Weather Pack is an environmentally sealed electrical connection system developed by Packard Electric engineers (now Delphi/Packard Electric Systems) to withstand exposure to extreme temperatures, moisture, and harsh engine compartment fluids and chemicals. They are extensively used in severe duty applications including racing, construction, off-road, and industrial equipment.
Weather Packs mate heat stabilized polyamide housings (Weather Pack “towers and shrouds”), male and female “pin and socket” Weather Pack terminals and self-lubricating silicone Weather Pack connector seals, cable seals and cavity plugs. The connectors are made of a nylon material for the best combination of temperature resistance and flexibility. They have been tested to withstand temperatures of -40C to 125C. The terminals are tin-plated and utilize flex pin and lap lock designs to provide the highest reliability. Their dual locking tangs securely hold the terminal inside the connector cavity. Weather Pack self-lubricating seals feature multiple sealing ribs and will not stain, deteriorate or corrode other materials.
The system is rated 0.05–16.0 VDC, 0-20A. Weather Pack connector configurations are available for one to six wires
Delphi Packard Electric Systems rates Weather Pack at 0 - 20 amps maximum.
The choice of cable seal is determined by the insulation diameter of the wire being used. The guidelines offered below apply to Weather Pack and Sealed Metri-Pack 280 Series installations.
For Type GPT and GXL wire, the red seal normally fits 22 gauge; the green seal normally fits 20, 18, and 16 gauge; the gray seal normally fits 14 gauge; and the blue seal normally fits 12 gauge.
For heavier wall Type SXL wire, the green seal normally fits 20 and 18 gauge; the gray seal normally fits 16 gauge; and the blue seal normally fits 14 and 12 gauge.
For thin-wall wire construction such as Type TXL, the red seal normally fits 20 gauge; the green seal normally fits 18, 16 and 14 gauge; the gray seal normally fits 12 gauge; and the blue seal normally fits 10 gauge.
The installer must be certain that the seal fits snugly over the wire insulation to maintain a proper environmental seal.
The 12-gauge Weather Pack terminals are designed for signal voltages where conductor reliability is critical. A larger conductor will provide a clearer signal than a smaller one. The 12-gauge Weather Pack terminals should not be used in high-current applications that would normally use 12-gauge wire.
Consider our Deutsch connector kits for applications over 20 amps.
The slits are called indexing slots and they prevent mismating. A Weather Pack tower connector will only fit the matching Weather Pack shroud connector.
Colors are used with application-specific Weather Pack connectors to make them look different from the standard tower connectors. The colored connectors are designed to fit devices such as switches or sensors. They feature special indexing and are not interchangeable with the standard black tower connectors.
The Weather Pack system uses only round pin terminals or round socket terminals. If a sealed connector without round terminals is marked "DELPHI" or "P.E.D.," it could be a Metri-Pack, a GT or a Ducon series connector.
Weather Pack terminals are ALWAYS used with Weather Pack cable seals. One is required for each terminal, male or female. You might also want to order a Weather Pack release tool in case you need to disassemble a completed Weather Pack termination for inspection or rework. The Weather Pack release tool depresses the terminal retention barbs and allows the Weather Pack terminals to be removed from the connectors.
The use of the "Tower and Shroud" nomenclature eliminates confusion with gender specific connectors. Weather Pack towers are most often used with female terminals but they can also be used with male terminals. Weather Pack shrouds are most often used with male terminals but they can also be used with female terminals. It is even possible to use both male and female terminals in a single multi-circuit Tower or Shroud.
Not necessarily. Many open barrel crimp tools can perform an acceptable Weather Pack wire crimp. A Weather Pack seal crimp can be made with common slip joint pliers. Note that the seal crimp should be just firm enough to hold the seal in place. A tight seal crimp can damage the seal. Professional tools made specifically for Weather Packs crimp both the terminal and the seal in one cycle.
A fusible link is a short piece of insulated low-voltage cable within an automotive wiring harness that is designed to protect the harness in applications where a fuse is unsuitable. In an extreme current overload situation, the conductor within the link is melted while the ensuing flame and spark is contained within the link's insulation.
Fusible links are not rated in amps like fuses because each installation is unique and designed to meet specific circuit protection requirements.
The automotive service industry recommends using the same gauge and length as the blown fusible link after the cause of failure is corrected. There is some specific engineering that goes into determining what gauge and length of fusible link wire is used. If your application is otherwise stock, it is best to directly replace your fusible link wire with one of the same specifications. However it is important to determine what caused the original one to fail so you don’t burn it out again.
If your application is not stock, you can do some more research to see if you can determine the appropriate fusible link wire to use. Although we don’t necessarily recommend this course of action, another option is to use a Maxi Fuse or Breaker in place of the fusible link wire. Generally people go with a fuse or breaker rated at about 10% greater than the output of the alternator - assuming the wiring is sufficient for that amperage. But proceed with caution as fuses/breakers are not necessarily a direct replacement for fusible links, and could lead to damage to the vehicle, including a fire.
We are sorry but we cannot give specific recommendations regarding which fusible link wire to use other than to go with the OEM spec.
While "MAXI" fuses have replaced most factory-installed fusible links in late model vehicles, they have different performance characteristics than fusible links and should not be used to replace them unless specifically authorized by a vehicle factory service bulletin. Fusible links continue to be used in most starting circuit applications.
SXL wire would work as an emergency replacement, but it would not have the required "Fusible Link" markings and the insulation would not be designed to contain flame and spark in the event of a circuit failure.
The suitability of a fusible link in a new application can be determined only by a qualified harness engineer with full knowledge of the circuit protection requirements, the installation and operating conditions, and the safety and liability aspects. We cannot make specific recommendations.
Typically, a given harness segment is protected by fusible link that is four gauge numbers smaller. A 14-gauge wire would be protected by an 18-gauge fusible link. A 6-gauge wire would be protected by a 10-gauge link, and so on. Odd number wire gauge sizes like 19, 15, 13 and 11 are counted when sizing a link. The length of a fusible link should not exceed 9".
In general, a fusible link should never be used to replace an automotive fuse unless authorized by a vehicle factory service bulletin. Safety and liability issues are involved.