows? I will probably go ahead and replace the actual distributor before I really start driving it again anyway. Either with the one I got, or Summit makes a really nice Billet HEI dist. that is really not too expensive.

[Slammed84]

I have thought about just getting a new fuse block but it gives me a headache just thinkin about it swapping em'

[rstrick]

Did you ever get anywhere with your problem? You mentioned replacing the fuse block - do you have a source for a replacement block? I'm in need of a new fuse block for my 72.

Thanks.