Typically I do hack jobs but want to do this right. How does one tie wires together from a premade fusebox/relays? 4 wire relays. Do you twist wires together and solder/shrink tube? Lay them overtop each other? Just crimp connectors?
CK5
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How to solder 2 wires for relays?
- Thread starter RootBreaker
- Start date
And is it bad to use a 5 wire relay and cut 5th...87a wire off cuz i dont need it? I bet not.
I like to tin each end with solder. Then, lay the two ends over each other and melt the solder. Preserves the natural twist in the wires.
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Vombrown
Mountain Man
Dip the wires in flux. Tin each side with solder. Slide heat shrink tubing on the wire away from the heat. Lay one on top of the other and heat until the solder melts and fuses them. Test the connection by tugging on it. Cover the joint with heat shrink tubing and heat again....done
So you really dont need to twist the wires together? Simple solder joint laying ontop is enough?
Vombrown
Mountain Man
More than enough. I wouldn't twist them, there isn't a need to if it's soldered properly
454Sub
5/8 ton status
I personally unwind them a touch, interlock them, rewind them in their natural direction and solder them like that. Dunno if it's better or worse but it's just the way I learned.
Is that considered the right way?
I keep uninsulated butt connectors in different sizes (18-00ga) for connecting multiple wires together in situations like this, then use good quality heat shrink to insulate the whole thing. If you like to solder then solder the wires to the butt connector after it's crimped, but I consider it unnecessary. I don't like to try and solder a whole bunch of wires together without a connector because not only is it a PITA but all that heat and solder makes the wires brittle and can cause them to break where the solder ends.
If you don't need the 87a wire then cut it off and seal the end of the wire up with a piece of heat shrink or remove the terminal from the connector and seal the cavity in the connector.
This is the method that had no people bashing the bagejus out of...
from what I have learned is that when you make the X with stranded wires, it is called a "Lineman Splice" and is used for stranded ONLY. What they say is doing this will weaken stranded thus not recommended.
so ill be doing this way.
I was taught in vocational school ,the solder is not meant to hold the wires together,its just to make them conduct electricity more efficiently--it lacks strength,and if that connection heats up,the solder can soften and let the wires come apart...you should make a "mechanical" connection by twisting the wires together,then solder them..that's how I've done it..
Butt connectors are less reliable than wire nuts (which shouldn't be in your car either). They can be helpful as a solder splice for joining 3 or 4 wires together, though. You pull the plastic off, crimp then solder.
For single-wire splice, all you need is solder and heat shrink. Twisting them together does help reduce the diameter of the joint, but you're usually not real space limited for an underhood harness, if you just stagger the locations of the joints. The twisting gets hard in the larger wire gauges, too. It's nice to use the adhesive-lined heat shrink underhood, but not absolutely necessary. As an option, you can put a little silicone on the joint and then use regular heat shrink. To be fair, the crimps in the fuse box aren't sealed up either.
This mechanical twisting is how I was taught (for <10AWG). Mechanical strength is important, as is flux. Use flux. And while you're in there, apply plenty of flux. Flux is key. Especially if splicing old wires from ancient automobiles.
Wire nuts & mechanical crimps do not keep the mating surface clean, leading to crummy connections over time. Heat shrink helps regardless of attachment method.
The right way is to remove the ends out of the relay plug. Put new ends on the leads to what you are powering and solder those on. Then plug them back into the plug. No joint at all to be worried about.
Push the little clip on the side in and pull the plug out. Might be a clip on each side. Then post a picture. The wire retainer on the back needs to come off. I can not see in that picture where the release is.
Ill mess with it but it is waterproof so most likely it is "sealed" in thus not going to come out nicely. ill take pics later...
