Date:         Sat, 30 Jan 1999 23:25:40 -0800
Reply-To:     Otmar Ebenhoech <Otmar@EVCL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Otmar Ebenhoech <Otmar@EVCL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Soldered Connections
Comments: To: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <000a01be4cdb$9f976300$17cdce80@k6-233>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>I do not agree with your logic, a crimp connection is far more likely to
>vibrate apart than a properly soldered connection.

Put me on the crimp side of the argument.

I believe soldered connections are less reliable in an automotive
enviornment. As I've seen it, it's quite simple, solder is brittle and
vibration will make it fail. Just one example: How many of you have
resoldered the LEDs in your Westie water/volts displays because the
vibration cracked the solder? Yet, have you ever needed to fix the crimp
connections behind the dash cluster? I've seen electric cars with melted
battery terminals because the PO decided to solder the connection rather
than crimp. What a mess!

Of course the trouble is getting a good crimp connection. Most of the tools
available don't have the proper jaw shape or enough ridgidity to make a
reliable connection. If the wire pulls out of the crimp when you pull on
it, it's probably no good, I prefer the lug to tear of wire to break first.
I find that most original VW crimps will outhold the wire strength. I only
use the crimpers that have one concave and one convex jaw (for 10 guage and
up) so that there is a real strong swaging of the joint. On larger wire I
use a specialized crimper with settable hex shaped jaws for the proper
guage/lug match.

 -Otmar-
86 Syncro (front) 82 (rear) Stretch GTI Westfalia. "Power of two"
Several EVs (Electric Vehicles)
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