Custom Wired Dime with Circuit Breakers

[Logical1]

Hey all, I built my Dime from the ground up a couple years ago. I ended up pulling every wire and starting from scratch. I removed the fuse box and used fusible links into power distro blocks to build my own harness. So far everything has worked perfectly but I would like to swap out my fuses and go with a 12v breaker system. I am fairly electrically inclined but would appreciate some input on current draw to various systems to install the breakers. Here is a list of my electronic items:

 

1. L18 with MSD box, MSD coil & Matchbox

 

2. Gear reduction starter (not sure what out of)

 

3. Halogen light swap

 

4. All tail/running/dome/dash/ ect swapped to LED

 

5. Stock horn/heater blower/wiper motor/

 

6. No stereo/radio of any kind

 

7. 70 Amp Z alternator

 

I relocated my battery to the trunk so everything listed above is powered via one cable coming from the trunk, Everything else is wired using minimum 14awg. Datsaholic stated that a L series starter would draw around 125-150 amps but I should wire for 200-250. I have access to a wide selection of marine 12v breakers but unfortunately 300amps is the largest one, Big enough for the main breaker coming right off my battery? I will do the math on subsystems to figure breaker size but I wanted to get the communities input on how much a Dime with L-series pulls from the battery. Thanks!

[bananahamuck]

I think you can check all the circuits your self ,,just set multimeter to amps and take out existing fuse, ( or whatever ) and put meter across where fuse used to be and turn circuit on and off..Except the starter circuit which probably takes to many amps for a home meter to handle.

 

Just put the positive side to the " most " positive and the negative to the " most " negative ....If that makes sense

[josh_t]

i've read about having a starter lockup tested for amp draw. that would be absolute worst case for starting the engine (locked up) that would give you a good number i'm sure. my chilton manual gives me the lockup amp draw for my a series starter. maybe you could look for something similar for an l series.

[Logical1]

I think you can check all the circuits your self ,,just set multimeter to amps and take out existing fuse, ( or whatever ) and put meter across where fuse used to be and turn circuit on and off..Except the starter circuit which probably takes to many amps for a home meter to handle.

 

Just put the positive side to the " most " positive and the negative to the " most " negative ....If that makes sense

 

For sure, I'm going do that for the smaller circuits but even my fancy work multimeter only does 20 amp max for current draw :angry:

[datsunaholic]

You don't put a breaker on the starter. It's unfused in the car already; the only part that DOES run through a fuse (or fusable link) is the solenoid which pulls far under 15A. Now, for a main breaker 250A should be big enough.

[josh_t]

@logical1, i forgot to ask but are you putting a breaker on the main positive cable close to the battery in case of the main positive cable shorting?

[Logical1]

You don't put a breaker on the starter. It's unfused in the car already; the only part that DOES run through a fuse (or fusable link) is the solenoid which pulls far under 15A. Now, for a main breaker 250A should be big enough.

 

Cool I was hoping to get away with a breaker under 300amps. I want to put a breaker in just after my battery for safety. With a long, large gauge power wire going the full length of my car, I want it to trip if the main power is shorted ( crushed in a collision ) Seems like there have been a growing number of accidents lately with the car going up in flames and this would be a good safety measure to help prevent that.

[Logical1]

@logical1, i forgot to ask but are you putting a breaker on the main positive cable close to the battery in case of the main positive cable shorting?

 

Exactly! ;)

[datsunaholic]

Yeah, having a main breaker is a good idea. You actually want that one big enough for the max load you'll ever see but small enough to trip in a wreck. 99% of the time you probably could get away with 175A, 200A, but if you ever had that time you were forced to start the car in gear because the clutch hose blew out, you'd need it to handle the current of cranking in gear which is a BIG spike.

[josh_t]

Exactly! ;)

 

thats what i had figured. i think 300 will do just fine. if you do have any trouble, its cuz you have everything on high when you are trying to start your car lol.

[bananahamuck]

Oooohh, i think i see , you were kinda looking for a total .

 

 

 

 

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