Score! I Love Working Here Sometimes!
Thread Starter
Super Moderator
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,795
Likes: 5
From: Pflugerville, TX
Vehicle: 2000 Elantra
I just scored one of these, free, from work:
thanks to Jesus!
I was going to make my own ground distribution block from a piece of billet aluminum I have kicking around here, but this is going to save me 100% of the effort and look better besides.
It is the inside of a Ferraz Shawmut FSPDB3A, data sheet here:
http://us.ferrazshawmut.com/oem/media/pdf/...LOCKSI2I3KW.pdf
Flippin' sweet.
thanks to Jesus!
I was going to make my own ground distribution block from a piece of billet aluminum I have kicking around here, but this is going to save me 100% of the effort and look better besides.
It is the inside of a Ferraz Shawmut FSPDB3A, data sheet here:
http://us.ferrazshawmut.com/oem/media/pdf/...LOCKSI2I3KW.pdf
Flippin' sweet.
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 11,732
Likes: 5
From: Leesville, Louisiana
Vehicle: 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
SCORE!!!! Make sure you mount it to plexi glass or something to keep it insulated. Epoxy or hot glue should do the trick. I've had hot glue holding the circuit boards inside my fiberglass TV in my trunk for a year and 1/2 now.
.... or .. where's the case?
.... or .. where's the case?
Thread Starter
Super Moderator
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,795
Likes: 5
From: Pflugerville, TX
Vehicle: 2000 Elantra
! :: black chick voice :: "DTN you so craaazy!"
I'm going to drill a mounting hole in the middle and use it as-is. It's for a *ground* upgrade, not power. Power, that's another thing altogether wink1.gif
Anywho, the case is in one mangled piece in the recycle bin at work. Trust me it looks better now, the condition the case was in.
I'm going to drill a mounting hole in the middle and use it as-is. It's for a *ground* upgrade, not power. Power, that's another thing altogether wink1.gif
Anywho, the case is in one mangled piece in the recycle bin at work. Trust me it looks better now, the condition the case was in.
Thread Starter
Super Moderator
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,795
Likes: 5
From: Pflugerville, TX
Vehicle: 2000 Elantra
LOL it IS a power distribution block. I just put up 3 lots of 11 of them for $50 to sell on eBay as such, and this was the odd (even) number and the casing was a little crushed besides, so I asked and they gave it to me.
Retail is like $46 each so yeah it is a little expensive, but then consider it's not exactly designed for car audio. The IP20 finger-safe rating alone probably makes it worth the purchase price to an industrial integrator or system builder.
Retail is like $46 each so yeah it is a little expensive, but then consider it's not exactly designed for car audio. The IP20 finger-safe rating alone probably makes it worth the purchase price to an industrial integrator or system builder.
Thread Starter
Super Moderator
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,795
Likes: 5
From: Pflugerville, TX
Vehicle: 2000 Elantra
That's how fast I can make/find time to play with my car, I just installed this last night.
In place of the little baby (10AWG?) wire from the battery to the fender ground behind the driver's headlight, I now have 2x 4AWG wires. That's about the same amount of wire cross-section area as 1AWG, but more flexible. I cut the 2-input ring terminal off the other wires that were grounded there at the fender, and slipped them into one of the 8 smaller ports on the ground block. I put a piece of 8AWG from the ignition coil mounting bracket to the ground block (8 was all I had with a terminal, I need some 4AWG terminals).
I removed the set screw from the 2AWG size input hole on the ground block and drilled through to the other side of the block. Then I found a longer bolt (in the bucket of bolts from somewhere on my parts car) and a washer, and bolted the ground block right to the same nut Hyundai used for a ground location behind the drivers headlight. I used dielectric grease (vaseline with car-related labels on it) to prevent corrosion between the block and the sheet metal, as well as on the wires I put into the block.
The car started and ran well enough to put it back in its spot on the driveway, so that's a good sign I guess. I anticipate not being able to tell a difference in running quality or fuel economy, but who knows? It would be interesting if the headlights were brighter or didn't dim with a bass hit, or something, after doing "just" this.
In place of the little baby (10AWG?) wire from the battery to the fender ground behind the driver's headlight, I now have 2x 4AWG wires. That's about the same amount of wire cross-section area as 1AWG, but more flexible. I cut the 2-input ring terminal off the other wires that were grounded there at the fender, and slipped them into one of the 8 smaller ports on the ground block. I put a piece of 8AWG from the ignition coil mounting bracket to the ground block (8 was all I had with a terminal, I need some 4AWG terminals).
I removed the set screw from the 2AWG size input hole on the ground block and drilled through to the other side of the block. Then I found a longer bolt (in the bucket of bolts from somewhere on my parts car) and a washer, and bolted the ground block right to the same nut Hyundai used for a ground location behind the drivers headlight. I used dielectric grease (vaseline with car-related labels on it) to prevent corrosion between the block and the sheet metal, as well as on the wires I put into the block.
The car started and ran well enough to put it back in its spot on the driveway, so that's a good sign I guess. I anticipate not being able to tell a difference in running quality or fuel economy, but who knows? It would be interesting if the headlights were brighter or didn't dim with a bass hit, or something, after doing "just" this.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,285
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From: Columbus, Ohio
Vehicle: 2000 tiburon
better ground makes the hits crisper, cleaner, lil louder. i remember going from small grounds to drilling my own holes and installing big boy gounds. you can tell the difference immediately in the sounds.