My 1989 GTA has been shutting off and I noticed the orange wire coming of the battery cable has a melted connector. I believe the orangish wire coming out of the battery cable is the fusible link. The output side of the two piece connector in the center of the photo is shot and the wire is melted on the engine side and you can see I covered it with black tape. It gets real hot only withing 2 inches on either side of this connector. My neighbor (Electrician) and I think it is a bad connection that may be arching in the connector causing all the heat. When you take it apart the pin looks real black. To restart the car sometimes you need to jingle the wires there and if you jingle the wires when it is running it sometimes shuts off.

Can I simply cut out this connector and heatshrink and butt connect and leave the link wires?

 

That connector is not a fusable link. That connector should be on the wire that goes to power the ECM. You should be able to get a replacement from most auto parts stores for that.

 

Think I got it. Removed the melted connector and butt conn. and shrink wrapped it to the short thin wire coming from the battery cable which is the fusible link. It now stays cool. The other problem was the neg. batt. cable was not making a good connection and allowing it to shut down. I would have sworn it was tight but I womped down on it and it made a better contact and problem solved(for now).