Getting Power Distribution Center Cover Back On

[Rahneld]

Hi.

In my opinion it can be hard to get the plastic cover to the 3.6L JL's Power Distribution Center (PDC) (as you face the engine in the upper left corner)

back on properly, once removed, and after having made connections to the Hi Order Fuses in the PDC's rightmost area, as circled in yellow below.

I am trying to use a hack developed by Mr. @Jebiruph to connect two of the terminals circled, closest to the bottom of the picture: N1 and N2, to have a safety against a dead ESS battery preventing the 3.L JL from cranking--long story posted elsewhere.

I find it hard to sit any electrical connection below the factory wires that connect to each of these terminals because all of these connection are made by the factory at 90 degrees (the wire drops down.) Sit them above, especially if not also dropping down 90 degres and the PDC cover seems difficult to lock back on.

I've had two ideas to help this: one involves separating the nut from the factory 90 degree eyelet that attaches to it--which isn't hard to do. This would allow me to connect my own wires with eyelet terminal connectors above the factory ones, and use the factory nut to secure both wires down.

Another idea might involve putting a second nut (wing or standard) on top of the factory one to secure my electrical additions.

But in either case the wires from my connections make getting the PDC cover back on completely, difficult to impossible--at least me.

I thought about maybe buying some 90 degree eyelets for my connections like this:

but to put this type of connection on top of the factory one, (it is shown in the picture above upside down from how I would install it) I imagine the length of the eyelet portion shown above, before the bend up, would have to be slightly larger that that of the factory's 90 degree connection.

Does anyone know a 90 eyelet that works?

Has anyone built a "better mousetrap" here?

Maybe I should be a straight eyelet and do my own bending (I'll need to buy 10 of these to mess up the first 8.)

Am I solving this problem from entirely the wrong approach.

Should I just drill some holes in the plastic PDC and "call it a day?"

Should I just not be so anal, making a problem out of something that really isn't?

Thanks and Peace.

cc for wisdom: Mr. @Rhinebeck01

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[Rhinebeck01]

@Rahneld

You sure you don't live down in Westchester, NY. You sure are beginning to sound like ...... ah never mind..

Anyway, in an earlier post I told you that I felt it was not prudent to leave the / a "jumper" attached to N1 and N2 all the time. No way would I do this.

With that said, no don't be drilling holes in the friggin PDC cover.

You should be able to drop the jumper connector over the N1 and just use a nut to secure the cable right over top of the nut that is there. You would do the same with the N2. Than just lay the jumper wire with fuse down into the box and put the PDC cover back on. Yes, I know the PDC cover does not secure well, even with nothing additional under it.

In closing........... move on stop being obsessed with this whole ESS / jumper thing. Life is too short... get on with enjoying that JL of yours.

 

[Rahneld]

@Rahneld

You sure you don't live down in Westchester, NY. You sure are beginning to sound like ...... ah never mind..

Anyway, in an earlier post I told you that I felt it was not prudent to leave the / a "jumper" attached to N1 and N2 all the time. No way would I do this.

With that said, no don't be drilling holes in the friggin PDC cover.

You should be able to drop the jumper connector over the N1 and just use a nut to secure the cable right over top of the nut that is there. You would do the same with the N2. Than just lay the jumper wire with fuse down into the box and put the PDC cover back on. Yes, I know the PDC cover does not secure well, even with nothing additional under it.

In closing........... move on stop being obsessed with this whole ESS / jumper thing. Life is too short... get on with enjoying that JL of yours.

OK-temporary attachment. Here's where I got confused. I remember you saying wing nuts more for (or so I remember, maybe wrong) taking the piece off before a dealer visit--rather than for quick assembly as needed.

Temporary assembly it is.

To quote myself: I'm solving this problem from entirely the wrong approach.

Thanks.

: - )

 

[Rhinebeck01]

@Rahneld

Actually, in regard to the the N1 and N2 / jumper... I am not going to be using wing nuts.

When/if I need to install the jumper I will use regular nuts.

I found that the wing nuts I had would not turn freely on N1 as the wings kept hitting the N2. If I used a wingnut on N2 it would hit N1. Maybe it was just that the wing nuts I had, had big wings.. 8-)

Anyway, am using regular nuts for the jumper install. But...., with the ESS neg cable, I am using a wing nut because that cable I would be disconnecting if I were to use the jumper.

 

[Rahneld]

@Rahneld

You sure you don't live down in Westchester, NY. You sure are beginning to sound like ...... ah never mind..

Anyway, in an earlier post I told you that I felt it was not prudent to leave the / a "jumper" attached to N1 and N2 all the time. No way would I do this.

With that said, no don't be drilling holes in the friggin PDC cover.

You should be able to drop the jumper connector over the N1 and just use a nut to secure the cable right over top of the nut that is there. You would do the same with the N2. Than just lay the jumper wire with fuse down into the box and put the PDC cover back on. Yes, I know the PDC cover does not secure well, even with nothing additional under it.

In closing........... move on stop being obsessed with this whole ESS / jumper thing. Life is too short... get on with enjoying that JL of yours.

..was thinking I'll forget where to attach this in a 4AM panic so do it permanently--wing nuts already on terminals will address that...

 

[Rahneld]

@Rahneld

Actually, in regard to the the N1 and N2 / jumper... I am not going to be using wing nuts.

When/if I need to install the jumper I will use regular nuts.

I found that the wing nuts I had would not turn freely on N1 as the wings kept hitting the N2. If I used a wingnut on N2 it would hit N1. Maybe it was just that the wing nuts I had, had big wings.. 8-)

Anyway, am using regular nuts for the jumper install. But...., with the ESS neg cable, I am using a wing nut because that cable I would be disconnecting if I were to use the jumper.

wait did I say wing nuts...I mean a piece of tape : - ) ...thanks for the "wing nuts don't fit advise"--I had not thought about that..the terminals are close together : - )

 

[Jebiruph]

@Rahneld

Actually, in regard to the the N1 and N2 / jumper... I am not going to be using wing nuts.

When/if I need to install the jumper I will use regular nuts.

I found that the wing nuts I had would not turn freely on N1 as the wings kept hitting the N2. If I used a wingnut on N2 it would hit N1. Maybe it was just that the wing nuts I had, had big wings.. 8-)

Anyway, am using regular nuts for the jumper install. But...., with the ESS neg cable, I am using a wing nut because that cable I would be disconnecting if I were to use the jumper.

You guys made me go out in 8 degree weather to get some pics, but that's just how dedicated to the team I am.

Here's mine installed with wingnuts. I installed the first wingnut tight, then backed it off so it didn't interfere with the second wingnut. Once the second wingnut was on tight, I re-tightened the first one.

Here's my jumper installed with the PDC cover installed over it.

 

[Rhinebeck01]

@Rahneld

Actually, in regard to the the N1 and N2 / jumper... I am not going to be using wing nuts.

When/if I need to install the jumper I will use regular nuts.

I found that the wing nuts I had would not turn freely on N1 as the wings kept hitting the N2. If I used a wingnut on N2 it would hit N1. Maybe it was just that the wing nuts I had, had big wings.. 8-)

Anyway, am using regular nuts for the jumper install. But...., with the ESS neg cable, I am using a wing nut because that cable I would be disconnecting if I were to use the jumper.

Disregard what I said in this post about my not going to use wing nuts for N1 and N2. Today, I found wing nuts with smaller wings that work well . Got them at Lowe's.

 

[WranglerMan]

The ones I got for N1 and N2 also have small wings and you can easily spin on both without touching each other

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