Hot wire junction block

[Black gold]

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Can these hot wires be connected together and hidden? Trying to clean up the engine bay. Why the junction block? Is that like a shunt between the two post?

 

[squaredeal91]

Every square I've seen has one. I'm not 100% but it may be a circuit breaker. Bet @SirRobyn0 knows.

 

[Turbo4whl]

Not a shunt, just a buss bar connecting link. My question, why would you want to remove what every square truck has? If you want to add any new fused accessories, this is an easy place to connect them.

 

[squaredeal91]

Not a shunt, just a buss bar connecting link. My question, why would you want to remove what every square truck has? If you want to add any new fused accessories, this is an easy place to connect them.

Yes^^

 

[SirRobyn0]

Every square I've seen has one. I'm not 100% but it may be a circuit breaker. Bet @SirRobyn0 knows.

I do, and @Turbo4whl Wayne is exactly right, it's just a connecting link. The reason it's there I think is so various trim packages or options could be added or subtracted with less impact on the basic wiring of the truck.

@Black gold Personally I think eliminating it is kind of pointless. I'd be more concerned with what's under that bit of electrical tape on the one wire attached to that block. So I guess if a guy was eliminating it, you could solder all the wires together and throw shrink wrap over it, and then you'd have to keep the wiring held up so it doesn't get on to the exhaust. Seriously you can 86 it if you really want but you are not gaining anything and if you don't solder and choose to butt connector it or twist the wires together your asking for it to fail down the road. 40 years later and that connecting link is still going strong. Think about it before you snip it.

 

[GTX63]

Every square I've seen has one. I'm not 100% but it may be a circuit breaker. Bet @SirRobyn0 knows.

Every squarebody truck had one new, lol.
I just trailered another one home a few weeks ago without one, probably missing who knows, 2 owners, 7 owners back.
Some people just think electrical tape is a better junction I guess.

 

[Black gold]

@SirRobyn0 the wire with tape was melted I cut it off and put a new terminal on it. It was like that when I got it. The wires under the dash were hacked also. Who knows what or who has been in these trucks after 40 years.

 

[Jgonick]

Just a side note: Originally some of those wires had fusible links going to the junction block. If they are gone you might want to add them back.

 

[RustyPile]

@SirRobyn0 the wire with tape was melted I cut it off and put a new terminal on it. It was like that when I got it. The wires under the dash were hacked also. Who knows what or who has been in these trucks after 40 years.

That wire with the tape on it is actually a fusible link, a type of "slow-blow fuse".. If you follow it down behind that vacuum operated switch, you'll find it joins two wires together.. That fusible link has blown (melted) at some time in the past. it cannot be joined back together or repaired, it has to be replaced. As with any fuse, it's there to protect the wiring. Let it go, its job is finished.. Remove it totally and replace it.. Can be done 2 ways, A fusible link for each of those two wires or connect them together with one fusible link..

More importantly than "cleaning up the engine bay" is cleaning up the hacked wiring.. Do it properly or you'll be chasing electrical gremlins forever. I offer this advice to anyone doing electrical work.. Obtain and use a factory wiring diagram for your year truck.

 

[pinballlarry1]

As others have said, it's just a plain junction block, not a circuit breaker, and an easy place to get positive voltage for accessories. I cleaned mine up recently, just has the two stock wires on it, one fusible link from the starter, and one going to the under dash fuse block.

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[SirRobyn0]

@Black gold I really hope you are soldering and shrink wrapping repairs as you go and that wire in the picture that you twisted together and taped is a one off. That kind of thing invites moisture into the wiring and in a few years you have wiring damaged so badly you are now having to replace lengths of wiring. If you don't know how to solder you should take the time to learn so you aren't redoing repairs down the road.

 

[Black gold]

Is this a fusible link or just a connector connecting two wires into one?

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[Turbo4whl]

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Yes, the wire with the arrow is a fusible link.

 

[Black gold]

@Turbo4whl that was the one that was melted. But everything seems to work in the truck

 

[Turbo4whl]

So that means at some point that circuit was slightly overloaded. Any more load at that time, would have burnt that fuse.