'65 Dart - Is this a fusible link and what is the brown wire for?

[CMKirk]

Hello!

I'm starting to dig into the wiring of my '65 Dart (slant 6, 3 on the tree). The car runs well, but the wiring has clearly been hacked in several places, so I'm trying to replace questionable splices and to get the wiring the correct color so at least I know what I'm dealing with.

There's a heavy (10ga?) wire coming from the driver's side screw terminal on the bulkhead fitting (between the upper and lower socket) that connects to a 5/16 stud on what I believe is the starter relay, mounted on the firewall. Someone had spliced in a piece of blue wire with a wire nut and copious amounts of electrical tape, but the remaining part of the original wire is red. The ring terminal for that original wire (see pic) has a heavy black insulated section.

Question - Is that black section a fusible link? If so, does anyone know the amp rating?

Wrapped up with the original red wire in what appears to be factory electrical tape was another thick (10ga?) section of brown wire that was cut off at both ends.

Question - Can anyone tell me what that wire would have been for?

Thanks to all in advance for your help.

Chris

 

[DartManPlum340]

Hello!

I'm starting to dig into the wiring of my '65 Dart (slant 6, 3 on the tree). The car runs well, but the wiring has clearly been hacked in several places, so I'm trying to replace questionable splices and to get the wiring the correct color so at least I know what I'm dealing with.

There's a heavy (10ga?) wire coming from the driver's side screw terminal on the bulkhead fitting (between the upper and lower socket) that connects to a 5/16 stud on what I believe is the starter relay, mounted on the firewall. Someone had spliced in a piece of blue wire with a wire nut and copious amounts of electrical tape, but the remaining part of the original wire is red. The ring terminal for that original wire (see pic) has a heavy black insulated section.

Question - Is that black section a fusible link? If so, does anyone know the amp rating?

Wrapped up with the original red wire in what appears to be factory electrical tape was another thick (10ga?) section of brown wire that was cut off at both ends.

Question - Can anyone tell me what that wire would have been for?

Thanks to all in advance for your help.

Chris

View attachment 1716335569

This may not help much since the PO sprayed the engine compartment all black, but this is the fusible link on my '65 Dart GT. The black in your pic is just how they connected wires to terminals back then.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Not likely; But it could be a "poorman's" F-link.

A fusible link is just a short length of multi-strand, usually two sizes smaller than the wire it is connected to, so that, if a high draw occurs, this wire is sacrificial, and it melts, before your car catches fire.
It is more useful than a fuse because the fuse would blow instantly. and
More useful than a automatic resetting thingamabob, cuz the power may not be interrupted, as, F-links can be heated many times to below the melting point, and if you become aware of the problem upstream, you can fix it before you get stranded.
What that means to you is this;
Any wire can serve the purpose of the F-link, when it is appropriately sized for the circuit. And out on the road, guys do it. I do it. But when I get back home, I splice in a properly tagged link.

BTW, on 67>72 cars, the ones I am familiar with, the two wires on the starter relay are always Yellow and Brown, if that helps and neither is fused. One of them, IIRC the Brown, is coming from the start circuit, which comes from the ammeter, which comes thru the bulkhead connector, where is is fed from the battery thru, you guessed it, a fusible link.
That's how I remember it. I could be wrong.
The yellow IIRC, goes to the NSS on the transmission and just grounds the relay in Park or Neutral.
In 50 years, I have never seen a problem in this circuit, and in fact, the relay itself on my 68 Barracuda is likely original.
But, I get it, chit happens lol. and then you get a splice, lol.

 

[65 Cuda 340]

This is what it looked like originally. NOS ones are $$$$$, and accurate reproductions are apparently not available. If OEM cosmetic accuracy is not important to you, google 65 Dart fusible link to see what's available.