Soldering vs. Crimping Options

[Dr_Tweak]

For the past year or so I've been giving a lot of thought to soldering vs. crimping. While soldering wires is an effective method, and what I've always done, there are a few problems with it. It's a little messy, you have to deal with a hot iron, it's a slow process, and over time a soldered connection can corrode or crack. (Of course, that's why we shrinkwrap, but still.)

After reading Jeff Hartman's recommendation to use a crimper, I decided to look into it. Now, make no mistake! I'm not talking about those little baby crimpers that you buy at Pep-boys with the little insulated terminals. I'm talking about a full-fledged, expensive, professional, racheting crimper with non-insulated crimps. The other day I finally got the set that I needed (after ordering a set and getting the wrong ones!), and today I got to put them to use.

Check these baby's out:



Crimp one wire...



Then the other...



Completed crimp! This thing is SO strong, that the wire will tear before the crimp fails. And it'll never corrode.



All ready for heat shrinking:



One last thing. These things crimp so hard, that I have to use both hands!

[Bigmeanbulldog55]

I like those connectors you can get that crimp the wired together then heat it and sort of sodder them together.

[Hanyo]

yay! that means more 6gc 3sgte wire harness's!!!



hopefully your price wont be too much when I am ready to do my motorswap.

[Consynx]

who is Jeff Hartman?
it says in this book i have how crimbing is THE BEST if done with the right tools, but soldering is the 2nd best if you dont have the tools.

[Dr_Tweak]

who is Jeff Hartman?
it says in this book i have how crimbing is THE BEST if done with the right tools, but soldering is the 2nd best if you dont have the tools.

Exactly right.

Check this book out that he wrote. This book is HUGE and AWESOME, if you want to learn a lot, pick it up.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076031582...476145?n=283155

One of the projects they did is a Mk2 MR2 with a Twin-charged 1MZFE (Supercharged and turboed)!

This post has been edited by Dr_Tweak: Jan 24, 2006 - 1:20 AM

[lagos]

cimping? come on tweak... thats horrible! lol

all kidding aside, that probably is the best crimper that you could get away with using, and toyota uses a crimper for the oem harness.

i still like to solder tho. i have a lot of fun doing it and you can pretty much bet the farm on it that the connection will not come loose. with a crimper, there is more of a chance that the wires could slide free at some point.

[tangcla]

Just twist and electrical tape hehe

[lagos]

Just twist and electrical tape hehe

with that statement alone, it should be legal for me to confiscate your gtfour!

[tangcla]

with that statement alone, it should be legal for me to confiscate your gtfour!

hehe, bring it on

[Dr_Tweak]

Just twist and electrical tape hehe

That's how I do all my harnesses

[tangcla]

I wouldn't do it for anythign critical... but for headunits, then why not

[macavely]

I like soldering .. but most of the time I crimp .. i have the same style crimp tool you have in the pic... iit has always worked great for me.. the connetors i have on mine use and in out loop to sacure the wires..

[Dr_Tweak]

I like soldering .. but most of the time I crimp .. i have the same style crimp tool you have in the pic... iit has always worked great for me.. the connetors i have on mine use and in out loop to sacure the wires..

Where did you get it, and do you use insulated or non-insulated crimps?

[macavely]

I like soldering .. but most of the time I crimp .. i have the same style crimp tool you have in the pic... iit has always worked great for me.. the connetors i have on mine use and in out loop to sacure the wires..

Where did you get it, and do you use insulated or non-insulated crimps?

i got it about 10 years ago from my dad.. its from mac tools and crimps are non insullated but you can just put some rubbers over them

[Dr_Tweak]

Cool, sounds a lot like mine. I had a really hard time finding a good one that wasn't $300. Took me a month or two to track this one down. Paladin makes a NICE crimper, and they have a million different dies that you can use.

-Doc

[macavely]

yea its real hard finding finding good tools sometimes espically when you don't want to give an arm and leg for them .. but a really good place to get tools is a police auction

[Consynx]

lol, Dr Tweak, i have that book too
it's AWESOME!!!
i'm reading the sensors part very slowly atm
i also have the "Automotive Electical Handbook" but i haven't really cracked it open too much yet. . .

and Art, the reason they knock the soldering is that the heat is sees when soldering weakens it something(can't remember 100%)
and in time the wire will break off(before the solder pt) before the best crimping method will have any problems. . .

This post has been edited by Consynx: Jan 24, 2006 - 3:20 PM

[WannabeGT4]

That's pretty cool. I need one of those. Not just for my engine harness but for RJ45 and coax as well.
Where'd you buy it?
How much was it?
Which die are you using?

[lagos]

lol, Dr Tweak, i have that book too
it's AWESOME!!!
i'm reading the sensors part very slowly atm
i also have the "Automotive Electical Handbook" but i haven't really cracked it open too much yet. . .

and Art, the reason they knock the soldering is that the heat is sees when soldering weakens it something(can't remember 100%)
and in time the wire will break off(before the solder pt) before the best crimping method will have any problems. . .

ive never had a solder and heat shink connection fail... so thats good enough for me.

[Dr_Tweak]

That's pretty cool. I need one of those. Not just for my engine harness but for RJ45 and coax as well.
Where'd you buy it?
How much was it?
Which die are you using?

www.willyselectronics.com I think is the URL. That die is for non-insulated barrel crimps, they have a whole pile of them to choose from.

Consynx, that actually applies to connections AT connectors, like a weather-pack or Molex. Soldering at those points can cause breakage pretty easily, PROPERLY soldered but a connection INSIDE a harness is much less likely to break. (A crimped connection like this is still better) Just clarifying there

-Doc