Date:         Sun, 31 Jan 1999 14:15:38 EST
Reply-To:     CarlMarin@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Carl Turner <CarlMarin@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Soldered Connections...Not!
Comments: To: wdavidson@thegrid.net
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

In a message dated 1/31/99 11:01:04 AM Mountain Standard Time,
wdavidson@thegrid.net writes:

> So where do you get copper crimp on connectors? I think the only ones I've
>  ever seen for sale are aluminum (?). And many that came stock on vehicles
>  appear to be aluminum. But they don't seem to corrode.
>  Bill
>  90 Westy Syncro

Many of the crimps that look like aluminum are actually tin plated copper.  If
you cut them you can see the copper core.  As to the ones that really are
aluminum,  all I can suggest is use the shrink wrap as I outlined and and keep
the joint dry.  That will minimize the future corrosion.  I have chopped out
crappy wiring on old cars that had the cheap cheezy aluminum type crimps and
they are indeed often corroded, seldom very pretty to look at.  I doubt many
OEM designs use aluminum on copper connections, not since long ago when they
didn't understand this stuff quite so well.

As to where to get good crimp connectors,  they're usually on the shelf right
next to the good quality teflon insulated wire ;^)  In other words, I
acknowledge that like everything else in the world today, its hard to find the
good quality materials to work with.  We are all consumerist slaves to the
least common denominators among us.  Education is our only defense!

Carl