The International Cessna 170 Association

I've been searching for an avionics gremlin and it appears the wire that was soldered onto the fuse retainer needs to be repaired. I figure while I'm at this I would try to find a new fuse retainer sits it also has some corrosion which I understand is cessna fuse retainer 0411023-1. Does anyone know where this part can be found? I'm just trying to repair what I have so not interested in a CB project. Any leads is appreciated.

FYI... also new to posting so if I have this in the wrong place I apologize in advance.

Thanks,
Will

I've tried posting a picture of my issue but not having any luck reducing the photo size on my phone.

Two ideas how to reduce images on your phone besides emailing them to yourself which will give you the option of sending them at a reduced size.

http://www.cessna170.org/forums/viewtop ... 12&t=12829

Now for your fuse holder. Where is the corrosion? If on the wire or the solder tab of the holder, this can all be cleaned off and is part of a good solder job. If the holder tab is so corroded it can not be cleaned, it could happen, then your going to need a new/salvage holder.

Thanks for the help Bruce. I've reduced the size as you mentioned and attached a picture of what i'm dealing with. The corrosion is on the back of the fuse retainer. Since I'm going through the efforts, I was hoping to find a new/salvage holder. The fuse itself is good.

Thanks,
Will

That doesn't look bad at all from what I can see in the photo. You need a small brass or even steel brush to clean it. available at Lowes and other places

This is a big solder joint and you need a good size soldering iron to heat the mass to melt the solder.

Heat the joint and scrub the terminals. They will come clean.

BTW this is a pain and somewhat dangerous job because the natural place for you to be to work on it is under it. All the melted solder is HOT.

You'll try to be careful but in slow motion a blob of molten solder will roll off the joint and fall ever so slowly on you as you squirm on your back trying to get out of the way. But it is to late, your not fast enough. The blob will hit you, hopefully not in your eye but some other place that will burn and hurt like hell. But that is only the start of your problems because you just slammed your head into another sharp and unyielding object under the panel. Did I mention, your also holding an extremely hot tool in your one hand.

Not that I've done this.

Be careful. Think about how your going to do this.

Great advice! I'm 6'4" and 225 lbs and getting into position just to problem solve was a huge pain. I can only imagine adding hot work to the mix and I know it would go as you describe. I think I've saved a few bucks identifying the issue of why my avionics don't work (and learned a lot in the process), so I'll find an A&P on the field and watch him squirm and solder. Thanks for your time Bruce.

Easy solution: Remove your battery ground-strap from the battery negative terminal.
You've already removed one end of the wire from the buss... now loosen the locking-nut on the backside of the fuse-holder and remove the fuse-holder and fix it all on the workbench.
Reverse the procedure.

Another great thought. I'll do as you suggest. Thanks George!

gahorn wrote:Easy solution: Remove your battery ground-strap from the battery negative terminal.
You've already removed one end of the wire from the buss... now loosen the locking-nut on the backside of the fuse-holder and remove the fuse-holder and fix it all on the workbench.
Reverse the procedure.

I would have suggested that if it was easy George but unfortunately it is not. Separating out one fuse holder requires the disassembly of nearly the entire fuse bank and bus bar. You see the buss bar is not really a bar at all but a heavy gauge wire (I'm guessing at least 10 ga) that runs the length of the top of the fuse holders. There is no slack what so ever between the fuse holders and the hole thing is very rigged. This bus wire is soldered to the other side of the fuse holder you can not see in Will's picture. Getting to and unsoldering this joint to remove the fuse holder is even more difficult that just planning properly and soldering the bad joint. And then once you repaired the "easy" solder joint on bench you would have an even harder time soldering the holder back to the bar.

Now, maybe, depending on how each wire coming of the tail of each fuse holder is attached to it's eventual accessory, you might remove each one of these wires at the accessory, then remove all 6 fuse holders and maybe maneuver the entire "bus" down a bit to make this one solder repair.

I've both repaired solder joints and replaced all the fuse holders with CBs in the original location so I've spend a minute or two studying this. Of course I have slept a night or two since so my memory may be foggy but one memory that is not is getting burned and banging my head trying to make the burn stop before the pellet of molten lead burned its way into my chest enough to cool it.

My point is, looking at Will's picture, it looks like a 5 minute repair. It is not. It takes some planning and prep and thought for what might happen you don't want. And then with prior proper prep which might take an hour the soldering itself is a rather easy 20 seconds. Prep will include having a adequate iron. A 15 watt iron for tiny electronics won't cut it and a large soldering gun might be physically to large for the space. Removing a seat then removing the other set cause the first seat was the wrong side to allow your right hand better movement while laying on your back. Think about how your going to hold the light, solder, soldering iron and the wire. And then not get burned.

And now that I've beat this horse to death, but having read it, Will will make this repair in 15 minutes and wonder what all the fuss was about.

Bruce Fenstermacher wrote:...But that is only the start of your problems because you just slammed your head into another sharp and unyielding object under the panel. ...

And blood is corrosive...