<VV> Wretched Electrical Connector & Aside

[Chris & Bill Strickland]

I was hoping that someone would address the issues here before this 
thread drug on any longer so I didn't feel compelled to add my 36¢ to 
the clutter, but alas!  Now ye shall suffer yet one more post!

Dennis's note about replacing it with the circuit breaker is close -- 
that is what I do, but why?

Why is the little red plastic thingy so horrid?  Well, it is old 
technology, and that red plastic warps under pressure when it gets warm 
-- not just Corvairs, but all GM's of the era -- since the post is 
tightened down, when it yields, the post gets loose.  And the big 
culprit is corrosion -- over the years, those contacts get slightly 
corroded, causing a poorer electrical connection, generating heat, 
softening the plastic, loosening the connection, and then bad goes to worse.

Almost the same thing happens with the early car connection in that 
equally damned horrid firewall plug.

A little proper periodic maintenance of this connection (cleaning and 
retinning the connectors occasionally) and replacement of the post with 
a modern reproduction (made from superior materials) goes a long way 
towards eliminating the problem and maintaining a stock appearance (if 
that is desired).

Again, the high end car audio shops have a whole array of nice new gold 
plated terminal thingys (some with fuses/circuit breakers) designed for 
higher current applications and they mostly look pretty cool, too.  
Larger gauge wire will also help conduct the heat away faster as well as 
providing a larger heat sink effect.

And, as a little note on the aside:

Y'all must have chosen well last year for the Portland Convention, as 
this year the site is the host facility for the PCA 's 2006 Porsche 
Parade, their yearly convention:   http://www.pca.org/parade/2006/

And yes, I am slowly making progress on my rampy project.

Bill Strickland