wrote in news:1160227955.480294.112830
@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com:

He should have gotten a technician to do the dirty work. Engineers
are good at figuring out how to do things, technicians are good at
actually doing them. We've received many donated boats here at the
Naval Academy over the years and its very rare when one comes in with a
decent wiring installation. It's amazing what people do when it comes
to electrical/electronic installations on boats. I should have kept a
photo log!

Eric




Several years ago, I bought a used USAF Chevy stepvan, Air Force Blue,
6.2L diesel V-8, Powerglide, PS/PB, etc. They bought them this way so
the girl cadets could drive them without breaking fingernails, I suppose.

When I got it, AF had replaced every hose, belt, tires, many things it
needed that just wore out, like the torque converter I found out later.
UNfortunately, AF also replaced the primary wiring from the brand new red
AGM starting batteries (12V in parallel, GM style so they could destroy
each other if left idle too long). The AF geniuses ran the main primary
wires with no link fuses RIGHT PAST THE EXHAUST HEADERS, melting them and
causing some amazing intermittent shorts. Under the dash, some idiots
had been rewiring the simplest of wiring harnesses simply clipping any
necessary wires they didn't like the color of.

Mechanically, the truck was in fantastic shape as it only had 55K miles
on it running up and down the tarmac at Pope AFB, NC, between the C-130s
and the engine shop who owned it. It never went over 15 mph, so the sgt
in charge I called told me. I asked how long it sat idle and he told me
none as the AF would raise hell with anyone just leaving it running alone
next to a multimillion dollar airplane where it might wreck it.

I rewired the electrical system like I like to see boats wired, house
batteries (330AH golf cart batteries in a custom made box in the driver's
footwell), a big ON-OFF boat switch between the house battery bank and
AGM battery bank so I can parallel them for charging, either off the one
120A mil-spec alternator on the diesel or with the 40A Amel battery
charger out of my buddy's Amel ketch off my Honda EU3000i electronic
power plant mounted on the rear door of the van in a custom aluminum
enclosure to keep it out of the weather, but operational inside. Primary
wires and house battery/switch wires are all #0 welding cable I got from
another friend with a surplus. If the house switch is on, the lights
don't even dim starting the diesel monster with all these AH in
parallel....(c;

Power is our friend!....she's got plenty.

Now I want to Frybrid her to take her off the oil company profit
margins...http://www.frybrid.com/ It's incredible the amount of free
"fuel oil" I can get for the asking from restaurants within 10 miles of
home. I'll be drowning in it! I also have two diesel Mercedes cars and
can't decide what to convert first....???



--
There's amazing intelligence in the Universe.
You can tell because none of them ever called Earth.