• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

How to bypass PCB? I am aware some HMMWV owners have done it. TOBASH

TOBASH

Father, Surgeon, Cantankerous Grouch
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
3,569
3,474
113
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Prestolite PCB 1.jpgPrestolite PCB 2.jpgPrestolite PCB 3.jpgPrestolite PCB 4.jpgPrestolite PCB 5.jpg

I opened an old Prestolite box today, and it further confirms my suspicions.

It contains 3 relays and a circuit board without any integrated circuits.

Looks like one relay is for ignition and one is for glow plugs, and one is for general electricals.

Reminds me of the story of the brilliance of Steve Wazniac, who decided to design a computer by consolidating the functions of integrated circuits controlling things like timing. He assigned one timer the job of several used in previous generation computers in order to downsize and simplify...

Current PCB units were redesigned to use only one relay for several functions. Most iterations of PCB's(excluding the KDS Smart Start) use one relay, as a streamlined design, allowing the PC Boards logic center to swap between functions.

Now that I want to re-design a simplified PCB internal bypass, the old 3 relay Prestolite design explains a lot, and makes the 2 relay design in the PCB from the 5 tonne and up Forum makes more sense.

I think a two or three relay pushbutton box that deletes the printed circuit board is within grasp. The Human Being will act as the logic center to press buttons as needed to activate/de-activate functions.

Football and tailgating tomorrow, so the rest of this project may continue after New Years, definitely not before Thanksgiving.

Let's Go Giants! (They still have a chance.... LOL) There's always next year (or next decade ;)).
 

TOBASH

Father, Surgeon, Cantankerous Grouch
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
3,569
3,474
113
Location
Brooklyn, NY
P.S. I can certainly use a few more old Prestolite boxes! Some damaged components in mine are not identifiable.

Please PM me if you have any.

T

[EDIT] - I also request two or three dead or working AMETEK PCB units for evaluation. Please PM me if you have any for donation or sale.
 
Last edited:

TOBASH

Father, Surgeon, Cantankerous Grouch
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
3,569
3,474
113
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Now that I'm back from watching my Giant's win on Sunday AND from overeating turkey yesterday, I'm back to my project.

I am wondering about the glow plug controllers.

When I was a Saab guy, there was a doodad that acted as an actuator for an electric choke. It measured block temperature. When cold, it had a certain resistance, and when warm it had another. When the units failed, the cars ran heavy on fuel and left a smoke trail.

The Glow plug controllers seem to measure heat in a similar way.

SO, the $64,000 question is …. What are the resistances at low AND at high temps for each manufacturer and unit? Which pins are involved?

This would allow bypass in emergency, but also might allow manual control of glowplug activation in cases where a PCB is intact.
 

nickd

Active member
862
37
28
Location
Newport, Delaware
I tested for power to the glow plugs yesterday. The outside temperature was 50 degrees. I pulled one wire from a glow plug. Connected an idiot light to the wire grounded the other end and turned the switch to position 1. No light. Reconnect wire to glow plug. Wait light timed out Hard start. Removed the glow plug harness. Switch in position 1 no light position 2 no response from the starter. Reconnected glow plug harness. Wait light timed out cold start. Already changed out the glow plugs last winter. (Yes i have a kill switch to disconnect the batteries ). The smart box needs to be hooked up to the glow plugs to power up the rest of the electric functions to start. I wanted to disconnect the glow plug harness and feed it directly to 24v via a switch.
 

TOBASH

Father, Surgeon, Cantankerous Grouch
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
3,569
3,474
113
Location
Brooklyn, NY
I tested for power to the glow plugs yesterday. The outside temperature was 50 degrees. I pulled one wire from a glow plug. Connected an idiot light to the wire grounded the other end and turned the switch to position 1. No light. Reconnect wire to glow plug. Wait light timed out Hard start. Removed the glow plug harness. Switch in position 1 no light position 2 no response from the starter. Reconnected glow plug harness. Wait light timed out cold start. Already changed out the glow plugs last winter. (Yes i have a kill switch to disconnect the batteries ). The smart box needs to be hooked up to the glow plugs to power up the rest of the electric functions to start. I wanted to disconnect the glow plug harness and feed it directly to 24v via a switch.
Seems like you want to make your own glow plug switch. That has already been built by another member. There is a thread by that other member about making a separate glow plug harness. I will look for it later or another member can post.

Best,

T
 

Retiredwarhorses

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,392
4,172
113
Location
Brentwood, Calif

TOBASH

Father, Surgeon, Cantankerous Grouch
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
3,569
3,474
113
Location
Brooklyn, NY
why not just buy a new box at that price....
RWH is correct. This FleaPay Guy is charging 300 clams for a glowplug controller sold in Australia for 53 dollars AU( maybe$42 American). He then jacks up the price of the repair astronomically based on this. I would stay away from the FleaPay guy as he/she is behaving like a crook. (I would be interested to look at the inside of the units he/she repairs to see what is being done, but I would NEVER buy one given what I discovered about their pricing).

The purpose of this thread is to make a cheaper and more reliable solution. I just ordered some scrap boxes to thieve the parts and make a manual unit. Results to follow, but I'm distracted by COVID-19 issues that require that I retool my office to do Telehealth. This PCB issue will need to wait.

In the mean time, you need to listen to RWH.

I suggest you stockpile at least one matching PCB for your rig, and one matching glow plug temp sender for your rig.

ALSO, it is against forum rules to post links to active FleaPay auctions. You need to remove that link or the MODs will assess you penalty points. Also, you need to list your city and state in your profile as per forum rules madeinusa, and not just the state. I see you are new here...Welcome.

Best,

T
 
Last edited:

Retiredwarhorses

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,392
4,172
113
Location
Brentwood, Calif
I’m sure all thats been done is the GP relay in the box have been bypassed and The new unit connected in its place.
All the boxes have the same thing in common, a GP relay and a timer, the timer releases the GP relay after 9 seconds.
 

madeinusa

New member
12
8
3
Location
Dallas, Texas
well I puchased it already, I will let you know how I like it. as far as buying new at that price, I did that twice over the last four years. one of them was dead as soon as I put it In, and couldn't get my money back. i took it apart to find this picture i posted, I searched ever option available and this guy on ebay was the only one I could get on the phone and in email to guarantee the box would work. as far as the price, I have spent a couple thousand already trying to find a permanent fix. if this is it, it seems like a bargain. as far as the bypass option, I really dont have the skill set, and even if I had step by step instructions the risk of damaging something steers me away. plus cutting up the truck harness seems like it would cost more to replace if needed in the future. I just wanted to see what you guys thought before buying, but I already did.
 

Attachments

TOBASH

Father, Surgeon, Cantankerous Grouch
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
3,569
3,474
113
Location
Brooklyn, NY
madeinusa.....

You're a new member who only posts about this one product. You posted this same crap in Feb 27, 2020 with the same link, and again like 6 times. These have been your ONLY posts since joining. YOU are the seller trying to troll this forum and drum up business. I don't appreciate your HIJACKING my thread. I hope your post is removed. You did not ask for an opinion, and that was not your object, as proven by all your other links to this auction dating back to Feb 27, 2020. You didn't buy this, you are the merchant. You're signature line says you're from Utah? Bet Ogden Utah, just like the E-bay seller. No wonder you did not follow forum rules and indicate your city. [EDIT - right after confronted he changed his signature line to say Dallas, Texas.]

This guy seems to be a fraud. Every one of his 5 - 6 posts links to the same E-bay sale. He is in Utah, and so is the E-bay seller. He keeps posting the same crap over and over without contributing anything else since Feb 27, 2020. He is trolling and reviving old threads and such. All too coincidental, and I don't believe in coincidences. I think he is trolling this forum looking to make sales. He keeps posting the same E-bay auctions over and over. Mods, please take appropriate action. Please remove all his E-bay linked posts. Then you can remove my post and RWH post to remove all traces of this scammer.
 
Last edited:

madeinusa

New member
12
8
3
Location
Dallas, Texas
you got me, your too smart. I dont even have a humvee! I actually know the guy in utah because there are only two people in this state. I could change my state to say Guam if I wanted, but i didn't think you were ever going to figure out my super sneaky ways. lol some people. btw plan b is also in utah, maybe I own that also... even if you run to teacher and get me kicked off, I bet I could start a new account with a different email. I bet that throws your simple non coincidental mind in a tail spin.. this why I haven't posted any contributions here, people like you know everything and have no room in your life to learn anything else. if a person running this site would go threw your contributions not only on this site, but in your life. they would flush your account down the toilet because I know people like you never amount to anything worth a sh!t. wanna be bad ass behind a keyboard.
 

hndrsonj

Senior Chief/Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
7,584
363
83
Location
Cheyenne, WY
It probably wouldn't hurt for members to periodically check changes in the site rules. As mentioned above city and state is required, insulting members isn't allowed. There have been major changes allowing posting auction links and there is now an insurance forum! (y)
 

madeinusa

New member
12
8
3
Location
Dallas, Texas
It probably wouldn't hurt for members to periodically check changes in the site rules. As mentioned above city and state is required, insulting members isn't allowed. There have been major changes allowing posting auction links and there is now an insurance forum! (y)

good to know, I have fixed my location...
 

TOBASH

Father, Surgeon, Cantankerous Grouch
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
3,569
3,474
113
Location
Brooklyn, NY
madeinusa...

You talk about hiding behind a keyboard? Besides cursing in a family friendly forum... Initially your signature line said Utah, then when confronted you changed it to Dallas.

You have been ignored.
 

pig9r

New member
28
9
3
Location
KCMO
Why not just figure out how to hook up the $40 New Zealand timer? No matching temp sensor needed and it gives you total control? Seems the most cost and time effective route?
 

madeinusa

New member
12
8
3
Location
Dallas, Texas
Why not just figure out how to hook up the $40 New Zealand timer? No matching temp sensor needed and it gives you total control? Seems the most cost and time effective route?
that's why he was all bent out of shape, someone found a good solution without 10 posts no progress updates sense 2018.
 

TOBASH

Father, Surgeon, Cantankerous Grouch
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
3,569
3,474
113
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Pig9r, I want to go one step further.

Press a button and count to “10 Mississippi” and then let go and twist the starter lever. No automated timer device needed. Just a switch and a knowledge of how to count.

In my LandCruiser there is just a glow light that tells you your glowplugs are warm, and then you just start her up.

I await my junk box to convert to the opposite of a “smart box”.
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks