New car broke down, Fixed the problem, put together a tool kit Options

[JStroud]

Decided to drive the new 74 to Auburn today, didn't make it home died on interstate 80 just passed Sierra college blvd. Smart guy that I am didn't bring any tools or even a flashlight, so I'm standing here waiting for AAA to tow it home.
Hope everyone else is having a better day

Jeff

[cwpeden]

Check the contacts for the relay. Same thing happened to me, I thought I had a bad relay but it was the socket. Had corrosion, even though it looked good with my Blackberry flashlight (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[JStroud]

Well we have a winner, cleaned out the relay sockets on the board, plugged in the relay...fuel pump running.....engine started (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

cwpeden your my new best friend!!!

Thanks for the suggestion, guess it's time to clean all the connections.

Well you just made my day, now I can go to work and think about work.

Thanks again,
Jeff

(it's always the little things)

Check the contacts for the relay. Same thing happened to me, I thought I had a bad relay but it was the socket. Had corrosion, even though it looked good with my Blackberry flashlight (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[ConeDodger]

Well we have a winner, cleaned out the relay sockets on the board, plugged in the relay...fuel pump running.....engine started (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

cwpeden your my new best friend!!!

Thanks for the suggestion, guess it's time to clean all the connections.

Well you just made my day, now I can go to work and think about work.

Thanks again,
Jeff

(it's always the little things)

Check the contacts for the relay. Same thing happened to me, I thought I had a bad relay but it was the socket. Had corrosion, even though it looked good with my Blackberry flashlight (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

You might take a look at the relay board itself too Jeff... I had a problem at a two day autocross in Santa Rosa. Drove to the event, registered, car quits running. Fool around with it, get it running, drive to Mark's shop. Fool around with it, put an old spare pertronixs unit he had in it, runs better. Back to the hotel, bad delivery pizza, good nights sleep, car kills on the way to the event. Tow to Mark's shop, we swap out the relay board with another he had and discover that mine has green corrosion coming out of cracks on its underside. $200 something for two nights in the hotel, $100 or so for gas, number of autocross runs - 0.

Note to you business minded guys: We need someone to remanufacture these boards. They are going to get worse...

[dlestep]

Note to you business minded guys: We need someone to remanufacture these boards. They are going to get worse...

The photo shows "normal average condition" relay board (underside).
The major cause of problem appears after sheet metal screws holding the
voltage regulator bite and crack the hardened original podding compound.

I would suggest the following: Recondition your relay board yourself.
Pick out the broken podding and expose all the metal traces.
Physically remove all the corrosion from each trace.
Chemically clean them as well with a good contact cleaner. Electricity flows near
or at surface, not in the core of the material.
Ensure that no traces cross or touch each other. "Ring-out" all electrical runs with an ohm meter.
If you have a stuborn trace that wants to touch neighboring traces, use a non-
conductive material, (wood, plastic) as a spacer to separate them.
Use podding compound, (readily available at any electrical shop.)
Pour podding compound slowly over the entire bottom of the relay board,
ensuring all metal surfaces are covered.
Allow to cure.
Replace the voltage regulator's original pointed sheet metal mounting screws with
flat bottomed phillips head machine screws and nuts.
I've refurbished four of these boards in the same manner and I never have been
attacked by gremlins again.

[JStroud]

Note to you business minded guys: We need someone to remanufacture these boards. They are going to get worse...

The photo shows "normal average condition" relay board (underside).
The major cause of problem appears after sheet metal screws holding the
voltage regulator bite and crack the hardened original podding compound.

I would suggest the following: Recondition your relay board yourself.
Pick out the broken podding and expose all the metal traces.
Physically remove all the corrosion from each trace.
Chemically clean them as well with a good contact cleaner. Electricity flows near
or at surface, not in the core of the material.
Ensure that no traces cross or touch each other. "Ring-out" all electrical runs with an ohm meter.
If you have a stuborn trace that wants to touch neighboring traces, use a non-
conductive material, (wood, plastic) as a spacer to separate them.
Use podding compound, (readily available at any electrical shop.)
Pour podding compound slowly over the entire bottom of the relay board,
ensuring all metal surfaces are covered.
Allow to cure.
Replace the voltage regulator's original pointed sheet metal mounting screws with
flat bottomed phillips head machine screws and nuts.
I've refurbished four of these boards in the same manner and I never have been
attacked by gremlins again.

Thanks for the detailed instructions, with this and the link Andy posted rebuilding the relay board should be a doable project.

Thanks
Jeff