Sealed total loss box

[Waternut]

I have had my eye on these for a ebox.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/115/831/=4t0lth

Yeah I looked all through mcmaster carr a while back and I liked these but basically wasn't willing to spend the money on those boxes only to have to drop more money into it to hopefully make it work.

So far on this box I have $5 in SS screws, $4 in silicone, $15 in polycarbonate, $3 in rubber plugs, and a lot of time. I bought extra polycarbonate in case I screwed the first one up but I think I can make a second box without spending more than a couple dollars. We'll see...

 

[Kennay]

Isn't it like $5 plus shipping for 1.5oz of it though? Not sure that would do a whole box or not. Although I guess in hind sight, I've spent almost that much on the silicone and stainless steel screws and spent probably 10x the time. Crap...My decision making power in the last few weeks has been terrible.

It is enough to make probably 10 of those boxes. It also bonds it on a molecular level, so it would be water tight without needing any additional sealer. They use it to make acrylic aquariums.

 

[keith t]

If its any help my box size 230mm x 140mm x 100mm

the 100mm is the depth of the box - I can get the lid off my box whilst it is still in situ - the screw nearest the FP header needs a small screwdriver to get at it.

 

[BombThreat]

Here is what I've come up with so far. The engine is out of my ski right now so I really don't even know if this will be too big. It's about 1/2" to 1" short of the midshaft coupler so maybe. Still need to figure out how I'm going to attach the lid but I figure a gasket or some sort will be necessary.

Couple things I've learned already... First polycarbonate is extremely hard to with. You can't use any kind of normal glue to hold it together so I drilled and screwed everything together and am putting a more expensive silicone on the edges to help seal out water (and hoping it works). Also this stuff really heats up your drill bits!!

Your gonna cut to F out of your hands workin around that thing in a ski...

 

[Waternut]

I may just have to buy some of the adhesive and try it on the next box.

I do have every intention of smoothing out the edges to prevent cutting myself. One step at a time though.

 

[Waternut]

Had to trim it a bit to make it fit properly but it does fit now although I have to mount my abnormally tall coil on the bottom which isn't really a problem.

Still struggling with how to make the top easily removeable... I wandered around Lowes for a while and surfed on mcmaster carr and couldn't think of any latch that would work and still be semi-cheap since I'll need 4-6 of them. I'm debating girdled bolts that go through the whole box but I'd rather not do that.

 

[Mark44]

Do you have any sealer on those joints? We build lexan enclosures in our shop and have a heated element they lay the lexan on before they bend it in the break. We also have a compound we put on the seams that melts them together on contact. No fasteners required to form a box like that.

Mark44

 

[Waternut]

There is some sealant on the edges but it's not as nice as the real lexan adhesive that chemically bonds the two together. I did test the box without the top and it holds water fine. The trick is going to be sealing the top and sealing the wires in and out of the box and sealing the screw holes to mount it to the hull.

 

[Waternut]

So this has taken a lot longer than I had anticipated and been more difficult. Granted I've been lazy and haven't worked on this much but here is the progress right now. Since the edges are hand cut, they aren't perfect and it's hard to seal the top on. I tried a cork gasket and super glueing rubber cord like an o-ring head but rope caulk has worked the best so far but it's a one time seal. I also found that water slowly drips in between the wire bundle in the shrink wrap. Maybe silicone will fix that.

 

[masterblaster]

interesting,I think youd have been better off putting the relay on the inside as well for salt use.anyone have a mcmaster # for those water through fittings

 

[Knoxie]

I couldn't find any of the plastic enclosures that would fit nicely...so got a mate to make me one out of ally with a perspex lid and IP68 rates cable glands.

Havent had and water get in yet....

 

[OCD Solutions]

Now that's pretty slick! Are you riding salt and if so did you get the box anodized first?

 

[superjetkev]

thats probly the nicest set-up ive seen so far. nice and compact and durable. good work!
also looks like it fits like the stock ebox. BONUS

 

[McDog]

Wouldn't the coils be an important part to keep saltwater off of?

 

[superjetkev]

Wouldn't the coils be an important part to keep saltwater off of?

if it were me i wouldnt care, they are a sealed piece. little bit of di-electric grease on the posts and they would be fine imo. but some may prefer to conceal them in the box also. i know some seadoos have exposed coils. i would like to hear from ohters on this too....anyone have a coil phuck up from being wet?

 

[Matt_E]

As much trouble as I've had with MSD TL in salt, it has never been the coils.

 

[Waternut]

I looked for those IP68 boxes and couldn't find anything I could justify. Most were around $70 or more for just the box. That one certainly looks sweet though.

I would think the worst that would happen to the coil is water could get under boot and possibly start grounding to something which could cause problems with the coil. Either way coils aren't that expensive...at least compared to the brain. I know my main concern for building the box was to protect the brain. The coil was just able to fit so I stuck it inside.

 

[masterblaster]

More often than not its the high voltage msd coils that short out and cause issues with tl,thats assuming you have everything else perfect.Im looking at building one of these but for 100% salt use like here,Id have to place the coils in the box,its about reliability for me more than equip protection. even still you have to deal with the wires shorting to ground through the plug boots.Ive been told if the wires and boots are VERY clean and a oring is placed over the plug then the wires,boots wiped down with silicone,it does fine

 

[Shifty]

MSD Instructions state that the coils should be at least 6" away from the brain. I guess this is due to EMI or possibly the risk of damaging the brain if the coil jumped to ground through it somehow.

I would keep that fact in mind when mounting coils near the brain.

 

[Matt_E]

More often than not its the high voltage msd coils that short out and cause issues with tl

Is this your personal experience? :dunno: