NO! Not solder all the way. In your engine bay especially. You will have wires fail and break on you in time.But they never did a wire tuckof I didn't one sensor or something, sure why not, butt connectors all the way, but every damn wire in the bay, solder all the way
Butt connectors or solder?!
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I've yet to hear of anyone who has used butt connectors for a wire tuck.
That's cause you've yet to hear from anyone that knows that's its the proper way and can do it properly as well. Its really just due to the vast amount of crappy butt connectors that are out there that they've gotten a bad rap. When I say butt connector I'm talking about the crimp then heat shrink style that only real professionals use not the schucks/oreilly crap. You can make them stronger more resilient, more weather safe, and if spaced properly very low profile.
Hey so the bay is finally done: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5487341-Cheezy-build-thread
I'll let ya'll know if there are any problems regarding the solder joints :thumbup:
I'll let ya'll know if there are any problems regarding the solder joints :thumbup:
Another thought, even though the topic is dead. A poorly done solder, with too much heat, will increase the resistance in the joint. If you're going to solder, it needs to be done right. Same way a properly crimped butt connector, with proper tools, will work fine if it's done right.
people need to understand their materials. People end up using whatever they can get locally and sometimes the flux is to aggressive and will eat the copper over time and this will be hidden under shrink wrap. For all the cable repairs I do at work, i NEVER crimp to extend wires or solder. Connections are repinned using the correct tools. If i was going to shave a bay, i would use this method. I am IPC certified for joint standards and cabling and inspection.
so you build an extension harness or run an entirely new wire or instead of soldering or crimp connecting you just add a connector? i dont think the OP wants to add a connector everywhere he needs to make wire connection. maybe explain your method a little better cause i dont follow.
Like I said, I already did the tuck, but I do have to say I didn't think of pinning until I was pretty much done with the wires. If I did it again, I would pin everything that didn't need to be extended, and solder the rest.
If I have to use butt connectors I never tin the wires first before crimping.
You cannot crimp the tinned wires properly to sustain a good grip!
Remeber Crimping is a pressure grip that squeezes the softer copper wires to create a join.
I prefer to dip the tip of wire in flux first, then crimp the wires to the connector THEN solder wires AFTER I crimp.
I then shrink wrap the join (and head of the female connetor to protect from shorts).
You cannot crimp the tinned wires properly to sustain a good grip!
Remeber Crimping is a pressure grip that squeezes the softer copper wires to create a join.
I prefer to dip the tip of wire in flux first, then crimp the wires to the connector THEN solder wires AFTER I crimp.
I then shrink wrap the join (and head of the female connetor to protect from shorts).
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How much are you willing to spend?
I don't want to go with a crazy expensive one. I think $150 max should be more than enough. I've seen the professional $500 ones but I couldn't justify the cost of anything like that.
It depends which OEM connectors you're talking about, most crimpers in the $100+ range are very specific to one type of contact. For the Junior Power Timer female terminals, which cover most mk2 and mk3 harnesses, this is the setup I use:
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TOOL-00899 crimp frame
TOOL-00927 crimp die for AMP Junior Power Timer female terminals
http://www.bmotorsports.com/shop/index.php/cPath/111_112_171
TOOL-00899 crimp frame
TOOL-00927 crimp die for AMP Junior Power Timer female terminals
http://www.bmotorsports.com/shop/index.php/cPath/111_112_171
Nice piece of kit.
I'd be mainly working with MK2/3/4 wiring looms and mostly MK4.
When I can't crimp something I usually end up resorting to the massive bundles of looms I have where I can strip already crimped wires and connectors out of. But I think it would be great to be able to crimp properly rather than using a cheap crappy generic crimper as I don't like using cheap spade or bullet type connectors.
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5,402 Posts
Fully shaved bay with full harness extension. Soldered all my connections. Aside from butt connectors scaring me good luck fitting that mess anywhere! They add a ton of volume.
How did the soldered wiring hold up? How about a long-term datapoint for the solder vs crimp debate.
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