Does it just take one wire?..

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Mar 5, 2012 | 10:24 PM

6978sghfbjklgdfsjhkl

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Does it just take one wire?..

Hello, I have my new/used 83' running this week after the duraspark-carb job. I can now run it around testing this and that and a wiring question arises. Evidently since my 83 is pretty basic could it have only one power feed wire from the solenoid to run the whole thing?..

When I got it the blk/o wire had been "wire-nutted" to a smaller plain wire which was attached "bare-wire" wrapped on the plus (+) side of the starter solenoid. It was the only other hot wire there other than the EECIII "puter" feed which I removed.

I assume this blk/o wire was originally a fuse-link but I'm not sure. My truck has the gauges instead of idiot lights.

I have from Helm an 83 wiring service book that indicates it should be a fuse-link so I have patched in one I had laying around but I'm not sure if it's rated high enough.

Here is a pic of the wiring.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/m...-one-wire.html

If anyone knows what size link I need I'll be grate-full ...

I DO have the complete set of diagrams for the whole truck but can't determine what the rating is on that fuse-link...

Thanks, and best wishes to all who post here..

Mar 5, 2012 | 10:32 PM

81-F-150-Explorer

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It takes a 16 gauge fuse link.

It looks like the right size to me in the picture.

A fuse link is four gauges smaller (numerically higher) than the wire it protects.

A 16 gauge fuse link protects a 12 gauge wire.

There should be another set of fuseable links, a green and a orange one on the passenger inner fender behind the battery.

Mar 5, 2012 | 10:39 PM

6978sghfbjklgdfsjhkl

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thanks for the reply..

Quote:

Originally Posted by 81-F-150-Explorer

about these other fusable links..are they tucked away somewhere?...there are NO OTHER links connected to the battery in any way...

I know that this blk/o seems to tie to others in the loom maybe...

Mar 6, 2012 | 07:08 AM

fellro86

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They do not tie to the battery itself, they connect at the starter solenoid/relay.

Mar 6, 2012 | 07:58 AM

6978sghfbjklgdfsjhkl

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good morning..

Quote:

Originally Posted by fellro86

They do not tie to the battery itself, they connect at the starter solenoid/relay.

I realize that they connect at the relay, but "81-Fxxx" seemed to indicate other wires were tucked in behind the battery...so I was merely mentioning that NO OTHER wires were connected to "power" in any other way...and when the sun comes up I will look for those wires.

I see on the diagram the the DG and O fuseable link wires, but I believe in my harness they splice into the bk/o in the loom a few inches downstream instead of being a separate attached ring to the solenoid. Due to their function I know they must be there..

But they do not connect on a separate ring to the solenoid.

I was surprised so far to only find one wire bk/o that does..

Mar 6, 2012 | 09:57 AM

ctubutis

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I will bet there used to be several connections & fusible links at the solenoid at one point, and somebody else over the truck's lifetime modified it. i would look closely at that BK/O splice....