RAC68
Darth Vader
Offline
Hi All and Happy New Healey Year,
After discussing battery chargers/maintainers and, a while back, gear reduction starters, I began to wonder if I could also install some sort of a protection (fuse, circuit-breaker, etc.) at the battery to protect against damage from a short developing in the long power line from battery to starter. Since this cable is routed to the exposed under the car and clipped to the side of the grounded frame, I often thought about what could happen if the cable insulation was breached in an accident, abrasion/ware, road debris penetration, or just a mistake.
A while ago, when working on my family car, I noticed what appeared (to me) to be a fuse-like component located near the battery that seemed to tie the battery’s power cable to the car’s main electrical systems and wondered if this could also be applied to the Healey. Although the power draw of an original Healey starter is far greater than that of a replacement gear reduction starter:
1. Can anyone recommend a way of cutting battery power in case of a short in the Healey’s main power cable (battery to starter)?
2. Is there an approach that could serve an original starter and be easily modified (tightened) to address the reduced draw gear reduction starter?
I appreciate that we have lived with this risk forever, however, after installing fuses and relays to reduce multiple individual circuit risks, this seems a major exposure not addressed or even talked about (that I am aware).
Your thoughts,
Ray (64BJ8P1)
After discussing battery chargers/maintainers and, a while back, gear reduction starters, I began to wonder if I could also install some sort of a protection (fuse, circuit-breaker, etc.) at the battery to protect against damage from a short developing in the long power line from battery to starter. Since this cable is routed to the exposed under the car and clipped to the side of the grounded frame, I often thought about what could happen if the cable insulation was breached in an accident, abrasion/ware, road debris penetration, or just a mistake.
A while ago, when working on my family car, I noticed what appeared (to me) to be a fuse-like component located near the battery that seemed to tie the battery’s power cable to the car’s main electrical systems and wondered if this could also be applied to the Healey. Although the power draw of an original Healey starter is far greater than that of a replacement gear reduction starter:
1. Can anyone recommend a way of cutting battery power in case of a short in the Healey’s main power cable (battery to starter)?
2. Is there an approach that could serve an original starter and be easily modified (tightened) to address the reduced draw gear reduction starter?
I appreciate that we have lived with this risk forever, however, after installing fuses and relays to reduce multiple individual circuit risks, this seems a major exposure not addressed or even talked about (that I am aware).
Your thoughts,
Ray (64BJ8P1)