I use temperature-controlled irons, Weller or better. I buy quality terminals and heat shrink tubing at electrical supply stores. I don't solder anything used in cars or any other high vibration environment - I use a quality crimper, quality bare terminals, and shrink tubing over the joint. With a quality crimp on a quality terminal, a gas-tight connection is created, and pulling on the wire to the point of failure actually breaks strands of the wire as it comes out. If solder is contained only in the wire-terminal joint, it won't hurt anything. With a cheap terminal it may help make a better electrical connection. The problem occurs when solder is allowed to flow into the wire outside of the terminal - it then makes the wire brittle at that point and more prone to breakage.
Crimping alone is the best way as long as you use the tool specified for that particular terminal. These tools are the complete closing type, that is, once you initiate closing you must complete the cycle before you can open the tool and remove it. With this tool you get metal migration from wire to terminal. In other words they are actually fusion welded together from the heat of compression. MetCal or Weller are the best solder guns. Avoid terminals made offshore. If you compare them alongside USA made ones they are not as heavy gauge and will not carry as much current.
On a properly soldered connection there in no voltage drop. It is the mechanical aspects that are of concern.
Here are two great suppliers. Pico - Eugene, OR - has everything in one place. Get one of their catalogues. (Car guys with a growing business) Noble Wire and Terminal - Springfield, OR - 541-744-0630 for nearest stock. Look for their spinner displays everywhere with the small zip-locks containing all sizes of terminals. Buy the uninsulated to save yourself a step. Organize packs somehow to make it easier to find proper size for job. Get an open barrel crimper for the terminals that crimp down on both the bare wire and the insulation. (Used mostly inside plastic connectors) While you are at it, buy the little tools needed for removing the terminals from inside the plastic connectors. One is a flat blade that pushes down on the locking tab on the side of a flat terminal. The other is a small tube that slides down the outside of round female terminals and releases the locking tab that holds it into the connector. I bought Sears best soldering iron some years ago and have had GOOD luck with it for soldering, but not unsoldering. Try not to overheat the soldered connection for best results. Even though I have a few different soldering tools, I rarely solder terminals, except when using open barrel terminals for small wires. A small amount of solder seems to help these connections, especially if they will be inserted into plastic connectors.
Weller IRONS are in widespread use. The Metcal and the Hexacon are the Rolls Royce of soldering irons, Metcal with its RF supply box is a bulky thing for car work. The tips are $25 and up each. Soldering GUNS are worthless for electronic work. For just doing wire I prefer a regular old 120 volt IRON, for circuit boards I use a Weller WTCPT setup. I don't use soldering guns for anything. Just because aircraft guys do something does not mean that it is better or desirable for car use. Aircraft wire is all one color, which is stupid in my opinion. Crimping with the approved tool and terminals is preferred for several reasons in aircraft work, but harnesses done on benches are often soldered. Any questions as to what is or is not approved aircraft practice should be answered by a book all hot rodders should own, Advisory Circular- 43.13 1B/2B - Acceptable Methods, Techniques and Practices of Aircraft Inspection and Repair. It is not expensive and can be had readily. I use RMA flux on all joints, clean with mineral spirits and put heat shrink on where appropriate. Crimping with good terminals and the proper tools is a better practice most of the time on automotive wiring.
When in the local GM factory we repaired with Packard GM terminals and no solder gun. Everything crimped. At that time I know of no soldered connections in the auto harness. I for one get the wire and terminal to hot when I solder. Apply to much solder and the solder wicks up the wire under the insulation making a stiff connection. Just two cents worth.
The tinned terminals are the key to a good solder...the store bought terminals are not made for soldering, they are not tinned
In a week or so the smoke will clear and I can deside what to invest in. I don't plan on connecting any wire to fire starting components, just want to connect the terminal ends to pieces of wire. No need to worry. Bob
I use a 125 watt American Beauty iron for automotive work. I don't even own a solder gun. For electronic stuff, I have heat regulated soldering stations. Cheap terminals are a false economy. They're soft and weak and won't hold a decent crimp. Cheap wire's another one. It has fewer strands of larger wire, and isn't flexible, so it fatigues and breaks easily. The good stuff is fine stranded and tinned. For automotive use, open barrel terminals are the best. They use a double roll crimp that is very secure when made by the proper ratchet crimper that won't open until the crimp is complete. I don't like to solder because the solder will wick up into the wire and make it rigid and subject to breakage from vibration.
I have been doing electronic repair most of my life, {medicial equipment}if a soldered connection is failing because of vibration, then the wire was not secured , and allowed to move, example, body harness not secured to the body in enough places, and not enough zip ties( I like a tie every few inches and secured to the body every 6" minium, more if high vibration- like a motor bike, havent had a failier yet.
bought a mini butane with solder tip, great set up and use the thin solder works well just started this set up and works great bought mein at fleet farm solder guns no longer have the heat needed
Iv'e fabricated wiring harnesses and power cable assemblies for the Patriot missile system and Allison gas turbines. Iv'e made wiring harness prototypes for the AM General Humvee and for anti-lock brakes for Chrysler. I have even made 50 caliber machine gun heaters for the B-52. Some harnesses and cable assemblies required soldered terminals others crimped terminals. Depends on the application and use. Certain Mil- Spec connectors that terminate stranded wires are soldered, others are crimped. Depends on the application and use. The soldering units we used were Weller analog soldering stations with a variety of soldering tips which you can set the temperature range enabling you to solder a wide range of wire gauges and terminals. Removing the wire insulation must be done carefully to prevent the individual strands from getting cut off or nicked. The soldered joint must not have excessive amounts of solder. It should be concave in appearance. It should not wick up into the insulation. Always use rosin-core flux, NEVER acid core. Use terminals made for soldering. They must be cleaned prior to soldering. I use shrink tubing over all my soldered connections. The adhesive coated shrink tubing is the best as it seals the outer insulation of the wire and the barrel of the terminal from the environment. As mentioned by many others, supporting the harness with cable ties or insulated clamps is critical. Vibration will, over time, destroy a soldered joint. I use crimp type terminals when applicable. I use the correct crimping tool that is specified by the terminal manufacturer. Do a little research and go at it!
Got a Weller 8200-N and 8 spools of solder in a garage sale buyout pile today. Should I upgrade to a special Weller tip for automotive electrical work? If so what tip is best? Bob
for soldering , My old weller , my Grandpa had one as he assembled radios ( ham ) my Dad had one and he workes on electronics , so I bought a dual heat one and had my dad show me how to tin the tip properly .( that was 28 years ago ) as for crimp connectors , do not like to use them if I do not have too , if I do its usually Panduit , or Amp
I've got the Weller propane pen gun, and also an old Weller electric soldering gun. I like both for different soldering jobs, but if there's room I like the Weller electric gun better. It's faster, and I don't have to leave it "idling" and hot while I get more joints ready to solder. I crimp my connectors before soldering, so don't use crimpless connectors. I don't use butt splices though. I solder and heat shrink my splices, and also my connectors.
I've used a lot of different brands at work on the bench. I like the expensive professional temperature controlled Weller's the best. For home use I've always used the Ungar Pencil Irons that can take a variety of screw on tips with different shapes and temperatures. They are relatively inexpensive, and you can substitute a hot tip for that high lead, low tin solder that is hard to melt. --- Steve ---
As an A&P mechanic, that specializes in avionics, I have to agree that crimping is the best way to achieve a good electrical connection. I the wire is heated too much, then the insulation starts to burn and the wire strength is starting to compromise. But, on the other side using a crimper that is wrong will crush the wires and compromise its strength, eventually breaking. Heat shrink is not very strong, or will it last very long for strain relief. The wire needs to be supported another way. Yes most aircraft wires are the same color, at least on the large commercial aircraft but they all have a label "burned" into the insulation for identification. Mark
Sounds like for the tip the best deal is to make your own as some one stated in one of the earlier posts. I am going to try this trick next time and you could make them the shape you need.
I agree totally. With wire nuts and butt splices, the wires can oxidize and cause a high resistance (and hot!) connection. Connect the wires with a good old linemans splice, heat the connection and apply solder when the wires are good and hot and the solder flows on easily. Then move the heat shrink in place over the joint & shrink it. Good to go forever. --- Steve ---
I have worked as an aircraft electrician since 1981, and for the last 23 years, I have worked for a major defense contractor wiring aircraft such as the B-2 Stealth Bomber, the RQ4 Global Hawk, and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Your buddy is correct, but the reason for the transition from solder to a mechanical crimp is not because of voltage drop, it's because a mechanical crimp is much better suited to a high vibration environment. Plus, there are many issues that can occur during a soldering operation, such as porisity, embrittlement, overheating, wrong type of solder, or a "cold" solder joint. A mechanical crimp has none of these issues, and there is no chance of overheating a wire and causing it to eventually fatigue and break. Don't compare your standard hardware store crimper to an aerospace crimper. They are totally different. The aerospace crimper is a calibrated tool, and there are multiple settings to accommodate certain connectors and wire gauges. Instead of making one flat crimp, the aerospace crimper (like a Daniels) makes a star-shaped crimp around the circumference of the barrel, making 5 separate crimps. For soldering at work, I use a Weller solder station like this. They are excellent units, and aren't terribly expensive: http://www.casa.com/p/weller-wesd51...082607&utm_content=pla&adtype=pla&cagpspn=pla I have a couple of Wellers at home. A gun and a couple of pencils You and I think a lot alike! That's some great info. That's great info. Some people put way too much faith in heat shrink. It's a great material to use, but it has it's limitations. Always support the harness with clamps and some type of strain relief at each connection.
I have been an aircraft electrician for 37 years, 20 in the A.F. Alot of these fellows are right about mechanical crimp. panduit or amp where the terminals the A.F. used when i was in. My vote is crimp with panduit terminals and splices that have the translucent heat shrink covering. IMHO.
There's now a lot of lead free solder on the market. I won't use it. Good old 60/40 lead/tin is the best. I like Ersin brand rosin multicore solder. Kester is another brand that's been around for almost a century. It's all getting expensive, though. I saw a 1 pound spool of Kester at my electronics store the other day with a $49.95 price tag on it. The Ersin costs more than that.
Crimp, never solder.... I'm a retired electrician, and soldering has been illegal (except for 'approved assemblies', i.e. UL or CSA tested) for electrical installations since before I started in the trade. If you've had problems with crimped connections, they weren't done right. Use uninsulated terminals, the right crimp tool for a 100% crimp (Klein, Ideal, and T&B all sell proper crimpers for about $30), and quality shrink tube over the finished crimp and you'll have a connection that retains the full strength, flexibility, and conductivity of the uncut wire. If you insist on soldering, you have to provide strain relief on both sides of the connection. Another thing to remember is the vast majority of terminals for sale in the aftermarket are tinned copper, which is not the best choice for automotive applications. Tinned brass or just plain brass is much tougher, and is all you'll find in OEM wiring harnesses. Copper can work, but again, strain relief is needed and soldering make the copper brittle.
As an electrician, you probably deal mostly with closed barrel lugs and terminals. The open barrel terminals that modern automotive wiring uses are different and usually install into a hard shell multi conductor plug/receptacle. Inexpensive crimp tools don't always make secure crimps. That's why ratchet type tools are used to insure that a complete crimp is made. I have a whole drawer full of different crimp tools and dies because of different terminal types used on auto and motorcycle applications. My grandfather was a journeyman electrician all his life, and I can recall being his "helper" when I was very young when he wired the upstairs of our house that my dad was finishing off. He did it the old way with twisted splices and a blowtorch and solder pot, finishing with rubber tape and friction tape. Crimp lugs were just coming in at the time and mostly used in panel and enclosure work.
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