Crimping / Elect Connections - How To

After reading posts here about the need for brake and other electrical connection reworks, I figured that I needed to learn a little more about how to do the job correctly. Found this link and it seems to do a good job of instruction. (Crimping wires is down toward the end.)

BTW, none of the wiring connector reworks posted for our TM's involve insulated wiring - right?

http://www.mmxpress.com/technical/connections.htm

[cochise]

Originally Posted by TravlinOn

After reading posts here about the need for brake and other electrical connection reworks, I figured that I needed to learn a little more about how to do the job correctly. Found this link and it seems to do a good job of instruction. (Crimping wires is down toward the end.)

BTW, none of the wiring connector reworks posted for our TM's involve insulated wiring - right?

http://www.mmxpress.com/technical/connections.htm

There are two ways to do this.
1) Use butt splices. The problem here is that the only way to disconnect the wires is to cut them.
2) Use Bullet connectors. Here you'll use a male and a female part, both are crimped on the wire after stripping about 1/4" of the insulation. You can than wrap the splice with electrical tape to protect the joint. If you ever have to disconnect the wires it is easy. Just remove the electrical tape (if used) and pull the male plug out of the female socket.

Easy and clean.

[Wavery]

One note on "Butt connectors".

If you use butt connectors, I recommend the 3M connectors that have "heat-shrink" built in. It's another step and requires a "heat gun" but they are far less likely to corrode or vibrate lose.

Solder and heat-shrink are BY FAR superior and still requires a "heat gun". I would stay away from electrical tape. In fact, I would prefer wire nuts to electrical tape and I don't like either one.

There are two different types of crimping tools, that I know of.

One puts a dimple into the connect.

The other one just squishes it together.

The squishy ones can be undone. The dimpled ones can not be undone.

When I have crimped a space or circle lug to the end of a wire, I like to solder it as well.

Originally Posted by PopBeavers

There are two different types of crimping tools, that I know of.

One puts a dimple into the connect.

The other one just squishes it together.

The squishy ones can be undone. The dimpled ones can not be undone.

When I have crimped a space or circle lug to the end of a wire, I like to solder it as well.

I think I read that the "dimple" type is for non-insulated wires and the "squishy" one is for insulated wires. The reasoning is that a "dimple" might break through the insulation and cause problems. The "squishy" one is flatter, safer on the wires, but not as strong against being pulled apart (a reason for using solder or shrink).

The only place on a TM that would use insulated (shielded?) wiring, I'm thinking, is possibly on any electronics to protect against audio or reception interference. I know my new Prodigy warns against installing the controller too close to the radio in the TV to avoid interference and those wires are non-insulated.

If crimping and not soldering, add a bit of dielectric grease into the connectors before putting the wires in. Reduces corrosion.

What about using 3M Scotchlok connectors:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmdKWTLfQgQ

Or would you be concerned about corrosion in an exterior application like this?

[scrubjaysnest]

Originally Posted by Bigbit

What about using 3M Scotchlok connectors:

Or would you be concerned about corrosion in an exterior application like this?

Scotchlok is great for a temporary repair but will fail with time. I have just finished replacing all the Scotchlok, bullet, and wire nuts on our '11 2720SL. I used non-insulated butt connectors that are soldered and crimped with heat shrink tubing to insulate. Where the connection is exposed to the weather I use the 3M heat shrink that contains a sealant. I can't think of the trade name right at the moment. Corrosion is the enemy of Scotchlok and wire nuts.

[Bill]

Actually, there are two types of crimps, as shown in the sketch below (please forgive my rudimentary sketchmanship). In one, you insert the stripped end of the wire in the connector barrel, and squish the barrel flat. The squished barrel doesn't grip the wire well, because although the barrel is deformed, the distance around it is unchanged. This leaves some empty space around the wire. As a result, the strands of the wire can move relative to each other, and the wire is fairly easy to pull out of the barrel. When I use this method, I always crimp and then solder. The soldering completes the electrical connection, fixes the strands in place, and fills the empty space so nothing can "creep".

The second method, which I call the wedge-squish, makes a better connection because it actually reduces the total size of the barrel. If you look closely at any of the crimped wire connections in your car, they are made this way, and they hold forever. No soldering is needed, since the empty space around the wire is completely filled.

A cheap crimp tool that you buy at NAPA, Checker, WalMart, etc, for a few bucks, is the flat-squish tool. On the other hand, a wedge-squish tool is available to shade-tree mechanic like me, but the cost is considerably higher.

Bill

[scrubjaysnest]

nice drawing Bill, I have found the same to be true plus the crimp lugs tend to be tool specific. AMP makes crimps lugs and tools that work well together but price is up there. Generic and soldering has always worked well for me, more time then money