Maleficio

Regarding electrical tape, I've never found a use for it in any repair that will be exposed to heat above room temps in a house.

There is no electrical tape in my tool box at work. If we need to wrap a bundle, we wrap with heavy-duty teflon tape first, then wrap with silicon tape.

The glue from over-heated electrical tape coats my fingers and drives me crazy.

Maleficio

http://www.edmo.com/index.php?module...sp=wtb&cat_id=

Color codes: red=small, blue=medium, yellow=large. Crimping tools are color-coded the same way. Very simple, very effective.

docmirror

http://workmanship.nasa.gov/lib/insp...uirements.html

http://workmanship.nasa.gov/lib/insp.../frameset.html

This is where I learned it. But, back then it wasn't quite as rigid as it is now. This is the best of both worlds. Solder connection has benefits in areas where there is a chance of environmental effects to play a part in the conductivity. Crimp has a benefit of being faster, cheaper and usually suitable for non-strained wire and cabling, which is almost all wife and cabling. Very little should require strain relief except mating plugs and jacks, which provide built-in relief in the harness housing.

Maleficio

Here's a great deal on butt splices on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Raychem-D-43...item33656bd861

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=....c0.m270.l1313

Maleficio

Superb links!!

dr bob

In the wayback, certified in mil-spec soldering. The quality of the wires, prep, cleanliness, materials, tools, technique all carefully defined. Not so easy for repairs on car stuff, where 'repair' is usually repair of someone else's half-fast splice attempt. The crimp-style butt connectors allow repair of existing wiring without shortening anything. The tin-plated pieces can be soldered if needed, and generally take care of the mechanical portion of the repair nicely. Good adhesive-lined shrink tubing is a real plus where there's a chance of future contamination of the connection. Several options, but for 90%+ of the DIYers, the crimp with the correct tools is the safest/easiest/most reliable solution.

My two cents.

dprantl

Thanks for the links. I was looking for the specific crimper that you use because I like the double crimp style. Personally, these are the crimp connectors I usually use:

http://order.waytekwire.com/productd...OVERED%20BUTT/

Dan
'91 928GT S/C 475hp/460lb.ft

Maleficio

I've never seen a crimper that's wide enough to crimp both ends simultaneously.

I think that may be difficult because one hand holds the tool, the other holds the wire end in place. Doing both wires at the same time would be a pain, in my opinion.


I think this is the exact crimper I use at work.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RAYCHEM-AD-1...#ht_500wt_1204

Maleficio

I think that dude selling these heat shrinks on eBay is about to be cleaned out.

Maleficio

If you want some quality silicon tape to wrap your harnesses, here's the same stuff we use at work for a fraction of the price elsewhere. Probably stolen.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/160582636756...#ht_1104wt_956

dprantl

What I meant is not to crimp both sides at the same time, but how your crimper made two indentations per crimp.

Dan
'91 928GT S/C 475hp/460lb.ft

Mother

I agree partly, but polarizing is a word I would not have chosen the tech whom ever that will be makes the choice on the repair the point for me is that the connection be as good as "original or better" when repair is made. I guess I solder better then crimp.

Maleficio

It has two "teeth", if you will. It really is a great tool. The leverage design allows serious clamping power with very little effort from your hand, unlike the tool in my personal tool box. After a few crimps, my jaw hurts. I need to buy one for myself, too.

Mother

If this is the same stuff I used to use on Aircraft it was amazing and high temp resistant, did not unravel and held up for years..wished they had made it in black.

Maleficio

We get it in orange and black. We never know what we're getting, just plug in the part number, and we get what we get. Seriously, there is nothing else out there like it.


For an experiment once, I wrapped my fuel pipes in the engine bay with this stuff. I was having some serious engine bay heat issues. I'd open the hood, engine would nearly be on fire, I would touch the silicon wrapping and it would be nearly cool to the touch. I couldn't believe it.