Sorry to shatter some dreams here - the issue with old wiring is not only in connectors - its in the oxidisation of the copper under the insulation. Strip back a section of insulation on an old loom and probably you will find the copper is darker or black - this is oxidisation and creates resistance to the electrons as they flow - this resistance hinders the amount of electrons that reach their destination, given the length of the van the wiring can build up quite a bit of resistance. Bare in mind electricity flows down the outside of a cable. This manifests itself in dimmer lights, slower wipers and sometimes slower indicators - it also heats the loom. Temperature cycling the loom over a number of years speeds breaks down the insulation (it goes brittle) - this can then cause cracks in the insulation and then sparks etc. I'm not trying to scare people, and agree cleaning connectors is vital and that each bus is individual - but I think if you are in there already fixing the wiring, it might be a good option to consider a new loom. BTW - has anyone checked that the fuses fitted in their fuse boxes are actually correctly rated as per the manual?
Moons, I'm not confident in stripping out the whole loom in one go. I was thinking about replacing each wire, one by one. As each cable is changed then checking to make sure it works. I know this will be time consuming but I'm in no rush. Bus is off the road until next Easter so it was going to be my winter project. Did you see the earlier post about the type of fusebox? http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/relays/photo/1520demo.jpg In you O P would it be the way to go or as the other members have mentioned, try and get a NOS fusebox?
