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Re: Diodes???

To: RJohn50603@aol.com
Subject: Re: Diodes???
From: EMILY COWEN <ecowen@cln.etc.bc.ca>
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 12:11:27 -0700 (PDT)
Hi R. Johnson!!

On Tue, 29 Apr 1997 RJohn50603@aol.com wrote:

> Make sure you get the right one for your year (the early cars were positive
> ground). Make sure the year pump you rescued is the right polarity for your

The basic pump has no polarity; it's the DIODE that has polarity.  If
installed one way, you have a positive polarity pump.  Installed the
other way, you have a negative polarity pump!!!

> car too. If you want to live a little more dangerously, get a diode from

No, there's nothing dangerous about getting your doide from RatShack, 

> Radio Shack. I know they have a 3 amp. See if they don't have one a bit

BUT, you MUST get a diode that's "large" enough to live.  I don't know
what the minimum amperage rating for the pump would be, but be aware
that when the diode fails, it melt internally, which usually results in
a low resistance short, leaving little current for the pump winding.

> bigger to be safe or parallel a couple of them > 

No, no, no, if you wire two 1.5 amp diodes in parallel to achieve a 3
amp rating, one of them will overheat and take 2 amps, which will
eventually let the blue smoke out of it.  Then the other one will die.

I know that we've got an industrial electrician who shall remain
nameless, reading this newsgroup, and I'm sure he'll pound me into the
ground if I've misled anyone.  Electonics ISN'T my trade, just a hobby.

TTUL8r, millwright Kirk


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