Soldering

justjeepin86

justjeepin86

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2005
Location
Winston-Salem, NC
What do you guys use for general vehicle wiring? A soldering station, plain old pencil, or a soldering gun? I have a cheap pencil and it doesn't work worth a damn. I thought a gun would be nice to work under the hood with.
 
I have a soldering gun.
 
justjeepin86 said:
What do you guys use for general vehicle wiring? A soldering station, plain old pencil, or a soldering gun? I have a cheap pencil and it doesn't work worth a damn. I thought a gun would be nice to work under the hood with.
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You said it right there. I'd get a soldering torch like this:

Bernzomatic 5-1/2 oz. Torch 1 pc. - Ace Hardware

Very mobile, not just a dedicated station. The flame heats the solder tip, or you can remove the tip and use the flame to seal shrink tubing.
 
I use a mini-butane torch. Strip wires, slide heat shrink down, twist, heat with torch, apply solder, heat shrink, done.
I started using on in 1998 when we had a TSB at the dealer for instrument cluster connector replacement on TJs and XJs. In limited space behind the cluster I had to solder between 10-12 wires while getting 0.8 hours labor to do so. I had to learn a quicker way. Worked like a champ and I continue to do so to this day.
Using the torch allows me to solder and heat shrink without turning the torch off.
 
Scooter402 said:
You said it right there. I'd get a soldering torch like this:

Bernzomatic 5-1/2 oz. Torch 1 pc. - Ace Hardware

Very mobile, not just a dedicated station. The flame heats the solder tip, or you can remove the tip and use the flame to seal shrink tubing.
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I'd burn the vehicle and shop down... Always wanted to learn to repair electronics but my lack of ability with soldering has held me back....
 
Gun or mini torch ftw. There are also gas fueled catalytic irons, that use fuel, but have a mini cat converter to generate heat (bernzomatic mini torch kit iirc) still had a heat signature but not as bad as a open flame. I tend to grab my mini torch to solder wiring. Hot air gun from HFT to reflow clusters and pcbs =)
 
Up until last night I had never soldered much. Always just used connectors, and the few times I had soldered was with an iron. Wife bought me a cheap soldering gun a few months ago and Sunday I had a connector melt in the footwell of my PT cruiser. The soldering gun made fixing that a breeze. Being cheap and kind of bulky it was a little cramped, but well worth the $15 she spent on it.
 
ghost said:
I'd burn the vehicle and shop down... Always wanted to learn to repair electronics but my lack of ability with soldering has held me back....
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I think burning things down is @jeepinmatt's primary AO... :lol: (from what I've read, anyway) Nah, you'd be fine. Just dive right in! Ain't nothin' to it.
 
Jody Treadway said:
I use a mini-butane torch. Strip wires, slide heat shrink down, twist, heat with torch, apply solder, heat shrink, done.
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I've done it every way known to man... including heated rocks from firepit and Bic lighters (which works VERY well in a pinch)...
But the above is absolutely the BEST (quickest/fastest/easiest/most portable) means I've found to date!
Used exclusively when I TBI'd my AMC304 about 10 years ago...
 
upgraded to a soldering station. It's tits. Makes soldering much much easier.

but it's mostly a skill the tools help but the skill is just as important.

I just bought better tools to over come a lack of skill
 
I thought I remember reading that the crimped connections that include the heat shrink w/ glue is just a good a connection as a solder joint, and is less brittle.
 
I usually like to use a small gun inside a vehicle because they work just fine and are convenient to use with an extension cord with no other accessories needed except a cleaning sponge. Do what you need, set it down on the concrete floor. I have a proper heat gun for heat shrink.
If it's anything off the car, I use my $$$ Metcal soldering station with temperature calibration. I was a professional electronics tech in my past life, so I have no patience for shitty soldering irons. I don't like the butane-powered units, unless nothing else is available.

That said, I try to limit soldered connections on vehicles to things that don't matter very much (like stereo adapter harnesses) for reliability reasons, and use crimp splices for everything else if possible.
 
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I use a good quality 30 watt pencil for most stuff.
Used PROPERLY you would be surprised what it's capable of doing.
For stuff too big for that .... I have a 100 watt pencil.
Yes it's a monster and it will put some stuff together.
 
Lots of folks solder lots of stuff on vehicles that have no business being soldered.

I would rather have a properly mechanically spliced wire that is covered with quality electrical tape and heat shrink than solder.
 
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RatLabGuy said:
This. Mechanical fastener FTW.
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Just as an FYI (And Dave you know this but some reading along will not)
Mechanical splice =/= mechanical fastener.

A Wire nut is a type of mechanical fastener.
A mechanical splice just means to manually connect the wires. A Lineman's splice or "western union splice"-I refrain from that last term because union's are the debil- makes about as good of a copper to copper bond as you could want.

The problem with solder is the very fact that it flows. It flows into all the gaps in the splice and even between the strands of stranded wire. Then it CAN oxidize, it can actually promote breakdown of the conductor, and it can stress the conductor strand by the very presence of its pressure inside of a strand bundle. Then over time the solder can actually be the source of the failure.
 
And that's why I try to physically support my splices or make them in such a manner to prevent flexing of the repair.. I do prefer soldered joints over crimps, and I've not had repeat failures (in years span), though I wouldn't solder heavy gauge connections for the mentioned corrosion reasons. Preventing corrosion in a crimped connection is as simple as precluding air from entering, as well as ensuring no contamination beginning in the joint.
 
I have preferred soldered joints over crimped forever. Failures particularly with trailer wiring has always been a crimped joint done by others. I believe the solder joint on the positive battery cable on my 64 Chevrolet saved the car when it shorted on the motor mount on its way to the starter. The heated wire melted the solder and the joint failed just as a fuse would. I am curious about the corrosion factor. Is is caused by the dissimilar metals and moisture or the flux contained in the solder ? I understand the sudden change in flexibility at the solder joint requiring multiple supports or clamps , heck that’s why the cable shorted on my Chevy. I allowed the cable to bounce up and down on a steel edge
 
moldman05 said:
I have preferred soldered joints over crimped forever. Failures particularly with trailer wiring has always been a crimped joint done by others. I believe the solder joint on the positive battery cable on my 64 Chevrolet saved the car when it shorted on the motor mount on its way to the starter. The heated wire melted the solder and the joint failed just as a fuse would. I am curious about the corrosion factor. Is is caused by the dissimilar metals and moisture or the flux contained in the solder ? I understand the sudden change in flexibility at the solder joint requiring multiple supports or clamps , heck that’s why the cable shorted on my Chevy. I allowed the cable to bounce up and down on a steel edge
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The corrosion is usually from the flux. There isn't any good way to clean solder joints on stranded insulated wire, and no-clean fluxes have their own problems.

Solder is higher resistance than the copper wire, which is why the solder joint failed on your battery cable with too much current through it.
 
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