Crimp -- or Solder?

Well-made, clean connections should not really require regular attention, though.

Known electrical weakness corrections should only require being performed once.

Both my '73 CB750 and my '82 CB750SC needed repairing of the AG-3 fuse clips.
 
Need to edit my last post, what i wanted to say ,if I'm having electrical problems with a vehicle ,my first step is to clean all grounds ,even if they look clean and make sure they are tight.
 
Amen, it is the overlooked thing that is easy for people to miss. no good unless complete circuit. Sure does do unusual things to electronic stuff, especially under load.
 
It's an old thread but I hope you don't mind me posting in it. I am about to buy a Honda ST 1300 because I can't trust my old 1996 Honda shadow 1100 anymore. The latest breakdown that left me alongside the road calling for a tow truck ....or more correctly my brother with his landscape trailer....

...was a charred and melted "three yellow wire" connector between the stator and the regulator rectifier.

I snipped the wires and took the offending connection out, and on the RR side I only have about 3/4 of an inch of insulated wire stubs before those wires disappear into the wiring harness of the bike.

It looks like I would have to disassemble the motorcycle more than I would like to access these properly for soldering, so I'm thinking of crimping the wires together with a butt connector made for 12 gauge multi strand wire,

and then double-layer heat shrinking them.

OR MAYBE.... if I can solder in such a confined space...
lightly putting the wires in the metal butt connector first,
heating that connector up until both the connector and the copper wires are hot enough to melt rosin-core solder,

soldering the wires to the butt connector,

crimping them ( crushing the lead and the copper and brass all tightly together)


and then finally heat-shrink wrapping it.

IMG_0778.jpegIMG_0772.jpeg
 
That kind of work is not something I like to revisit.
I like Martin's approach... do what you need to do the first time, so you can ride with confidence.
 
I'm not a fan of those heat shrink butt splices w/ solder inside that @Larry Fine mentioned. I've seen some fail because the solder did not flow properly, and you don't have a lot of extra wire to do this several times. If you are splicing all three together into one wire (that is the way I read your post, @gunsmoker,) then there could very well be insufficient solder inside one of those solder containing butt splices.

I've also wondered about the quality of solder inside those heat shrink tubes. Real electronic solder alloys melt at higher temps than most heat shrink tubing. While you can get high temp heat shrink those tend to be expensive and not as common as the heat shrink tubing we usually see. This means that a lower melting point alloy is probably being used in these connectors. I admit I don't know all the facts about these connectors, but having seen failures I'd want to know a lot more about them before using one.
 
I have used those connectors quite a bit. They work great. Trick is to not get in a hurry to get the connection done. Gradually heat the connector with your heat gun and take your time. Work all the way around the connector with the heat gun to unsure the solder melts evenly and completely. My heat gun has a deflector attached to the tip to hel get even heating.

Tip: Practice on two pieces of spare wire until you get it down.
 
I've used those too for exactly the same reason: short leads. I was lucky that I could get all the way around to heat them evenly, not always possible. I also have a butane-powered pencil torch that really comes in handy working in the car since there no AC power plug near unless I unfurl an extension cord.
 
Diggers1300 said:
I have used those connectors quite a bit. They work great. Trick is to not get in a hurry to get the connection done. Gradually heat the connector with your heat gun and take your time. Work all the way around the connector with the heat gun to unsure the solder melts evenly and completely. My heat gun has a deflector attached to the tip to hel get even heating.

Tip: Practice on two pieces of spare wire until you get it down.
Click to expand...

Maybe not enough room for him to do that?
 
MidLife said:
Maybe not enough room for him to do that?
Click to expand...
Got me one of those tiny ones for working in/on vehicles... € 11.99,- ...

71wlZrj0VDL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
 
MidLife said:
Maybe not enough room for him to do that?
Click to expand...
From the picture that was posted, looks like some available room. If he can get a camera, crimp tool, or solder gun he should have room to use a small heat gun. But do need the deflector to be able to "work all the way around".
 
Hmmm.... options options.

I talked to an aircraft engineer with a degree from Georgia Tech works for a major defense contractor he said when they service aircraft some of which have 1000 amp main buses their connections are not soldered but simply crimped in and then covered with heat shrink tube-wrap.

He's also got good things to say about the pre-wrapped pre-solder filled connections. He says that their lead solder is made to melt at the same temperature as the outside plastic fully shrinks into place, and he's used that with good results on his own road vehicles and off road motorsports vehicles.
 
gunsmoker said:
I talked to an aircraft engineer with a degree from Georgia Tech works for a major defense contractor he said when they service aircraft some of which have 1000 amp main buses their connections are not soldered but simply crimped in and then covered with heat shrink tube-wrap.
Click to expand...
You will find that in almost every vehicle type, no matter what type it is, that there are two basic electrical connections methodologies employed- solder joints and crimp joints. In simplistic and generic terms the deciding factor between which type is used usually comes down to a question of movement.

If the connection point and/or the wires immediately before and after it are very well isolated and are incapable of moving relative to each other solder is a very effective means of making an electrical connection.
If the connection point and/or the wires immediately before and after it are capable of moving relative to each other, including vibration movement, pulling force, etc., crimp joints are the much preferred method.

You will rarely find a solder joint that has failed at the joint itself. The failure is usually of the wire immediately before or immediately after the solder joint. The process of soldering the joint introduces heat, and often solder, in to the wire strands beyond the connector. This makes the wire strands brittle at that location. Because the wire is no longer as flexible at that point any movement that there may be location results in the failure of the wire at the intersection of where it can and can not flex. It is the same effect as bending a paperclip back and forth until it breaks at the bend point.

Crimp connections that are done with good quality crimp connectors of the correct size for the wire and done with good quality crimping tools results in an exceptionally good electrical bond.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom