Weatherproof Connectors

[Gary Lewis]

I had to take two crimps apart at work today using the same tool I plan to use on my connectors. No solder but what happened is when crimping a double wire terminal it deformed the end and in the process of straightening it out which I had done about sixty times before I had two that just broke just past the crimp making the terminal useless.

It took me close to ten minutes for each terminal to disassemble it as once I got the crimp off the wire insulation the crimp on the wire itself would not let go, I had to use a small flat headed screw driver to gently lift the crimped wings up enough to get the wire to come out as I couldnt cut it as the wire was the precise length it needed to be.

The way I do the crimps with this crimper is I do an initial crimp using the 14 - 16 AWG position then I move to the 18 - 20 AWG position and it tightens the crimp up more. Then if the wire still is questionable I will move to the next smaller position.

But like you I am seriously thinking about investing in a ratchet crimper for these kind of terminals as the extra cost should result in a better crimp not just in function but in appearance as well. Plus I need to look into some made for crimping double wide terminals that are designed to crimp two wires into. I will need those to link all my relay grounds together and while you can do it with a single width crimp it just isnt able to properly grab into the insulation of the two wires.

I understand the pain of having to pry a crimped connection apart. Been there, done that, had the frustration.

On the crimpers, one reason I was quick to order the IWISS Quick Change Ratcheting Crimper Tool Kit was because it does five types of terminals, including the exact ones that I'm dealing with. This shows the terminals it crimps, and that A58B row is exactly the terminals in the kit I have.

But when you go look at the various kits of terminals on Amazon you find ones that are more specific to the terminals in that connector kit, like this IWISS 1424B crimper, which only does two types of terminals.

But something I noticed when looking at that crimper is that they crimp the seal with the insulation. But there's no mention of that for the connector kit that I have, although the seals are exactly like the ones in this picture, so have the nose that looks like it is designed for it. Anyone do this?

[Machspeed]

Nice, will have to keep an eye out for this, I am not a fan of the deutsch style weatherproof connectors. Still looking for what type connectors I will be using for the wiring coming out of my auxiliary fuse/relay box.

This is a great thread with perfect timing for me! I'm about to do some wiring in my truck and will be fully rewiring my 69 Mustang when the time comes. For the Mustang, I have an American Autowire kit for which requires special tools. I need to look into the the type of connectors in that kit. Whatever I do, would like the tools to transfer over and be used for both projects.

Rusty, curious why you dislike the Deutsch connectors? Bunch of builders on YouTube boasting about them even saying they wouldn't use anything else.

[Rusty_S85]

This is a great thread with perfect timing for me! I'm about to do some wiring in my truck and will be fully rewiring my 69 Mustang when the time comes. For the Mustang, I have an American Autowire kit for which requires special tools. I need to look into the the type of connectors in that kit. Whatever I do, would like the tools to transfer over and be used for both projects.

Rusty, curious why you dislike the Deutsch connectors? Bunch of builders on YouTube boasting about them even saying they wouldn't use anything else.

American Auto Wire kits use the open barrel type crimps, you can use the crimper that was posted above. These have no seals but be warned American Auto Wire supplies double width open barrel terminals when you have to crimp two wires into one terminal side by side. These are hard to do with the above crimpers as the terminal doesnt fit properly in the tool.

Thats why I am going to hit the web tonight after work and try and find a dedicated crimper for the double width open barrel terminals to make life easier. You can use the crimper above but youll have to start with the largest opening and work your way down to the size your wire is to get a proper crimp.

[Rusty_S85]

I understand the pain of having to pry a crimped connection apart. Been there, done that, had the frustration.

On the crimpers, one reason I was quick to order the IWISS Quick Change Ratcheting Crimper Tool Kit was because it does five types of terminals, including the exact ones that I'm dealing with. This shows the terminals it crimps, and that A58B row is exactly the terminals in the kit I have.

https://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n114792/Terminal_Types_For_Crimper.jpg

But when you go look at the various kits of terminals on Amazon you find ones that are more specific to the terminals in that connector kit, like this IWISS 1424B crimper, which only does two types of terminals.

https://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n114792/1424B_IWISS_Tool.jpg

But something I noticed when looking at that crimper is that they crimp the seal with the insulation. But there's no mention of that for the connector kit that I have, although the seals are exactly like the ones in this picture, so have the nose that looks like it is designed for it. Anyone do this?

https://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n114792/Instructions_for_1424B_IWISS_Tool.jpg

Thats a nice crimper, only thing is I wont be crimping that many different types of terminals and I already have a crimper that does the deutch terminals and a Matco crimper I use at work for your standard crimp terminals. I need to get a dedicated one for the Metri-Pack connectors that I will be using, I could go with GM style Weatherlock connectors but I have to still buy Metri-Pack terminals as that is what Sniper uses as their terminals. Might as well keep them all the same.

[Gary Lewis]

This is a great thread with perfect timing for me! I'm about to do some wiring in my truck and will be fully rewiring my 69 Mustang when the time comes. For the Mustang, I have an American Autowire kit for which requires special tools. I need to look into the the type of connectors in that kit. Whatever I do, would like the tools to transfer over and be used for both projects.

Rusty, curious why you dislike the Deutsch connectors? Bunch of builders on YouTube boasting about them even saying they wouldn't use anything else.

American Auto Wire kits use the open barrel type crimps, you can use the crimper that was posted above. These have no seals but be warned American Auto Wire supplies double width open barrel terminals when you have to crimp two wires into one terminal side by side. These are hard to do with the above crimpers as the terminal doesnt fit properly in the tool.

Thats why I am going to hit the web tonight after work and try and find a dedicated crimper for the double width open barrel terminals to make life easier. You can use the crimper above but youll have to start with the largest opening and work your way down to the size your wire is to get a proper crimp.

I think I'd change out the connectors on the American Auto Wire harness to ones that take more common connectors and that are sealed.

[Gary Lewis]

I think I'd change out the connectors on the American Auto Wire harness to ones that take more common connectors and that are sealed.

I know this doesn't exactly fit under the topic, but we have discussed soldering vs crimping so I thought I'd share here an issue I ran into today.

I was installing a ring-tongue terminal on the EFI PDB's ground and discovered that Ford's wire isn't really a standard AWG. The #12 slot on the stripper didn't cut enough of the insulation to allow me to strip it. So I measured the wire at .086-.089" and then looked at the AWG table:

10 0.1019"

11 0.0907"

12 0.0808"

Turns out this wire is somewhere between #11 & #12. So I grabbed a #12-10 ring tongue terminal. But it was not a nice tight fit on the wire. And while a #16-14 terminal was a nice fit, the material of the ring was a lot thinner. So I went with the #12-10 terminal and crimped it on.

But I wasn't really satisfied with it, so I soldered it in. And I was surprised that the solder, which was applied to the end of the wire wicked through the terminal - as you can see on the pic below on the left. The pic on the right shows the other side of the terminal with the crimp, and the picture below shows how I support soldered joints with adhesive-lined heat shrink.

[grumpin]

I know this doesn't exactly fit under the topic, but we have discussed soldering vs crimping so I thought I'd share here an issue I ran into today.

I was installing a ring-tongue terminal on the EFI PDB's ground and discovered that Ford's wire isn't really a standard AWG. The #12 slot on the stripper didn't cut enough of the insulation to allow me to strip it. So I measured the wire at .086-.089" and then looked at the AWG table:

10 0.1019"

11 0.0907"

12 0.0808"

Turns out this wire is somewhere between #11 & #12. So I grabbed a #12-10 ring tongue terminal. But it was not a nice tight fit on the wire. And while a #16-14 terminal was a nice fit, the material of the ring was a lot thinner. So I went with the #12-10 terminal and crimped it on.

But I wasn't really satisfied with it, so I soldered it in. And I was surprised that the solder, which was applied to the end of the wire wicked through the terminal - as you can see on the pic below on the left. The pic on the right shows the other side of the terminal with the crimp, and the picture below shows how I support soldered joints with adhesive-lined heat shrink.

Went right through! A bit surprising.

Looks nice and professional though!

[Gary Lewis]

Went right through! A bit surprising.

Looks nice and professional though!

Yes, Dane, I was surprised the solder went right through. I've always read that a proper crimp is gas-tight, but I wouldn't think something gas-tight would allow solder to wick through. And I used the proper ratcheting crimper.

Maybe because the wire was too small? However, it was larger than the standard #12 wire and the terminal was made for #10-12 wire.

[taskswap]

Yes, Dane, I was surprised the solder went right through. I've always read that a proper crimp is gas-tight, but I wouldn't think something gas-tight would allow solder to wick through. And I used the proper ratcheting crimper.

Maybe because the wire was too small? However, it was larger than the standard #12 wire and the terminal was made for #10-12 wire.

"Gas tight" only refers to the interface between the connector/terminal and the wire - not anything inside the wire itself. Both mating surfaces have to experience some type of scraping action (Fast-On terminals) that cleans the interface as the connector is plugged in then maintains the seal by that spring pressure, or plastic deformation (crimps) that crushes both surfaces to eliminate air between them, and maintains it just by being a new rigid shape. But stranded can definitely wick air, moisture, or anything else (solder) through the capillary action between the internal strands. This is why I always use either waterproof connectors (Weather-packs) or adhesive lined, heat-shrink terminals.

Actually Gary thinking through what I said about solder was only half true. I do still believe (based on the literature I've read from terminal makers) that smaller pin terminals don't need it. But in larger ones I definitely do still solder/tin the ends. I tend to do it before crimping for things like screw-terminal junction boxes but it also adds air/moisture protection as well...

[Gary Lewis]

"Gas tight" only refers to the interface between the connector/terminal and the wire - not anything inside the wire itself. Both mating surfaces have to experience some type of scraping action (Fast-On terminals) that cleans the interface as the connector is plugged in then maintains the seal by that spring pressure, or plastic deformation (crimps) that crushes both surfaces to eliminate air between them, and maintains it just by being a new rigid shape. But stranded can definitely wick air, moisture, or anything else (solder) through the capillary action between the internal strands. This is why I always use either waterproof connectors (Weather-packs) or adhesive lined, heat-shrink terminals.

Actually Gary thinking through what I said about solder was only half true. I do still believe (based on the literature I've read from terminal makers) that smaller pin terminals don't need it. But in larger ones I definitely do still solder/tin the ends. I tend to do it before crimping for things like screw-terminal junction boxes but it also adds air/moisture protection as well...

If air or moisture can wick along the strands then crimped-only connections really DO need to be protected. Obviously one way to do that is with a waterproof connector. But another way would be by soldering. Tinning can certainly help, but soldering would offer even more protection.

Thinking about it, if the wire was tinned and then crimped into the terminal it would be easy to heat it up and have the tinning flow to the terminal, sealing it tightly. You might not need to add any more solder.