Modern fuse box conversion.

[roy63]

[payin_vw]

[grandpa pete]

Marine circuit breakers ; never replace a fuse again .
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63 two fold rag
66 sedan delivery Type 6

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569619&highlight=sedan+delivery

[VOLKSWAGNUT]

^ too many years trucking Pete..

Circuit breakers while a good idea and have a place in some wiring systems are rough on small diameter wiring and low tension small terminals with a continued cycling short.

Even small amp circuit breakers must reach and maintain the amp rating before it heats the breaker to the tripping point.

Fuses open once an amp rating is reached protecting the circuit from damage
In general, only if a blown fuse is replaced with a higher amp fuse (or a breaker) will circuit damage occur

Advice, choose breaker locations and substitutions carefully.
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aka Ken {o\!/o}
Its your vehicle- stop askin' for approval-do what YOU like for cryin' out loud
Better to roll em' how you want and wear em' out-than lettin' em' rot out
Its about the going not the showing
Rebuilt to drive not decorate
WANTED: Local Eatin' Joints, Triple D for TheSamba contributions here http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=570510
Search "VOLKSWAGNUT" on YouTube since you cant watch a "certain" BELT change video round here
Usually and often edited

[grandpa pete]

[kevlarian]

Will someone explain to me where the actual FUSES go? I want to 'upgrade' my fuse box to this, but I fail to see WHERE the fuses go.

[VOLKSWAGNUT]

This is the business side... not the fuse side.....
In other words... if you want to "upgrade" you need to know which end is up...

[EMPIImp69]

Anyone got a write up or pics of your install of the modern GM style fuse block on the left? Just the writeup or pics please, don't want to hear why you think the original fuses are better, Thx

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1963 Ragtop Bug

[DesignBuild]

Some of the fuse boxes on Amazon with the screw connections have buss bars instead of individual connections across the fuses. One has individual screw connections then the fuse but there is no connection from the fuse to the opposite screw connections.
I have a '72 Super Beetle and I replaced the 12 fuse block once but the side facing the interior where the fuses reside have very poor spring fuse connections. The OEM had actual brass or copper alloy flat springs with a hole to hold the torpedo shaped fuses. the new ones or reproduction 'springs' are no longer springs and some of my fuses fall out when I hit a pot hole or a joint in concrete pavement. Now the 12 fuse units are no longer available.
Years ago I owned a Saab 96 and the fuse box was similar to the VW using the torpedo style fuses, except it was located in the front engine compartment with a much more secure bakelite cover held in place with two knurled thumb screws. In addition the flat spring connectors to the fuses were on both sides and they were real springs, alloy steel with nickel plating. The nickel plating eliminated the corrosion aspect and the owner's manual suggested coating the contacts with petroleum jelly (vaseline).
Amazon has a new 12 way fuse block with male spade connections on both sides with modern fuses across the connections. Where needed I will jumper some of the connections together or fuse them separately. 8amps becomes 7.5amps and 16 becomes 15amps. The other option is to measure the current draw and use the appropriate fuse.
Talking about circuit breakers in automobiles, some American manufacturers didn't use many fuses but relied on circuit breakers. Over the years I have owned 3 Studebakers. The first was a 1958 Packard that had only one fuse in the car and it was for the radio. Everything else was on circuit breakers and the circuit breakers were completely enclosed. The second car was a 1951 Studebaker Champion Deluxe. I added an original radio and self lighting cigarette lighter. Both had individual fuses but everything else in the car was on circuit breakers. Oh, I forgot, the electric overdrive was on a slow blow 30 Amp fuse for the actuating solenoid. It was located high on the engine side of the firewall near the kickdown switch. Lastly, I owned a 1961 Studebaker Lark Regal 4-door sedan. It had only a fuse for the Air conditioning compressor clutch. Everything else was on the circuit breakers in the car and they were all located behind the dash, but at least they were all along the lower outside edge. If you knew where they were you could sit in the drivers seat and reach up along the bottom edge of the dash and feel them.
The only time I had a circuit breaker pop was when I was changing the headlight sealed beams in the '51 and accidentally grounded the high beam connector. I heard a pop sound from inside the car and them after a few minutes another ping and the headlight came on. Soon after I found an original factory shop manual and discovered all the electrical things that were on circuit breakers instead of fuses. Some circuit breakers were as small as 3 and 5 amps. The headlight circuits were on two 6V relays one for each side of the car and separate circuit breakers. The headlight switch was still working reliably 55 years after the car was built and I sold it off. On the '51 the smallest wire was 16 gauge. Only two instruments were electric; the gasoline and engine temperature gauges. The oil pressure was a bourdon tube with an 1/8" copper tube supplying engine oil pressure at the oil pump and the electrical charge function was an ammeter that showed the direction of current flow.
Regarding electrical failures I don't know how it would happen that the fresh air motor in my Super would be melted together when it was supposed to be on an 8amp fuse. The brushes are fused to the plastic holders and the motor armature windings are all burned. That should have poped an 8amp fuse long before all those parts fused together. It appears that the motor is not available anywhere anymore.

[DesignBuild]

This is the fuse block I have ordered. It has male spade style (6.3mm) connections on the sides with the fuses placed between the connections. The later Supers use 12 fuse boxes, though an additional 4 fuses would come in handy, plus something to hold the additional relays that should be used for the headlights, etc.
Here is a picture of what I am bought.

[indianpeaksjoe]

I bought a modern fuse box conversion from Torque Resto Products, I went to install it in my 66 the other night and it doesn’t have the right amount of “blades” on the #8.

Now, I have no idea what is original or not. But, just wanted to share my experience.

-Joe
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Adventures in owning a 66 beetle

[DesignBuild]

Which is #8 on a 66 model? You could get a separate box for additional fuses, say for 4 circuits like the one I posted but with four instead of 12.
I looked at the diagram for 1966 and there are multiple connections at each end of the fuse box.

[indianpeaksjoe]

On my current fuse block, #8 is drivers side, last fuse closest to the speedo. It has 3 prongs on the front side and 3 on the back. The Torque Resto one I bought only has 2 prongs on each side.

Cheers,
Joe
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Adventures in owning a 66 beetle

[DesignBuild]

Joe, If #8 is on the right side (driver's side) then three of the wires could be joined into on female spade terminal, The wire going to the brake switch, the wire going to the horn, and the wire going to the 54 connection on the wiper switch could be joined to one female spade terminal since they are all 1. 0 sq.mm. That takes care of 3 wires. Then you have the one additional wire going to the 15 terminal on the flasher relay. It would have its own female spade terminal. That takes care of the wires and uses only 2 male spade terminals.

You could also take apart the OEM block and use the male spade terminals to build up the number of terminals on the new block, but remove the new spade terminals from the new block before soldering the additional spade terminals to the new ones. The buildup of heat could damage the new block.

Then there is this option too.
https://www.amazon.com/RED-WOLF-Automotive-Distribution-Damp-Proof/dp/B0BK18QTMW/

[DesignBuild]

On my '72 Super Beetle #1 is closest to the speedometer and #12 is on the opposite end.
On yours, I gave a description of what you could do besides adding the spade terminals from the original. You could use plumbers flux and high tin solder to join the old and new spade terminals. I suggest the high tin material because the high tin solder is harder than the old type. Using the separate flux will enable you to sweat the parts together where the solder will wick between the contact surfaces. You could also add a tiny screw to the middle of the connections.

[OldSchoolVW's]

[RareAir]