Community Forums

bamoffthelip · 06-06-2013, 03:54 PM

My recently purchased '89 Fleetwood Southwind had some abandoned wiring. Can anyone identify this unknown electrical part with the cooling fins? It was mounted in the engine compartment, center above the radiator, visible from in front of the RV with the hood open.. As you can see, it had heavy red electrical cables attached to it. All cables were abandoned and not connected to anything else. It is about 4-5" long.

EDALLSAILS · 06-06-2013, 04:31 PM

Looks like mystery gadget. Often referred to as a electrical-thingy....just kidding.. It may be an aux battery connection port. The fins indicate that it might get hot when everything is connected correctly. Could be an automatic battery switch? Have yiuo looked on its back side for make and mfg of it? Where was the one 4 1/2 ft cable fastened to/ safe travels ed

clyon51 · 06-06-2013, 06:15 PM

I'm guessing a battery isolator. In older rigs, they used these to send juice to the coach batteries from the alternator, while also to the chaissis battery. Yet power from the coach battery would never backfeed to the chassis.

Selah · 06-06-2013, 07:05 PM

It's a heat sink for the Grendel Smith bearing isolator. Sometimes if the yelson valve is open to quickly it causes the linerator to seize up. The bearing isolator prevents this failure from progressing to the herfold governor, a potentially catastrophic condition.
If you can't find an exact replacement it can be replaced by a #2 paper clip bent is the shape of a "W", but only temporarily.

vsheetz · 06-06-2013, 07:14 PM

Hard to tell for sure from the photo, but I also think it's a battery isolator.

SNOtwistR · 06-06-2013, 11:21 PM

Definetly a battery isolator. SNO

SylviaCub · 06-06-2013, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Selah

It's a heat sink for the Grendel Smith bearing isolator. Sometimes if the yelson valve is open to quickly it causes the linerator to seize up. The bearing isolator prevents this failure from progressing to the herfold governor, a potentially catastrophic condition.
If you can't find an exact replacement it can be replaced by a #2 paper clip bent is the shape of a "W", but only temporarily.

LOL!! That's just about what I was thinking. But mine included the dip dacket for the kajigglin pin. Thanks for the giggle.

clyon51 · 06-07-2013, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bamoffthelip

My recently purchased '89 Fleetwood Southwind had some abandoned wiring.

We know it is a battery isolator. What we don't know is if a previous owner installed a different system to keep the coach/house battery charged when the motor is running. Or, if it just quit working and was just disconnected. To find out, check the voltage at the coach/house battery, it should be 12v or above. Now start the engine and check it again. It should between 14.0 - 14.5v. Let us know either way if you need more info or help with this.

bamoffthelip · 06-07-2013, 11:50 AM

I'm not sure if it is an isolator, or at least not a dual battery isolator. I edited the picture to give a closer look. There is only one terminal to connect to on each side of the part. I suppose it could be a single diode with a heat sink for only one battery. When I get back to the RV next week I will check the impedance across the connections in both directions.

clyon51 · 06-07-2013, 12:54 PM

That does give us a better picture. If it is was I thought it was (a dual), it would have 3 connections; Alt, Batt1 and Batt2. It does have 3 cables connected, so hard to say what's going on. Check for a mfg name and/or part number, that would tell the story.

whem2fish · 06-07-2013, 12:57 PM

By the 2 holes looks like it went out and it was Jerry rigged

bamoffthelip · 06-07-2013, 01:15 PM

All of the cables attached to it were thick red battery cable size cables. I agree it was probably jerry rigged and maybe just part of the original isolator.

Jimb636 · 06-09-2013, 04:33 PM

Selah: In response to your observation about the heat sink for the Grendal smith bearing isolator. I have never seen a Yeltsin valve open too quickly as a result of the interaction of the linerator freezing up? I have seen a angle of repose modulation which can cause loss of motion to the dizzybolluk prescreener. I wonder if the Herfold governor could have aspirated too much which made it appear to lose total flux and result in a momentary discomboobulation of the Yelstin valve? Just curious.

subford · 06-12-2013, 07:56 AM

It is just a power rectifier (one-way check valve for DC current).
Many uses, may have been used to charge the battery in the toad (dingy).
Normally on not used in this configuration to charge the coach battery.