09) 08/18/2011 High Voltage Wiring Complete

The high voltage wiring is now complete front to rear. A cutoff switch was installed to isolate the rear pack from the front, to function as a maintenance switch, and in the extreme, to put a physical emergency shutoff within reach of the driver.

The Guest 2304A Heavy Duty Marine Diesel switch is rated at 600 amps continuous and 1000 amps momentary. It has a big knob with sweep contacts inside, inserted in the positive cable run from the rear to front pack.

The section of cable that will pass behind the instrument panel was wrapped in Scotch Electrical Shielding Tape to minimize the electro-magnetic interference where it passes close to the electronic gauges. The tape is a tinned copper mesh, and the black wire will connect the shielding to ground. Heat shrink tubing is applied to protect the mesh.

The cables are routed around the shift boot and through the firewall. Running the cables down the center tunnel will keep them out of harm's way in the event of a side impact. I decided not to mount them under the floorboards since I had nearly lost my old muffler on several occasions crossing over speed bumps.

After passing through the firewall, the cables connect to the front pack and controller, completing the high voltage circuit.

The old carpet fits, but a bit lumpy. Perhaps a little foam underneath will smooth that out.