heckler Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 In theory all loom wires should be crimped, not soldered. On a proper race car loom there is NO solder used at all, as it embrittles the wires near the solder, and vibration then fractures it. Crimping torace / aircraft loom qulity demands proper crimps and a proper crimping tool, that often only works with one size / make / style of crimp. the Motec recomended crimp tool is over 280 quid. Having said all that soldering is fine, and infinitely superior to the automaotive spares shop type of crimps and crimp tool, and far better than those dreadful Scotch Locks. I use soldered joints on my road car, but the race car has always had the luxury of a professional loom and connectors. A "proper" aircraft quaity loom is joy to see and use, but VERY expensive. they use a type of scotchlock on aircraft - and i have access to aircraft wire and connectors too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 I think we should just make do with twisting wires together and electical taping them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 I know I'm late jumping in on this one, but seeing as I do a lot of wiring in my job, I do kinda know what I'm talking about. There is absolutly nothing wrong with crimp connectors. I get to see many, many cars come to us with crimp connections that have badly fitted. Generally, it's nothing to do with the crimps themselves, it's all down to the tool the've been crimped with. The best type of crimpers I've found come from RS, and cost about £65+vat. They're ratchet crimpers and are calibrated to specific sizes. It's very rare you'd be able to pull the crimp from the end of a peice of wire once they've been crimped properly. The cheapy crimpers are rubbish, but miles and miles better then pliers. Believe it or not, crimps aren't designed to simply be crushed There's nothing wrong with solder either, but if any soldering is to be done externally, (engine bay, or lighting etc.), then make sure you use self-amalgamating tape to insulate the join. Otherwise it WILL corrode and become defective in a fairly short space of time. Once that happens, you'll probably find that the cable has oxidised and that you won't be able to re-solder the connection again. Ideally all solder joints should use this tape, but it can be a real PITA to use. Again, the biggest problem I've seen with DIY soldering comes down to either the soldering iron not getting hot enough, or not getting the cable hot enough to solder properly. I wouldn't say either method is bad. I've seen an equal amount of cable joint failures, whether by crimp or solder, and almost all of them are down to incorrect use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted August 21, 2005 Author Share Posted August 21, 2005 The best type of crimpers I've found come from RS, and cost about £65+vat. They're ratchet crimpers and are calibrated to specific sizes. It's very rare you'd be able to pull the crimp from the end of a peice of wire once they've been crimped properly. The cheapy crimpers are rubbish, but miles and miles better then pliers. Believe it or not, crimps aren't designed to simply be crushedCheers Matt. When you say RS is that Radio Shack or what? A link to the crimpers you're recommending would be great if you have a few mins. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timwildman Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 they use a type of scotchlock on aircraft - and i have access to aircraft wire and connectors too They do? maybe on that fast jet rubbish I'd go for crimp most of the time. I managed to get a new automotive crimper Ratchet type for about £30. Think it was from maplin, but that was a few years ago now.maplin crimper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Cheers Matt. When you say RS is that Radio Shack or what? A link to the crimpers you're recommending would be great if you have a few mins. Thanks Jake i would say that he meant RS Components http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/home.do?cacheID=ukie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 It is indeed RS Components, sorry. I've had a quick search but can't find them on there. I'll get the part no. from my one tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrickTT Posted August 22, 2005 Share Posted August 22, 2005 I 'borrowed' from work some heatshtink crimp terminals. They look like normal inline crimp terminals, but are insulated with heat shrink so you can seal them properly (ideal for underbonnet use). Can highly recommend them as i,ve got them all over the car now. Unfortunately i dont know where you can buy them from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 It is indeed RS Components, sorry. I've had a quick search but can't find them on there. I'll get the part no. from my one tomorrow. Part no. 533-279 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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