Fuse Block RE-Vamp?

[Baselyne]

Has anyone removed the backing plate and pin/plastic tray inside the black mk1 fuse panel and cleaned out corrosion?



I used a totaly corroded ass panel that was useless (not one above!) and I wanted to clean out all the dirt on each individual metal strip inside the panel to see if there was a way to make it useable again...Hell I dont know i thought It was burned up inside there...so im a newby!

Turns out there are seperate trays of pins... and metal strips connecting each pin or spade for the wire harnesses on the back of the panel...(*will edit in pics tomorrow*)

Im in the middle of one of these and Im wondering what you guys think about sealing it up afterwards? Some kinda plastic glues? anyone had any good luck with some perticular brands?

I got looking around and it made me wonder, because they sure look identical! Are the gasser and diesel black mk1 fuse panels the same? i do beleave there just wired differently or accordingly no?

Has anyone else attmepted to save a trip to the scrap yard by fiddling in the garage at minus 12 for 2 days? er I mean has anyone tried to save spending the monay on a new used panel?

[Baselyne]

I got the digital camera today, i wanted to show everyone who was like me and did;nt know what it looked like inside the panel,



It took me quite sometime to work up the guts to get inside there and pry that cover off...

This is the cover plate on the back*


First id say you start by prying at the sides, pry with a pick and run the pick on the inside edge (not on the board inside) untill you have loosened the whole rear black plastic cover... keep in mind that you are prying on metal pins on removable plastic plate...some of the pins on your board may be bent slightly from someone pulling at wires so try to use the backing plate as a guide to strighten those spade connectors and pin connectors enabling them to slide thru the cover as you evenly pry the cover off...  

This is the cover plate inside*


Second Id say you need to flip the board making sure not to loose any of the little pins.. If your careful here you will see there grooves in the inner grey plastic pin holder and when you flip the board your letting all the pins fall down into the grey holder making sure not to do it the other way around or you'll never get it back togethor...

this is the back side of the pin holder showing the pin plates sitting in there grooves*


This is the front side of the pin holder an When you flip the board this is how the pins will sit in the pin holder*


The remainder of the board is all easy you cannot remove the other parts so all you have to do is take your trusty can of duster and rubbing alcohal and clean out everything you can see... Here is the remainder of the board at this point







After you have finished cleaning everything on both sides and your sure everything is dry inside you can put it all back togethor in the order of removal...Keeping in mind that you need to build everything seperatley putting it in piece by piece onto the back cover.. Reason for this is because some of the pins will not fit into the rear backing plate when its all assembled (It fits togethor best piece by piece! Just like building puzzels////

Seal it with one of the below products...


Id clamp it in a vise very very carefully not to break the whole thing but put enough pressure for the plastic sealer to seal... Apply it only once you have the cover back on instead of fiddeling with the pins and having glue get on everything because two of the pins are hard to get in unless you build it back on the cover



Have fun!

[burn_your_money]

Moving this to the FAQs

Well done

[lord_verminaard]

The fuse panel in my Mk1 Scirocco looks exactly the same as that.  I'm pretty sure they are made to be modular and the only differences between cars are the plug-in's in the rear of the panel, and of course what relays go where.  

Strangely enough the panel in my car must have been a new replacement at one time, it looks brand new and the date stamped on it is 1997.  

Nice write-up.

Brendan

[Baselyne]

Id like to confirm that both gasser and diesel clusters are the same!

Only the wiring to and from them are different... the main relays like load reduction and headlights & turn sigs are all in the exact same locations so when your swapping out another cluster all you have to do is make sure you install the loose wiring to terminals "H and G"! Stright plug and play the connectors over and then check all the fuses....should be good to go!

I just got finished re-installing the new fixed "re-vamped" panel and most of the wiring issues that lead me to beleave my original panel was fried are now fixed!

If most of you are interested in drilling one rivit at the final stage of the above write up then you could go another 5 or so pin holder levals deeper and clean out most everything...

Here is what happends when you try to pry instead of drilling out the rivit...This is as crutial as putting it back togethor correctly!



Ohhhh The damage*



the above mention is mearly 1-3rd of what an experienced fuse block re-build could be,,,I for one wasnt messing with that rivit again Luckly I had a spair panel just incase! Good luck!

[88jetta350]

I would think that something that required so much work would make one really consider swapping to CE2.
Just my 2¢