Thread: Wiring Harness Terminations

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Originally Posted by rspears

Steve/Don,
So how do you make running splices, say for a ground wire that needs to pick up several components, then run to a body/chassis ground; or a power feed to a GM headlight switch that also needs to hit a second spade terminal on the same switch? I have not seen a "Y" crimp connection? One thought is to strip back 1/2" of insulation on the main run, tightly twist your branch wire around that bare section, and securely heat shrink it. No solder joint then.... just wondering what you use?

Roger, you could use this.

Mike

Roger now i think about it i havn't had to splice anywhere that i can remember, earthwise i like to run seperate earths back to a earth buzz bar that is bolted to the bolts that hold the body to the frame.

I use the Rebel wiring kits these days, they are good and so much quicker to install than making up my own like i used to do.

Originally Posted by rspears

Steve/Don,
So how do you make running splices, say for a ground wire that needs to pick up several components, then run to a body/chassis ground; or a power feed to a GM headlight switch that also needs to hit a second spade terminal on the same switch? I have not seen a "Y" crimp connection? One thought is to strip back 1/2" of insulation on the main run, tightly twist your branch wire around that bare section, and securely heat shrink it. No solder joint then.... just wondering what you use?

Originally Posted by roadster32

Roger now i think about it i havn't had to splice anywhere that i can remember, earthwise i like to run seperate earths back to a earth buzz bar that is bolted to the bolts that hold the body to the frame.

I use the Rebel wiring kits these days, they are good and so much quicker to install than making up my own like i used to do.

"Buzz bar" is not a term I am familiar with (google gives some interesting result). Is that an earthing/grounding bar, like a threaded brass bar or a terminal block hooked to a body bolt?

Originally Posted by Mike52

Roger, you could use this http://www.spliseal.com/products.html.
Mike

Thanks for that link, Mike. Interesting - kind of looks like black hot glue with a mold set, but is likely more than that. Looks especially good for exposed joints, like trailer wiring?

Originally Posted by buzz4041

I would not just twist a wire around the other as you suggested as this type of connection is just not satisfactory. I would mount a ground terminal block and individualy bring your wires to it and terminate 1 by 1. Run a # 10 to feed the block. For the power circuits you can also use a quality terminal block with a jumper bar that that will tie them together and make it a common supply. Just don't overload the circuit. For the one offs they do make what is called piggy back terminals for things like the switches you refered to. Wiring techniques like this will provide you with a quality installation and if you ever need to do some troubleshooting or additions it sure makes it nice later. Check out http://www.tnb.com/contractor/docs/stakon.pdf this site for all your needs. Some of the best stuff in the industry.

Buzz,
Thanks for the comments, link and advice. The twisted wire approach came from the manager at one of the local electrical supply houses and seemed like a good idea to reduce the number of conductors in the bundle, but based on comments here I think that the spliced ground would be a headache later. I especially appreciate the comment about troubleshooting - chasing a bad ground can be a big enough headache without introducing splice joints. I also like your common supply approach. Last night I was sorting through the final separation and grouping of wires, and found that I have five devices that require direct battery feed (fuse block #10, EFI ECU, Spal Fan Controller, Vintage Air unit, and Alternator Bypass connection). My battery is tucked up under the dash and I have bulkhead connections through the body/firewall down beside the starter, but five ring lugs would be a lot, and likely makes that cable to bulkhead connection questionable. One feed to a TB will be lots better.

Status - I have the trunk wired and secured (need to revisit the grounds for lights), headlight circuits ready to pull through the frame, and all other wires segregated and tagged. The only thing slowing me down now is that the pretty firewall bulkhead port got backordered for two days, and now will not be here until Monday or Tuesday keeping me from punching my firewall/body hole for the engine sensors, fan, alternator and starter circuits. I still have plenty to do - mount under dash courtesy lamps, door jamb switches, pretty up the back dash wiring harness with wire ties vs the split plastic coil Painless used, etc, etc. I am going to have a much better finished product because of the tips, talents, advice and direction shared here.
Thanks guys & gals.

Yes its a piece of brass bar attached to a chassis bolt Roger.

Originally Posted by rspears

"Buzz bar" is not a term I am familiar with (google gives some interesting result). Is that an earthing/grounding bar, like a threaded brass bar or a terminal block hooked to a body bolt?



Thanks for that link, Mike. Interesting - kind of looks like black hot glue with a mold set, but is likely more than that. Looks especially good for exposed joints, like trailer wiring?


Buzz,
Thanks for the comments, link and advice. The twisted wire approach came from the manager at one of the local electrical supply houses and seemed like a good idea to reduce the number of conductors in the bundle, but based on comments here I think that the spliced ground would be a headache later. I especially appreciate the comment about troubleshooting - chasing a bad ground can be a big enough headache without introducing splice joints. I also like your common supply approach. Last night I was sorting through the final separation and grouping of wires, and found that I have five devices that require direct battery feed (fuse block #10, EFI ECU, Spal Fan Controller, Vintage Air unit, and Alternator Bypass connection). My battery is tucked up under the dash and I have bulkhead connections through the body/firewall down beside the starter, but five ring lugs would be a lot, and likely makes that cable to bulkhead connection questionable. One feed to a TB will be lots better.

Status - I have the trunk wired and secured (need to revisit the grounds for lights), headlight circuits ready to pull through the frame, and all other wires segregated and tagged. The only thing slowing me down now is that the pretty firewall bulkhead port got backordered for two days, and now will not be here until Monday or Tuesday keeping me from punching my firewall/body hole for the engine sensors, fan, alternator and starter circuits. I still have plenty to do - mount under dash courtesy lamps, door jamb switches, pretty up the back dash wiring harness with wire ties vs the split plastic coil Painless used, etc, etc. I am going to have a much better finished product because of the tips, talents, advice and direction shared here.
Thanks guys & gals.

Roger, the correct term is, buss bar, a new Google search will turn up something more useful.

Mike

Roger check out the Ron Francis website. They have both the ground bars and the power bars. Mount it under the dash and bring back all the grounds to it and take a main to the batt post.http://www.ronfrancis.com/prodinfo.asp?number=GW-15
http://www.ronfrancis.com/prodinfo.asp?number=GW-16

Originally Posted by Mike52

Roger, the correct term is, buss bar, a new Google search will turn up something more useful.

Mike

Buzz Bar gives some better results...and it's in your neck of the woods!! http://www.buzzsbar.com/

Another detailed quetion on terminating. I have three pin/plug connectors for dash wiring that I need to complete. The pins are loose, to be installed on the various sensor/power wires and inserted into the proper plug location. The base of each pin has two sets of tabs, one skinny to wrap the insulation at the base, and a heavier one to wrap the insulation. I have been told that these are a mechancial connector, to carefully bend the tabs down and crimp without destroying the shape, and that for OEM connectors people take them apart and re-terminate them. What is the proper method of installing these pins to the wires, since they cannot have any added bulk on the outside of the pins?

Roger, those appear to be Molex connectors and are a bugger to properly crimp without the proper tool. As you can see they are not weather proof, but are decent low power connectors to be used where they are not exposed to the elements. I've used many over the years and I always solder them with the help of a "helping hands" tool I bought at Harbor Freight. If I was a little closer I'd gladly give you a hand.

yep i used them as well i bent the upper tin tab in ward before with needle nose pliers and crimp them then at the end of wire going thru the connector crimp part i put a very small amout of solder you have to watch that you add a very small amount of solder up hill so the solder will not run in tube part of the connector

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

Roger, those appear to be Molex connectors and are a bugger to properly crimp without the proper tool. As you can see they are not weather proof, but are decent low power connectors to be used where they are not exposed to the elements. I've used many over the years and I always solder them with the help of a "helping hands" tool I bought at Harbor Freight. If I was a little closer I'd gladly give you a hand.

Ken,
I recognize the Molex name from Navy aviation, and I figured that there was likely some special tool for the connectors. The Painless instrument backplane harness has connectors attached, and the mating connectors are made up from the fuse block side in the car which makes soldering more of a challenge than on the bench.

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

yep i used them as well i bent the upper tin tab in ward before with needle nose pliers and crimp them then at the end of wire going thru the connector crimp part i put a very small amout of solder you have to watch that you add a very small amount of solder up hill so the solder will not run in tube part of the connector

Pat,
Your mention of solder flowing into the tube was one of my concerns, and I think that your up hill, minimum flux method will be the approach.

Thanks for the input, guys.

Roger, since it would appear that you will be terminating in very uncomfortable and tight quarters and if you decide to solder the connections I would tin the wires first. I once helped solder a radar connector in the nose section of a DC-9 and that was a challenge.

Originally Posted by rspears

What is the proper method of installing these pins to the wires, since they cannot have any added bulk on the outside of the pins?

Roger, this is the crimp tool I use to get the proper, compact crimp to allow the pins to fit into the connector housing. Unfortunately, there isn't a brand name on the tool and I've had it for so long that CRS prevents me from remembering where I got it. I noticed the tool still has the white paint dots on the dies I used on my last wire job (I told you I had CRS ). I also have a ratcheting crimper that I use for Deustch connector pins (it has Volvo stamped on it). Summit sells a reasonable copy of an MSD ratcheting crimp tool that works very well. I believe it comes with dies to crimp spark plug wires, you will have to get the appropiate set of dies for the type of connector you're using separately.

Mike

Originally Posted by Mike52

Roger, this is the crimp tool I use to get the proper, compact crimp to allow the pins to fit into the connector housing. Unfortunately, there isn't a brand name on the tool and I've had it for so long that CRS prevents me from remembering where I got it. I noticed the tool still has the white paint dots on the dies I used on my last wire job (I told you I had CRS ). I also have a ratcheting crimper that I use for Deustch connector pins (it has Volvo stamped on it). Summit sells a reasonable copy of an MSD ratcheting crimp tool that works very well. I believe it comes with dies to crimp spark plug wires, you will have to get the appropiate set of dies for the type of connector you're using separately.

Mike

Mike,
I saw a crimper like that for Molex pins at a custom shop this morning and his was from MAC Tools - very simple concept with the small point on one jaw that rolls the tabs into the center. I think for the few that I have to do I will do them manually. I am using a ratcheting crimper with multiple jaws like you reference - borrowed it from my son who wires airplanes and it works great.

For these small connectors (Molex type) what type of heat source is preferred to solder these d@#*ed pins? I generally use a Weller gun for bigger stuff, and the little iron I have for electronics is quite small to heat the pin metal. I need to find that second set of hands, Ken