ash_hammond
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| posted on 24/3/15 at 04:49 PM |
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Joining Electrical Wires
My loom has three main power feeds into the fusebox.
Ideally for neatness I would like to join all this wires together and then run a single heavy duty lead to the battery though a grommet in the scuttle
to the positive terminal.
Is soldering all these wires together and then heat shrinking them a sensible idea or is that a connector that will do this job?
Cheers.
.: www.mac1motorsports.co.uk | www.m1moc.com :.
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JeffHs
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| posted on 24/3/15 at 04:54 PM |
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I know some will argue that soldering is not a great idea, but when I made my loom from a Mk2 Escort one, I found several soldered connections made by
Ford, so I followed suit and have had no problems since!
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britishtrident
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| posted on 24/3/15 at 07:37 PM |
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Why not just thread the 3 wires through a single shrink wrap to join at a single Midi fuse holder and then a single heavier wire to the battery.
This would be better than having a completely unfused feed going through a metal bulkhead.
If you want a soldered joint that as reliable you have to make a mechanical splice that is intertwine the wires properly before you solder.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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Chris_Xtreme
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| posted on 24/3/15 at 07:52 PM |
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I did just what you describe, one large wire through the bulkhead - (not fused at this point) into a fust up under the passenger footwell, then
large wire into a large 'butt connector' and the three wires in the other side of it.. screw them up, heat shield over the top and done.
my local car shop had them, but I can't find an example quickly online!
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ash_hammond
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| posted on 24/3/15 at 08:00 PM |
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Thanks for the ideas.
I have just found this
ebay item
What are peoples thoughts? It does come with a cover but it does seem a little exposed to me given every metal surface is earth.
.: www.mac1motorsports.co.uk | www.m1moc.com :.
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matty h
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| posted on 24/3/15 at 08:15 PM |
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Few here I have used the two way junction box before was told by a vehicle wiring firm to use this instead of any of butt connectors.
http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/section.php/97/1/terminals-connectors
Matty
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Chris_Xtreme
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| posted on 24/3/15 at 08:26 PM |
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this is what I used:
http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/product.php/561/butt-connector-screw-type/32ffe1153c4f72fd5e7672f47da5a1a3
or screwfix do crimp ones
http://www.screwfix.com/p/10mm-butt-connector-pack-10/58923
(thanks for the pointer to VWP !)
[Edited on 24/3/15 by Chris_Xtreme]
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ash_hammond
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| posted on 24/3/15 at 08:27 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by matty h
Few here I have used the two way junction box before was told by a vehicle wiring firm to use this instead of any of butt connectors.
http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/section.php/97/1/terminals-connectors
Matty
Thanks. I think i will order one of those.
.: www.mac1motorsports.co.uk | www.m1moc.com :.
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SteveWalker
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| posted on 24/3/15 at 09:38 PM |
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I'd connect the three to one as originally suggested, but use a battery connector with an integral fuseholder to feed the single larger wire, so
you have no unfused section.
In my case, I didn't have a fused battery connector available and simply fitted an inline fuseholder (AGU / 5AG) and 60A fuse from Maplin into
the feed, very close to the battery.
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renetom
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| posted on 25/3/15 at 08:10 AM |
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Hi
Solder & heatshrink by far the best
trouble free connection.
Looks neater than crimps or connectors.
Good luck
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Irony
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| posted on 25/3/15 at 08:59 AM |
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I have two plastic junction boxes under my dash. One for permanent live and one for earth. In the junction box is a bus bar that is secured inside.
If I was wiring the car again I would have one for switched live as well.
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SPYDER
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| posted on 25/3/15 at 09:43 AM |
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Solder and heatshrink for me. The OEM loom that came with my engine (Toyota) is full of soldered joints.
Having a fuse near the feed point is a good idea though.
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loggyboy
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| posted on 25/3/15 at 09:49 AM |
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Done well both crimp and solder are fine. Both are OE ways of doing things. What i've tend to notice is solder is only used to join multiple
wires in areas of no movement in the loom, ie where loom is well wrapped and supported. Any connectors or similar will always be crimped as even a
good soldered joint will become brittle.
Mistral Motorsport
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coyoteboy
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| posted on 25/3/15 at 01:53 PM |
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Many say don't solder. I prefer soldering for a better electrical connection, but it does require proper stress relief on the joint (multiple
layers of heatshrink properly shrunk extending 25mm either side works nicely). I think the "problem" is the solder creates a hard spot
that causes localised stress raising and fatigue failure under vibration. The heatshrink limits this by spreading the load over an area. Personally I
find no-one can reliably crimp anything without wire damage and it then is an open corrosion point too, which to my mind is worse.
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spiderman
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| posted on 25/3/15 at 10:58 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
Many say don't solder. I prefer soldering for a better electrical connection, but it does require proper stress relief on the joint (multiple
layers of heatshrink properly shrunk extending 25mm either side works nicely). I think the "problem" is the solder creates a hard spot
that causes localised stress raising and fatigue failure under vibration. The heatshrink limits this by spreading the load over an area. Personally I
find no-one can reliably crimp anything without wire damage and it then is an open corrosion point too, which to my mind is worse.
You do need some decent ratchet wire crimpers, not those cheap pliers type made from flat steel. I use both crimp and soldered joints and have in the
past soldered a crimped joint, especially if I have multiple cores going into a single core the other side. If you want to keep environment out of
crimped joint put heat shrink insulation over it, 3:1 or 4:1 shrink ratio and get the adhesive lined stuff, not cheap but excellent and fit for
purpose. We all know it can be a nightmare tracing a corrode or badly made connection in a wrapped wiring loom. I often use convoluted conduit to ron
my wires in, so much easier to replace a faulty conductor or to add more for extra added accessories.
If I have to use those blue/yellow and red insulated crimp connectors, I slide some heatshrink, adhesive lined, over the conductor first then crimp
cut off the insulation with a dremmel flow some solder into the crimp and then slide heatshrink over the joint, wait for it to cool after soldering,
then use a decent heat gun, not a lighter  As you can gather I hate those insulated crimp connectors, I have wasted too much of my life trying to
source a badly crimped one, plus they look crap and unprofessional. Never ever use those scotchlock connectors that cut through the insulation when
you want to add a condutor to an existing one, often used by baboons fitting tow bar electrics.
these abominations,
you deserve everything you get if you do
Spider
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coyoteboy
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| posted on 25/3/15 at 11:26 PM |
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Yeah but even decent crimp tools require careful adjustment to the correct sizing and checks on pull-out strength (we do high reliability crimping
here at work, with ESA qualified technicians, and even they take a few attempts!).
Agree, anyone using cut'n'shut connectors is asking for a nightmare. Definitely worth environmentally sealing the joint wherever
physically possible to prevent the old black rot!
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