Big Three Upgrade

[Darkimag22]

With the isolator (I purchased a Cole Hersee 200 amp Smart isolator - part # 48530), you will need 7 runs of power and 6 runs of ground. I also fused the lead to and from the isolator with 150 amp inline fuses, another 150 amp inline fuse to the alternator (to replace the fusible link) and a 60 amp circuit breaker for the stereo. I also purchased a bunch of 3/8 and 5/16 2/0 lugs and a hydraulic crimper off amazon as well as red and black adhesive lined shrink tube. All in I'm around $350 for everything (the 2/0 cable was free...I work in a welding shop ).

 

[AuroraGirl]

yes because they are using specially coated one time use fasteners. If you know anything about OEM repair procedures, I use them daily, you will know that a recommendation not to do something by one OEM can be a requirement by another or all others. If you know anything about engineers, I worked next to them a few years, you will know that that change orders don't always make alot of sense, I think they change things for job security, show off, or for a perceived problem that may not be serious.
The OEM rivstuds and coated nuts work, I have used them and keep a couple extra new nuts in my drawer. AN OEM application has fewer variables, I have seen rivstuds and nuts not clinch very well causing a poor connection. For a DIYer, a bolt and star washer is cheaper and easier to do properly and will last a long time if done properly and coated properly after the repair.

wouldnt it be better to just ensure good contact without a star washer and to use a tiny bit of threadlocker? thats if torque was the concern. to mme the idea of using a washer, with less surface area, is asking for 1) more spots for corrosion to start 2) less contact . Like you said, coated, if you have proper surface to proper surface, a proper application of protective coating should fix the concern of future issues for a long time.

 

[kennythewelder]

wouldnt it be better to just ensure good contact without a star washer and to use a tiny bit of threadlocker? thats if torque was the concern. to mme the idea of using a washer, with less surface area, is asking for 1) more spots for corrosion to start 2) less contact . Like you said, coated, if you have proper surface to proper surface, a proper application of protective coating should fix the concern of future issues for a long time.

The whole idea of the star washer, is to dig into the base metal, and lug when it is tightened. If you clean off any paint, or debris, off of the area that makes contact, then personal, I always put a little grease on the bare metal area, and thghten down the nut. As for lock tight, NO, people believe in lock tight way to much IMO. We have to put a toarch on lock tight bolts all of the time. If you don't want it to back off, your much better off using a nylock nut.

 

[SAATR]

For metal to metal connections like battery terminals, chassis grounds, starter connections, and the like, this is what you want. Electrically conductive grease designed for the purpose, not dielectric! One tub will last most people the term of their natural lives.

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[AuroraGirl]

The whole idea of the star washer, is to dig into the base metal, and lug when it is tightened. If you clean off any paint, or debris, off of the area that makes contact, then personal, I always put a little grease on the bare metal area, and thghten down the nut. As for lock tight, NO, people believe in lock tight way to much IMO. We have to put a toarch on lock tight bolts all of the time. If you don't want it to back off, your much better off using a nylock nut.

I use low strength lock tite for that stuff, I should have clarified.

I learned my lesson on lock tite when I intelligently used some on a wiper spline to help hold a arm that was slightly stripped. Well two of them. My f150 has permanently installed wiper arms now unless I get something like to protect the cowl and use some direct heat and use a wiper arm tool LOL

just the blue stuff too. Medium.


low strength gets used for things these days thats less than critical load bearing.

 

[1998_K1500_Sub]

For metal to metal connections like battery terminals, chassis grounds, starter connections, and the like, this is what you want. Electrically conductive grease designed for the purpose, not dielectric! One tub will last most people the term of their natural lives.

I can't imagine a carbon-laden paste has very low resistance. Yes, it might be "conductive", meaning it might provide a electrical path of a sort, but the resistance I would expect be on the order of 100-1000ohms or greater and, if so, that wouldn't help much in a automotive environment where the currents are typically in the range of 1-100amps.

Indeed, the product mentioned above "prevents static buildup"... which is a very high-voltage scenario in which a "conductive" paste with even 1megaohm path resistance would fill the requirement.

My $0.02

Smear some of that carbon grease on a piece of glass and stick the probes from an ohmmeter into it. Take a picture and report-back on what you've found.


It does reportedly "repels moisture, inhibits corrosion", which is good in an automotive application. They claim "Resistivity of 23Ω.cm"... not sure what that means because: Resistance is linearly proportional to the path length (OK, they mentioned "cm") and inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area (they mentioned nothing of this). Hmm.

It seems the purpose for using dielectric grease is to protect the connection from corrosion, and do so over a long period of time... I quote: "Permatex dielectric tune-up grease protects electrical connections and wiring from salt, dirt and corrosion."

Net-net IMHO (I've been wrong before so today won't be my first):

- either will suffice in the automotive application
- don't believe the carbon stuff will function any better

 

[kennythewelder]

I use low strength lock tite for that stuff, I should have clarified.

I learned my lesson on lock tite when I intelligently used some on a wiper spline to help hold a arm that was slightly stripped. Well two of them. My f150 has permanently installed wiper arms now unless I get something like to protect the cowl and use some direct heat and use a wiper arm tool LOL

just the blue stuff too. Medium.


low strength gets used for things these days thats less than critical load bearing.

I know I'm getting old. I will be 63 in a few weeks. I agree that times do change, and things change along with them. Way back when I was learning to be a mechanic at an auto dealer, 1977, there was no such thing as lock tight. So we used lock washers where needed. But, one of the things I learned back than was, the streach of the bolt, as it gets tight, will hold tention on that bolt, and will help to prevent it from backing off. Don't gete wrong, lock tight down have it's place, when it is used properly. Most bolts in aluminum, need lock tight. I did used blue lock tight when I installed my new ring gear, on my new Eaton trutrack differential carrier. But for me, I only use lock tight, when it is absolutely nessary.

 

[AuroraGirl]

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I went from first thing to the second, i know the second isnt perfect by any stretch but what ive learned working on older stuff is that magic and hope-glue hold a lot of things together. Like my intake with 3 missing bolts. Not so much missing, they were so close to snapping that 2 of them broke with barely any torque from my ratchet and the 3rd is on the intake but only half threaded in. It was the "im gonna snap" feel up to that point and backing out didnt feel any better so I stopped.
I ended up with only a tiny weep of coolant but otherwise the intake Holds and has been for 2 years now.
locktite, lock washers, crossthreading, you dont need any of that when you have hope.

LOL

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But then I met a technician who did brake lines on my car in december 2019 who demonstrated he was able to leave every single caliper bracket fastened enough to work but loose enough to back out and lock up my wheel in days time. Thats the damage of the previous caliper pinning up against the wheel and the hub.

So maybe hope is a ******* lie, I guess Im unsure.

 

[1998_K1500_Sub]

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What is that gizmo on the driver's fender? I looks like a starter motor driving... a hydraulic pump?

 

[AuroraGirl]

What is that gizmo on the driver's fender? I looks like a starter motor driving... a hydraulic pump?

Yes. A unit, an older model id say based on the reservoir, electrically powered hydraulic pump for plow hydraulics
As youll see, its some of the most sophisticated wiring ive ever seen in my life,

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My gpa only had a lift cylinder, which is actually a problem because a 10.5 foot plow on a homemade sector/a frame is too much for the design and if it had angling cylinders, it would have limited this:

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Its too big to be held by pins. Im thinking just getting a normal sized used plow and making it work for angling cylinders.