Date:         Sat, 30 Jan 1999 09:30:27 EST
Reply-To:     KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Subject:      Re: Soldered Connections
Comments: To: vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

David said:
<<NEVER NEVER use crimps to fasten the wire
as they will corrode.  Always solder the connections, apply a small amount
of lithium greese for water-proofing and seal it with heak shrink tubing.
Takes a little while to do but it will be a perfect connection 20 years
from now.>>
Have to respectfully disagree here.  A good crimp connection beats a soldered
connection anyday.  First of all a soldered connection is brittle and with any
amount of flexing or vibration over time it will break.  Also if you don't
clean up the connection after soldering it will corrode much faster than a
crimped connection.  Best scenerio is use some clear plastic tubing.  Cut a
piece long enough to cover your junction.  Then slide it on the wire.  Now
crimp your connection together.  Slide the clear tube over the connection and
then tie the ends of the tube with some thin string (or use the shrinkwrap
method).  Thats how we do it on aircraft.
Ever wonder why those Vanagon power window switches go bad?  The connections
are soldered and they break.
Ken Wilford
Van-Again
John 3:16