Tips & Techniques: Harness work

[ArdWrknTrk]

Anything related to the wiring of a vehicle.

Soldering and splicing.

Sockets and connectors.

Loads and ground paths.

Ect...

[ArdWrknTrk]

The idea for this whole techniques section centered around a 3G conversion where Brian 'Schwabber' was asking "crimp or solder?"

Gary and I weighed in with our opinions and techniques

THIS is the legacy of that.

One thing I'd add is that when splicing a harness (or anywhere there are multiple wires) is to cut each wire a little offset, so you don't end up with a huge bulk of splices in one spot.

Also, try to be careful that all wires get taut at the same time.

Nothing worse than trying to pull through a bulkhead (or something) and one or two wires get hung up because they are slack and have nowhere to go.

[Gary Lewis]

The idea for this whole techniques section centered around a 3G conversion where Brian 'Schwabber' was asking "crimp or solder?"

Gary and I weighed in with our opinions and techniques

THIS is the legacy of that.

One thing I'd add is that when splicing a harness (or anywhere there are multiple wires) is to cut each wire a little offset, so you don't end up with a huge bulk of splices in one spot.

Also, try to be careful that all wires get taut at the same time.

Nothing worse than trying to pull through a bulkhead (or something) and one or two wires get hung up because they are slack and have nowhere to go.

And pretty much what I said in that thread was that a good crimp is best, but a good crimp can only be made with either a ratcheting or hydraulic crimper. Not the garden-variety non-ratcheting crimpers that are so prevalent and which do not provide an acceptable crimp in my opinion.

I have a ratcheting crimper, but it only does something like #18 and 20 gauge wire. And I have a 16-ton hydraulic crimper which does from #6 to 2-0 wire. So for any wire size in between I use a cheap non-ratcheting crimper to get the terminal snug, which is all it can do, and then solder it.

However, it has been pointed out that you won't find soldered wires in aircraft, and that's because solder wicks up the wire and where it ends is a potential failure point as all movement is focused there. In other words, any vibration tends to cause the wire to bend at the end of the wicked solder, and eventually the wire will fail there.

While that is true, I've never had a soldered joint fail, and I've been doing this for decades. However, I always use a piece of heat-shrink tubing on the joint. Always. And I highly prefer the type that has a layer of adhesive inside. That way the joint is sealed and extra support is given to the wire such that not all of the movement will be at the end of the solder.

[ArdWrknTrk]

And pretty much what I said in that thread was that a good crimp is best, but a good crimp can only be made with either a ratcheting or hydraulic crimper. Not the garden-variety non-ratcheting crimpers that are so prevalent and which do not provide an acceptable crimp in my opinion.

I have a ratcheting crimper, but it only does something like #18 and 20 gauge wire. And I have a 16-ton hydraulic crimper which does from #6 to 2-0 wire. So for any wire size in between I use a cheap non-ratcheting crimper to get the terminal snug, which is all it can do, and then solder it.

However, it has been pointed out that you won't find soldered wires in aircraft, and that's because solder wicks up the wire and where it ends is a potential failure point as all movement is focused there. In other words, any vibration tends to cause the wire to bend at the end of the wicked solder, and eventually the wire will fail there.

While that is true, I've never had a soldered joint fail, and I've been doing this for decades. However, I always use a piece of heat-shrink tubing on the joint. Always. And I highly prefer the type that has a layer of adhesive inside. That way the joint is sealed and extra support is given to the wire such that not all of the movement will be at the end of the solder.

Brian has pretty much condoned snipping and moving that part of his thread over here (now that HERE exists)

You don't need a $200 Japanese crimper.

You can get a perfectly serviceable one with multiple jaws on Amazon for under $20.

Not greatest if you do this all day, every day, but fine for weekenders.