Wiring question Options

[jd74914]

Good crimps should outlast most anything. A good crimp (typically made with nice ratcheting crimpers, see Paladin Crimp-All as an example) cold welds the wire stands and pin together resulting in an environmentally secure connection without the brittleness at the insulation joint associated with soldering. The PO of your boat likely poorly crimped everything with no fusion of strands so corrosion in the salt and hot environment happens pretty readily.

You can see the difference between good and bad (but not terrible) crimps in this picture. The one on the left is totally fused while you can see stranding on the right side which will let air in and corrosion start.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/m2.i.pbase.com-1659-1452323350.1.jpg)

I like to buy non-insulated terminals and then add adhesive heat shrink to them to add another level of strain relief and environmental protection to the connection. It also looks a little neater (IMHO) having single color terminals throughout the entire loom.

The solder splices Mike posted above are really nice though. I like using them for putting drain wires on shielded cables which do not have drains.

This website has a bunch of interesting articles on marine wiring.
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/wire_te...tion&page=1

[Elliot Cannon]

Are you working on a mars lander or something? It's a car for cripes sake! Strip of 1/4 inch of insulation on each end, push them in a splice and crimp them.

Boat, and there are two engines, and lots of sensors.
The DAPO replaced everything with RED wire, I guess it was all he had.
So......I will most likely terminate two harnesses about 4 feet away from the engines and build harnesses like our cars, just dedicated to the motor for all the sensors.

He used crimps, they don't work in high heat, high vibration, salt water etc....it's ugly doing forensics on this stuff, it does not last in,that environment.


And I admit, I hate plumbing.
I will never admit to knowing how to do plumbing.

Yikes! Maybe a mars lander would be easier to deal with. Sounds like a difficult and time consuming job. Maybe this will help? http://www.bestboatwire.com/marine-electri...lti-wire-crimps

[r_towle]

So,
With lots of smart people doing EFI systems, does anyone have a good suggestion for waterproof plugs of various sizes?

[wndsnd]

Connectors are supplied by harness guys and panel builders for convienience, not because they are the best sulution for vibration and corrosion. I still think hard wiring an SO or SJO cord set to a power distribution block is your best bet.

If you do want to look at good stuff, look at machine tool and mining connectors, start with companies like Brad Harrison, they do a molded multi conductor series of weatherproof and oil resistant SO pig tail connectors

[r_towle]

What does SO and SJO stand for?

[wndsnd]

Flexible Power cord multi conductor.



Oil resistsnt, flexible, Brad Harrison and Wiremold mold weatherproof connectors to it