Darrell said:
>but I don't like them or wire nuts either for =
that matter.
I have to agree...I learned in Germany (I worked on =
the
electronic steering controls for marine applications) that wire nuts are =
a
no-no! All wire connections are either soldered or put on a =
terminal
block. Good quality crimp connectors, with the proper =
tool, are
also considered acceptable. Wire nuts seem to be an American
phenomenon. Even wire splices on German electric motors use a =
terminal
block.
Karl Batzler
84 Vanagon
87 Audi 5000 =
S
La
Quinta, CA
>Hi Volks,
> =
I feel
solder is better. I also feel if one has no soldering =
experience
>that a
crimp splice joint is probably better, but I don't like them or =
wire
>nuts
either for that mater. I learned to solder as a radar technician in
the
>usn. The best advice I can offer is what a cwo ( chief =
warrant
officer) told
>me in 1960 and the basics have not changed much =
since then,
the secret to a
>good electrical connection is to first have a =
good
mechanical connection.
> I prefer shrink tubing, =
however
there is some much improved electrical
>tape out there. I find the =
new 3m
/ scotch super 33 hard to beat for most
>things I need tape for. =
It is not
cheap around $4 a roll but then some for
>$0.50 can be more =
expensive it
it fails you.
>Darrell
>-----Original =
Message-----
>From:
Otmar Ebenhoech <Otmar@EVCL.COM>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM =
<vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM&g=
t;
>Date:
Sunday, January 31, 1999 2:19 AM
>Subject: Re: Soldered
Connections
>
>
>>At 11:38 PM -0800 1/30/99, David =
Marshall
wrote:
>>>I think you are missing the point with soldering - =
or you
have never seen
>>>it done correctly. Your examples of =
failing
solders are not from a wire
>to
>>>wire connection but =
a wire
to a component / circuit board connection. If
>>>you =
are
soldering two wires together you must do what is called a
"western
>>>union" connection first. This is =
where
you strip the wires say 1.5 to
>>>2.0cm and put them =
parallel to
each other so the cut end of one wire is
>>>next to the =
begining of
the plastic covering of the other. Then twist =
the
>>>wires so
they make a mechanical connection first. The wires should
be
>able
>>>to hold together without solder. The =
next
step is to do a propper
>>>soldering job where you heat the =
wire and
not the solder thus advoiding a
>>>cold solder. Use =
decent
solder that contains a very small amount of flux.
>>>I use =
the Radio
Shack stuff. After you make this connection I will
bet
>>>anyone one hundred bucks that it will NOT =
break. If you
waterproof it
>with
>>>lithium greese and seal it with =
very
snug heat shrink it is almost as good
>>>as an uncut wire - =
just a
little stiffer where the connection is
made.
>>>
>>>Crimps do have their place and work =
well
when done with the right tools.
>>>They do tend to leave =
some part
of the connection open to the atmosphere
>>>which makes it =
prone to
rust and eventually failure.
>>
>>Maybe I was =
misdirected
here, I was thinking of a crimp joint to something
>>like a =
1/4"
faston connector for going to the back of the light. You =
are
>>right
that I was thinking of a wire to component =
connection.
>>
>>I
would agree that in the case of wire to wire connections, using a
western
>>union connection in a non flexing area it would be a =
very
good connection.
>>This used to be done in the ECU harnesses of =
some
cars (I think I remember
>>them in a '87 ford), but in my 97 =
jetta
harness they were crimps.
>>
>>The lithium grease =
trick sounds
good (if messy). There exists a type of
>>heatshrink that has a =
sealer
inside it to seal connections from the
>>atmosphere. Usually =
it's
called high voltage heatshrink and I've seen it in
>>three =
weights.
Basically it's heatshrink with a hot glue like =
substance
>>inside it
that oozes out when it is shrunk. This is fantastic stuff =
for
>>both
crimped and soldered joints. Unfortunatly it's quite expensive.
You
>>can make your own by laying down some hot glue on the =
joint and
then using
>>ordinary shrink tubing over it. When the tubing =
gets hot
enough it melts
>>the glue. Makes for a great sealed joint, but =
it will
eventually crack and
>>compromise the seal if it's flexed
enough.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
-Otmar-
>>86 Syncro (front) 82 (rear) Stretch GTI Westfalia.
"Power of two"
>>Several EVs (Electric
Vehicles)
>>http://www.evcl.com/strva=
n/strvan.html
>>http://www.evcl.com/Picprev.htm=
l
>>Electric
Vehicle Components Ltd. (650) 494-9255
>>