quicky fusible link for fan motor protection

[DeWitt Harrison <de@aztek-eng.com>]

Regarding the well known seized fan motor and attendant electrical
meltdown problem on the 5000/200 cars: the standard solution to
the fusible link retrofit on the type 44 cars has been to install the
Audi bracket and terminal box for the 80A link a la the '91 200.

That's still the best way to go as far as I can tell. However, I have
recently noticed that there are some credible fusible link products
displayed on the shelves of my local generic car parts stores these
days. Buss makes a couple of such products. One called the FLM-80
is a link housed in a small plastic box with protruding metal terminals
designed so that they could be fastened directly to the ground
(negative) terminal on the back of the fan motor with very little
ingenuity. There was another 70A fusible link nicely housed with
a different style of terminal which might also work. I didn't look at
the Buss catalog to see if the second type was available in 80A too.
The difference amounts to radial vs. axial style terminals.
These would not be physically robust, mounting-wise compared
to the Audi terminal box but they are available immediately in the
stores, are cheap and could at least serve until a permanent solution
was installed.

DeWitt Harrison
Boulder, CO
88 5kcstq
87 635 CSi