Does anyone have a good source for wire to wire connectors? I want wire everything so that it is able to be disconnected easily. Any good supplier you work recommend?
If you want to go first class and spend a little more time building connectors that are water proof, corrosion and vibration proof, go with Weather Packs. Pricey but factory reliable. You need both the connectors and a tool for the pins.
If you don't want to spend the big bucks use trailer connectors. Cheap and work well. Put some dialectric grease on the contacts to prevent corrosion and keep water out. NAPA stores have these in stock.
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Jim that is a great find, WAY cheaper is not even the word...hahahah That is INSANELY cheaper...hahah Thank you all for your input I am sure it will help others as well.
If you only need a couple getting them from the above sources is good (but watch shipping charges). I've used this kit before as a solution for wiring whole cars. Not sure if it is cheaper in the long run, but saves a lot of time making sure you have the right terminals, seals, etc.
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Mouser electronics (mouser.com) carries a good assortment of Packard terminals and connectors (Weather pack, metri-pack, Packard 56). They also carry molex and amp.
X2. I always soldered my pins after crimping. Just youse a small amount of solder, too much and you can't get the pins into the bodies. Also get the weatherpack extractor tools, you will not be able to get the pins out for repair without one.
dito - del city or waytek. for sure get the extraction tool ....and if you are going to do a ton of connections you might as well get the crimper. personally I went with weatherpaks and a 37 pin AMP connector for a dash quick disconnect. bunch of wiring stuff on my website
One of the criteria of a connector is how many times it's rated to come apart without damage.
The automotive industry used weatherpak. They plan to put the car together on the assembly line, possibly make one repair under warranty, and have the owner leave well enough alone for 10-15 years. They are rated at 10 disconnects.
If you have worked on older cars since their introduction, 10 disconnects is usually a joke. They fall apart after the first one. The plastic becomes brittle with age, and it's a common problem to discover corrosion creeping into the connection after ten years.
The race car guys building endurance cars, or those being used in an extreme environment like the Bonneville Salt Flats seem to consistently avoid weatherpak. They tend to use Deutch DT or DTM, which are rated at 100 disconnects. For a long term heirloom car, upgrading the wiring harness to marine/aviation grade helps a lot. If there is one thing restorers face in cars over 30 years old, it's being forced to replace the factory wiring harnesses. They simply will not function properly after that long.
Considering the large amount of low voltage circuits running sensor feeds to the EFI or body computer, it's not getting any better. Wiring problems are a known issue in factory cars, they've even published TSB's on how to fix it by bypassing the harness to directly feed sensor inputs into the computers.
Give it some thought - if expensive hose is your choice for running fluids, then scraping by on donor wire or automotive grade connectors isn't equivalent. It's like running a titanium space frame chassis with rat rod horse blanket upholstery. Since the car will need a good electrical system much more than some bling hose, it's far more important to use high quality wiring and connectors.
Auto wiring is the lowest tier in the transportation industry, and doesn't even make the grade in a powerboat, much less flying or military use. There's a reason for that - they want to sell you another car.
You need to be careful soldering wires. If a soldered wire is allowed to move around during service there is a good chance the wire will break inside the insulation and can be very difficult to track down. You should use some type of strain relief such as several layers of shrink tubing or tied in a bundle so it can’t bend.
You need to be careful soldering wires. If a soldered wire is allowed to move around during service there is a good chance the wire will break inside the insulation and can be very difficult to track down. You should use some type of strain relief such as several layers of shrink tubing or tied in a bundle so it can’t bend.
Bill Lomenick
Trick with proper soldering is the minimal use of heat and material. You don't want the solder to wick past the wire end of the connector. It will make the wire brittle.
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