Trojan Boat Forum

I've been reworking my gauges and adding a couple of new ones (floscan and synch).

In the upper right hand corner of the instrument panel (underneath), there's some sort of cylinder/grounding block that has an aluminum cage on two sides. There are a couple of black, factory wires connected. I jumped off an open terminal to pick up a ground.

What I noticed today is that it gets REALLY hot. My tap was for a new gauge backlighting. Is this normal? It seems like it's designed to get hot because of the aluminum on two sides.

Is this a grounding block of some sort or something else?


Bob

do you have the wiring diagram for the boat? if so, does the diagram show this item, it sounds like a heat sink of some sort, where do the wires connected to it go?

Bob, a ground connection should by no means get hot. Disconnect this and look for a ground on the terminal strip mounted in the base of the dash. I do not have the cylinders you describe on mine (1989), so I am not sure what they are.

I ran out of time today. Yes, it does seem like some sort of a heat sink. I have the wiring diagram and will see if it's there. There was an open spade connector so I used it for my floscan (which worked as a ground). When I was connecting the backlighting ground for the synch, I noticed that it was really hot... too hot to touch. I'm going to unhook the floscan ground and see if it stays the same.

I'm almost certain it's from the factory but will confirm and take a pic.


Bob

Sounds like you found the RESISTOR that allows the dash lighting to have a "dimmer" setting.

I have one also.

RWS

does yours get hot? You've probably never had a reason to put your hand on it with the dash lights on. I sort of did that accidentally.

Will investigate further.

that's what it is supposed to do

RWS

Hmmm you give me something to look at. I believe our hot and ground is located in the cabin, in a panel below and left of the insturment panel access. I will have to see if we have that resistor. I don't think so but I have not looked. Ours is a 1988 international. I do have prints so I will look them over. I agree if it is getting hot it is a resistor. I would not like something getting hot in my wiring compartment unless it was a light resistor. Then it should not get to hot.

This is the back side of my instrument panel during th erewire phase.

Please note - this is NOT FACTORY however it "plugs" into all of the factory wiring.

If you look just above the left hand tachometer, you will see the resistor.

RWS

here's the other side, nearly complete.

What are the two lights on the far left?

tsawyer wrote:What are the two lights on the far left?

on the bottom pix, those are 2 of the 3 bilge pump lights.

RWS