electrical connectors Options

[jimkelly]

I am starting to think these may be the best way to go.

insulated heat shrink connectors along with one good ratcheting insulated connector crimper, for all male, female and butt connectors 22-18, 16-14, 12-10.

vs bouncing from tool to tool, depending on size of connector and style of connector. pic is of an low dollar partially insulated connector, not a fully insulated heat shrink style connector.

also good to know that the bump on the crimper should be on the opposite side of the seam on the connector. but you guys already knew this : )




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS_YS-F9Z2E


this also looks like a handy tool to have as well for the heavy guage stuff.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxavPsio2iw

[BIGKAT_83]

Nice hooters. Had to watch it 3 times. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

[JmuRiz]

Those finger talons are creepy.

[JeffBowlsby]

I dunno....

Depending on your application, no problem with them technically, but they don't look very "Porsche-like". They are not waterproof either, where the two terminals mate.

Creepy claws is right...

[jimkelly]

"no problem with them technically"

this is the luke warm green light I was hoping for (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

certainly not for every 914, but for the ones that not attempt at period correct is being made, these look like the next best thing for, consistent WATER RESISTANT connections.

currently I am bouncing between 2-3 kinds of connectors (uninsulated and cheap insulated) and 2-3 different tools, in addition to applying heat shrink, so for me, I am thinking this is the way to go.

[AfricanHijinx]

I am impressed that she could do anything with those claws

[bulitt]

I always crimp, then solder.

[jd74914]

I always use real ratching crimpers (certainly not the lower two in your picture, the top might be OK) and never solder.

Connectors with pre-applied heat shrink are quite convient. The only thing I don't like about them is the limited color selection (since colors are standardized for size).

[76-914]

3M makes some really nice connectors. Pricey but nice. +1 one the ratcheting style. If you get quality connectors like 3M then go ahead and crimp the insulation. You have seen that Ins spot on your crimpers, right? It helps support the wire at the connection point. Don't try it with the cheap connectors; plastic just breaks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sheeplove.gif)

[Mike Bellis]

I just looked at their website. It is pretty much low end stuff. The shrinkable crimp connectors are a step up from regular crimp connectors but still low end and should be used for emergency repairs. I even have some for such an occasion. In the Marine Corps we had crimpable, solder shrink tube connectors. You crimped first and then hit it with a heat gun. The heat melted the solder, shrinked the tube and some even had a heat reactive glue that would push out the ends of the shrink tube. We would use these on $20M aircraft.

If you want a decent connector at a good price point go with Weather Pack. They are weather resistant and standard equipment on a lot of GM vehicles. Molex no makes some weather resistant connectors that are cheap. Deutsch makes some higher end connectors. They are expensive and a PITA to put together but they are a better choice than crimp spades.
Here is a link to weather pack. You can use the blue crimper you have.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Compact-97pc-Delph...ebf&vxp=mtr

Solder and shrink tube are still the best for splicing a wire together.

It all depends on what you want the final product to look like.

BTW, throw away the crimper/striper in the middle. Buy a good pair of strippers... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Jeffs9146]

I always use real ratching crimpers (certainly not the lower two in your picture, the top might be OK) and never solder.

I love those crimpers on the bottom!! They are by far the best tool I have ever owned! The ratching ones have a tendancy to not crimp enough to hold the wire snug as they get older! The ones in the bottom of the photo are the bomb!

From 1989 to 1995 I would install 5-8 cellular phones per day in cars, trucks & limos and I never had one come back for a bad crimp! Lets say 6.5x5 days a week = 32.5x48 weeks per year =1560 x7 years = 10,920 mobile installs!

Sorry my $.02!!

[mikesmith]

Shrink & crimp is good for lugs; it keeps moisture out of the end of the wire, which reduces the opportunity for corrosion in the crimp, and the shrink greatly reduces the bending strain around the joint. Using the right tool is definitely important. Jeff - I started off with the 480pc starter kit off eBay for ~$60, and then I just buy refills for specific connectors as I need them.

For any connection you are (re)making between wires in the exposed areas of the car, there's very little excuse not to use a proper sealed connector. You can buy a Weatherpack starter kit with a decent crimp tool and terminal extractor off eBay for less than a hundred bucks, and get refills at any FLAPS in an emergency. This will cover any circuit up to 20A.

Yes, there are newer, smaller and sexier connector families out there, but you are looking at 4-5x the investment in tooling and substantially higher per-terminal costs for no appreciable benefit. (Check out the Metripack 150/280/480/630/800 range, for example, or try pricing the Deutsch tooling.)

For interior connections, my personal preference is the Molex Mini-Fit series. Mini-Fit Jr is good for up to 9A; connectors, pins and tooling are all very cheap and available in a wide range of pin counts. For bigger circuits, Mini-Fit SR will take wire to 8AWG and 50A.

Neither of these connector families suffer from terminal fatigue like the lug connectors that VW used in the vehicle originally. The biggest drawback, of course, is that without a standard your rewiring job is going to be unique...

[falcor75]

+1 on the crimp and shrink but never solder, solder will crack with time and lead to annoying faults.

While we are talking about wiring and re-wiring, has anyone changed out their fuseboard for something more modern, if so what have you used ?

[mikesmith]

MTA in Italy make some very nice parts that would be ideal for putting together a new fuse box.

Sadly, nobody seems to carry much of their line here. You can get some of their fuse and relay carriers from Hella, but all of the fun stuff like their modular fuse box system, or the battery terminal-mounted fuse blocks are unobtainium unless you feel like ordering from the UK.

I have their 16-way fuse block snapped to a 7-way relay block that I was going to use on an '02; I'm still tossing up whether to use the JWest panel and keep all my planned changes separate, or resell it and integrate everything. A few more fuses and relays would come in very handy...

The Blue Sea Systems' SafetyHub 100 also looks like something that would go well up close to the battery; I want to rip out Renegade's fan power run in the longs, but that means I need another 30A under the dash, and that in turn means a new power run from the battery, which really ought to be fused at the source...

Can you tell I spend too much time planning this?

[jimkelly]

turns out the 3M ones are available on ebay CHEAP
"heat shrink connectors 3m"
I think, heat shrink with adhesive, provides pretty good strain relief too.
I really like that the connector end is fully insulated.

one concern I have with greenlee 45500 tool is if the crimp area is too wide for this type of connector?

ps - on my non insulated connectors, my blue tool works fine on my female double barrel 16-14 connectors but not well on any of my male connectors or my female 22-18 connectors, thus i resort to my orange and black tool which does not make me happy : ( thus my search for a better overall solution.

plus when putting heat shrink with adhesive over my ENTIRE female connectors, they sometimes get so squeezed and maybe gunked up from the adhesive that it is hard to slide the male connector in.

I see the - heat shrink connectors 3m - as a vast improvement over what I am using now.

[mikesmith]

turns out the 3M ones are available on ebay CHEAP
"heat shrink connectors 3m"
I think, heat shrink with adhesive, provides pretty good strain relief too.
I really like that the connector end is fully insulated.

one concern I have with greenlee 45500 tool is if the crimp area is too wide for this type of connector?

ps - on my non insulated connectors, my blue tool works fine on my female double barrel 16-14 connectors but not well on any of my male connectors or my female 22-18 connectors, thus i resort to my orange and black tool which does not make me happy : ( thus my search for a better overall solution.

I believe this tool:

http://www.waytekwire.com/item/480/CRIMPIN...L-8-GA-TO-22GA/

is what you're after for the heat shrink terminals.

[jimkelly]

wow- so much to know - to do it right - never expected a tool specifically for heat shrink connectors.

thanks for the heads up!!!

[Drums66]

.....As long as they have insulation(sold-her) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/flag.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[jimkelly]

the connectors this thread is about - are UNSOLDERABLE

i think that only insulated connectors can be soldered BEFORE insulating with heat shrink.

[mikesmith]

wow- so much to know - to do it right - never expected a tool specifically for heat shrink connectors.

There is a specific tool for *everything*.

It's a nasty, evil scam. Too many connector families, too many different approaches to making a gas-tight connection between bare copper and a huge range of terminal platings. At least the "licensed" tool vendors haven't had too much success blocking the import of affordable clone tools...

Jim - there are variants of at least some of the heat shrink connectors that also contain a blob of low-temperature solder. With proper wire prep you can get crimp + solder + shrink in one connection - good for high current applications. Search for "solder shrink terminals".

Also, in your sig block you should be telling folks to remove the *negative* battery terminal. If you start with the positive terminal, any contact between the wrench and the body risks shorting the battery - if you are lucky, you'll get a huge spark and the fright of your life; if you're unlucky the wrench will weld itself in place and you'll have shorted the battery; results can vary but there is a lot of energy in there, and it's all going to turn into heat. Expect to boil the battery, and possibly start a fire.