How to connect connectors

[Daddiojoe]

I'm going to try to go the cheapster route, since my connectors themselves look all right. I'm just going to connect new wires to the old connectors after they are cleaned up. Just the headlight and double-bullet turnsignal connectors, by the way. So, what's the best way to hook them up?

bullets?
soldering and wrapping in tape?
push in and crimp?

I'd like it to be as sturdy and longlasting as possible.

Thanks.
Joe

[wittyhoosier]

Surely the most permenant and longlasting way is this:
Slide adhesive lined heat shrink over one of the wires and out of the way.
Crimp un-insulated butt splice, then solder.
After it cools, slide the tube over the joint and shrink.

Using only crimp splices leaves the door open to corrosion, and they get bulky if you have more than a few. The adhesive will seal out moisture, and the tube will insulate the connection. If you're doing several wires in a bundle, stagger the joints so it will not bulge in one spot.

[Gilesie]

Most of this sounds good
the only thing that I would differ on is the actual join
with your lugs do not crimp
prepare your lug by soldering in the sleeve then pre solder your wire
then heat the lug up to melt the solder and slide in the wire
this will give you the best posible connection without having any future
corrosion issues.
As for the rest of it I agree 100% with wittyhoosier

[Daddiojoe]

Thanks for the advice. Now I just need to find some naked connectors.

Fosh--is that a pocketful of love, or are you just happy to see me?

Joe

[wittyhoosier]

Available from grainger and the like.

I usually just take the regular ones with the hard insulation and push them out with a nail or punch and throw the vinyl tube away.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/4X290

[Gilesie]

Fosh--is that a pocketful of love, or are you just happy to see me?

Joe

This was a reply to me in a thread where my son had tried to commit suicied and fortuanatly he was not sucessful, this comment touched me and hence it is there purely as a reminder to never take anything for granted.

[Daddiojoe]

Gilesie--

Glad he wasn't successful. No disrespect intended.

Joe

[Gilesie]

I realised that you were not being disrespectful as you would not have commented in that fashion if you knew what it was about, I just felt that it was easier to let you know why I have these comments there to prevent any posibility of problems.

Good luck with the electrical job

[nfury8]

I picked up some neat pieces the other day at Fastenal for a similar situation.

They are the water proof heat shrink, with the adhesive lining, and they have
a band of solder already in them. Slide the connector on one wire, then intermingle
the two ends. Slide the connector over, lining up the solder band over the wires
and apply heat. The package said it needed 1000 degress F. Fastenal recommended
a butane pocket torch, but we had great luck with a decent heat gun.

Solders, seals and protects in 30 seconds!