Fusable Links & Wiring Diagram Source Questions

[difrangia]

I've got a couple questions on replacing the fusable links and would like to find an online wiring diagram for 1989 standard transmission Festiva.

I pirated the photo below of the original fusable links replaced with the blue and red plastic units. Can someone reference what the correct amperage these are and maybe some part number references. I'd like to get rid of the original slinky-wire links. Mine still has the originals and they are over thirty years old and I'd drive/sleep better (not at the same time) if they were replaced with new stuff.

Also can someone provide a link to a good online wiring diagram for the above described Festy.

I've searched the forum for answers to the questions that I have in this post and couldn't find answers. Thanks.

Steve in Oklahoma

[bravekozak]

Check this link for errors.

[Flw Sock]

Mine were getting funky a few years ago. I tried as best I could to clean up the terminals and then filled each hole completely with solder. No way for it to get corroded again. No problems since!

Disclaimer: this probably isn't the "right" fix, but I was in a pinch and am lucky enough so far that I haven't had an issue. I'd let others chime in

[difrangia]

Damn, Flw Sock, Don't sound like something that I'd want in my obituary. Just lookin' for gettin rid of the fusable links and replacing with something more kinda 'Modern'.

I'm afraid to move the thirty year old original fusable links.

Kinda a 'If it ain't broke don't fix it' deal.

Steve

[Sparkleface]

Hey difrangia. I am having the same issue. Do you happen to have more pages in your car manual about the fuse links and main fuse blocks.? I would appreciate it if you let me know how you solve this problem. I also have a thread i posted today. My car keeps dying and idling strangely. 1990 ford festiva L Plus.

[bravekozak]

I'll repeat what I said before.
Our old cars have many decades of oxidation on the terminals.
I bought a good terminal extractor and removed all of my terminals from every connector and ground on my Festiva.
I wire brushed the ones that weren't bad and pushed them back into the connectors one at a time.
The ones that were totally greenish blue and ready to fall off were replaced with new factory Yazaki terminals from easternbeaver.com



Only about a quarter of an inch of wire was lost.
The terminals were brand new again.
Just do them one at a time so you don't mix up the wires.

[Glow_Mouse]

:withstupid: +1

Seriously though, the fuse blocks you can get normally from any auto retailer and yes, Do one wire at a time. I like the wire brushing technique
gotta love how it comes up like new again (kinda). I'd normally just swap everything out myself but I've got a bit of a crazy head and I love auto
technical related stuff. Take your time. Read carefully, go slow.

and good luck.

PS: disconnect the power first! (duh) :tm:

[difrangia]

Sparkleface, The image above is from the factory shop manual. I haven't found more info on the fusable links yet.

Braveoak, that's some good info and the heads-up on easternbeaver.com is very much appreciated and archived. http://riwire.com/ is another good electrical component supplier with products going back to the birth of the automobile nearly. What are the correct values for the three fusable links?

Glow Mouse, Good coaching there; especially on the 'Disconnect The Power First' prompt. I've burned up a few tools and fingers on that one.

Anyone have a link to a good online wiring diagram ??

[firebush357]

Sparkleface, The image above is from the factory shop manual. I haven't found more info on the fusable links yet.

Braveoak, that's some good info and the heads-up on easternbeaver.com is very much appreciated and archived. http://riwire.com/ is another good electrical component supplier with products going back to the birth of the automobile nearly. What are the correct values for the three fusable links?

Glow Mouse, Good coaching there; especially on the 'Disconnect The Power First' prompt. I've burned up a few tools and fingers on that one.

Anyone have a link to a good online wiring diagram ??

Facebook Link to an 89 Wiring Diagram PDFand91 Wiring Diagram

[difrangia]

Thanks, firebush357.

[difrangia]

Dis-assembling and cleaning that three-position fusible link box and upgrading to the FLF-** series plastic fusible links is one of the best upgrades that one can do for their Festiva. I've owned three blue Festys, current one a daily driver for fourteen years. Best damn value in an automobile that I've owned and I've had cars from a one-cylinder 550 pound Messerschmitt to 60's pony/muscle cars over the past 55 years. Since owning this 89 carbuerated 5-speed Festy, I've wished I could go down to the local Ford dealer and buy a brand new one (even adjusted for inflation) that was overlooked and found in the back of the shop. If I did, the fusible link upgrade is the first thing that I'd do. These Festys are just so damn practical and so good a bargain they had to quit building/importing/offering them.

One man's opinion !!

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

bravekozak,

I've purchased from EasternBeaver before to do this:

https://fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?53553-Add-remove-trailer-wiring-in-1-minute-w-o-nicking-your-harness-with-stake-ons

Where did you get your extractor tool(s)? I see that EB offers "FR-150"set of two extractor tools for $40. Is that what you bought, or did you find something else?

I'd like to be able to remove connectors as necessary when removing entire harnesses from a pair of 93 parts cars to ultimately use for upgrading 88/89LXs to FI. I recall past difficulties removing entire harnesses, particularly from the left rear of the body where pin removal from connector housings would have made the job a piece of cake.

[Flw Sock]

Difrangia, what did you end up replacing the fusible links with? What amp fuses? Was it a direct swap in; as in, take out the top wires and just plug in the plastic ones? I'm taking a week off of school just to work on my festy. It's been sitting for a few years and I'm keen on making it reliable again.

Thanks,
Karl

[harpon]

I'm no expert on "Fussy bull" links- my own name for them- just dealt with them several times in a couple of decades- got my first 88 Festiva back in '97.

For one- the name has always intrigued me since I first had a problem and really thought about it- FUSIBLE (not "FUSED"," fusible" LINKS). It seems to imply they are LINKS that CAN be Fused, but AREN'T.

That first 88 had one or two simply deteriorated- I can't recall if they actually fried- but I simply replaced them with good similar gauged wire- they AREN'T "Fused"- they are only "Fusible"- and that worked perfectly fine years back with no electrical issues otherwise. (Incidentally- that was all before I had internet or knew of this forum resource.)

And then my latest 91 Festy- I've had several years but never gotten on the road- the car from the start would start great or not start at all based solely on one of the fusible links, which I got pretty clean and functioning well, until I found a Festy at the junk yard that had a full compliment of PAL fuses- they fit right into the box by the way- I think I had to cut one or file the bottom slightly- but I think they are functioning well- I have another fuel pump issue at the moment-

My later '96 Aspire doesn't have them- a closed fuse box instead- Has anyone used that or one from another car to replace the Fussy Bulls? It makes me wonder why then they made these cars for what? Like SIX years, not with FUSED links, but with FUSIBLE links, and why not just put inexpensive fuses in, in ALL THAT TIME?

Anyway- they are a common problem- a WEAK LINK actually. Though, I've cured bad links with good similar gauge wire- remember though- if there is another short somewhere on whichever circuit served by the link it MAY then burn up the harness or component before it melts the "Link"- so minimal wire may actually be better- or- and getting radical here- wire with an inline fuse holder and suitable fuse- available from ebay and China at nominal cost - just put suitable blade connectors on- and plug them into the male blade connectors -

but as I said- the PAL fuses actually seem to mostly fit right on the block- as pictured in an earlier reply- although one did need a slight mod- The block itself and male blade connectors may still need cleaning-

so they are no longer "FUSIBLE Links" they are "FUSED links" in some way or another.

[difrangia]

I ended up using the Bussman FLF-30 (pink) and FLF-40 (green) fusible links. They fit right in the fenderwell box when the wire-links are removed. Need to take the terminals out and clean them up. I also used a coat of dielectric grease on the terminals before they went back in.The links were $4 a pop at Autozone. If time is no object you can get them for $3-$5 for five or ten on Ebay if you have time to wait for them to come from the far side of the world. I also cleaned up the fenderwell area around the box when I had it out. The box is within a hand's span from the battery so with the fumes from the battery over several decades, every Festy could probably use this little procedure.



The fuses will fit right in but I took them to the 1" belt sander and removed the little lip on the sides of the top where the fuses touch each other. If not the outer fuses may lean out a little but are still functional. I'm too much of a stickler for 'eye balance'. You can see in my pic that the center green fuse looks narrower than the outer ones. It has both sides sanded to remove the lip.

I made up a couple of tools from scrap sheet aluminum & steel and also used an upholstery stick-pin sitting around from when the wife had an upholstery shop in the workshop to remove the terminals from the box. I took a quick look on Ebay and there are types and prices of terminal removal tools on Ebay. The EasternBeaver tools are probably significantly better quality than most offered on Ebay. Be really careful with the fusible link box. They're at least 25 years old plastic and are brittle and easily broken/chipped. Couple that I've seen on the forum are chipped and I chipped a small piece out of the back side getting the terminals out. Easiest way for me was to have the box mounted to the fender panel and use needle nose pliers below the box pulling/wiggling the terminal while poking at the tab down in the box from above.