solder help

[chiboy002]

im going to be soldering a few wires on a car, and for when i install some sh!t on my own car and i was wondering how people do 3+ solder joints. I've seen pictures of it but i cant figure out how to properly insulate all of them. I would prefer heat-shrink wrap as my method of insulation, and as some of you may know, you cannot cut the wrap and except it to still work. any input?

[silviaguy240]

like a T? you just tape it up real good.

[TurboSE]

Foreground....

I bought an EZWIRING.com harness about a year ago...didn't like how it was set up...so I ventured on my own. Before anyone yells or bitches about my techniques, I was an Electronics Warfare and Tactical Repair specialist in the US Army (33W)...it's not cars, but it's something....

3 wires...

taking from the EZ kit (my OCD demands continuity)...I use the female spade clips to do my splices. Proper heating of the clips is a must....don't use a giant ass solder gun, use a small Weller iron (don't mean to brand/corpo specify), the second most ($18?) expensive one at Lowe's. Google soldering techniques and go to town.

4 wires plus...

use the next size connector...

as I said, this is the first car I've ever wired bumper to bumper....but I completely re wired a US Army unmanned aviationel vehical in 113* heat in the AZ desert using the wires from the climate control from a mil-spec Hummer...

PS - learn your shrink wrap ratios...1/4" Ideal from Lowes shirnks 4:1...most only shrinks 3:1...Ideal is good for covering connectors...

[TurboSE]

like a T? you just tape it up real good.


that's the most ghetto shit I ever heard...there is a proper way to do shit

[hpipro4]

liquid tape spray or brush on from autoparts...works awesome or good electrical tape like 3M..

[TurboSE]

liquid tape spray or brush on from autoparts...works awesome or good electrical tape like 3M..

I'd have to agree 110%, liquid tape it awesome stuff...good tape is also important.

PS - get a continuity tester from WalMart >$3....worth every penny...

I use the cheap brushon stuff from WalMart...hasn't failed yet and it's good for other things (cheap thread lock in a pinch)

[rocksteady_racer]

I personally hate any type of connector when I'm doing stuff just because I've seen them fail constantly because they are usually crap. Like when I hooked up my SAFC with connectors in my buddy's integra - came right off and that's inside the car with the connectors from apexi lol.

So I'd say put a slightly larger diameter than should be section of heat shrink tubing (like enough that the soldered wires will fit in there AND space for electrical tape) on there before you start and slide it way away from the section you'll be soldering.
Then I'd splice together the section that should be straight

000000--- ----000000 - like these two wrap around each other - then solder those two together.
Then wrap the third wire around it. Make sure when you wrap the third wire around that you leave space in between the wrapped around wire so the solder can flow down and through all three wires. Then make sure to heat the wire up thoroughly and make sure the solder flows through (as in heat the bottom so the solder will make it through all 3 wires). That should lock them together.

Then electrical tape or use liquid electrical tape sparingly - slide the heat shrink over and heat it with a lighter til it shrinks over your job then either use more liquid or solid electrical tape and wrap around the heat shrink and a little beyond the heat shrink on both ends. If you do it right it should look a little bulgy but almost stock.

You could also do it with just the heat shrink on top and electrical tape on top of that instead of inside the tubing but I like to do both just to insure it won't get any moisture in there (ocd a little). And if you are having trouble getting the solder to flow around the third one - you can melt some solder on top of it then heat from under it til you see the striations (little lines) through the solder - then you know it's gone through and throughout the project. That advice helped me a lot when I first learned how to solder.

[silviaguy240]

that's the most ghetto shit I ever heard...there is a proper way to do shit

how is that ghetto? other than spray plastic which was mentioned after me they dont make T shaped shrink wrap? seriously unless this shit is gonna be under water, wrapping properly with electrical tape is plenty for a T connection. But i guess if you're really anal go with the rubber plastic stuff.

but to add to whoever told you how to solder three, do the same thing you do with normal wires twist each group of wires and spin em together so its like rope. then take your third and twist it then wrap it around the two. heres a very crude illustration, your shit should be alot tighter.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e210/silviaguy240/solder.png

[chiboy002]

yeah naw, i know how to set up the wires. its like a ram horn over the 1st two wire twists. the question is how to properly insulate it. I am yet to try the liquid tape but the connectors, ive used the wire taps and they suck. blew out head lights in a week cause of a short cause of melted snow hitting it. insulated like fort knox too.
i wanna do it like this but i dont get how to!
How To Make Perfect Solder Joints (http://www.teamnovak.com/tech_info/how_to/solder/index.html) (half way down)

[rocksteady_racer]

The one that looks like a y? that's just a heat shrink tube but because there are two wires going through it looks bulged.

[Tantwoforty]

tapered heatshrink

[TurboSE]

how is that ghetto? other than spray plastic which was mentioned after me they dont make T shaped shrink wrap? seriously unless this shit is gonna be under water, wrapping properly with electrical tape is plenty for a T connection. But i guess if you're really anal go with the rubber plastic stuff.

but to add to whoever told you how to solder three, do the same thing you do with normal wires twist each group of wires and spin em together so its like rope. then take your third and twist it then wrap it around the two. heres a very crude illustration, your shit should be alot tighter.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e210/silviaguy240/solder.png

It's ghetto because you don't just throw tape on shit....you splice and solder...maybe we both should've been more specific.