After years of doing 'rough enough is good enough' wiring I want to step up my game and do things much better. This includes using high quality connectors, terminals etc which have heat shrink. Having done some looking on the internet and came across Wirefy brand. I dont mind paying good money but before I hit the buy ****on just wanted to check if there is anything else out there worth considering. Thanks!
I have been purchasing most of my automotive wiring supplies from Waytek. https://www.waytekwire.com/products/1453/Wire-Cable/ They have a very large selection of wire, connectors, tools, etc. If shopping the web site is not your preferred method thay offer a printed catalog that has everything offered plus technical information. They ship fast.
I've been happy with the uninsulated terminals and shrink wrap from Del City in Menomonee Falls, WI. Wide variety of wire, relays, connecters, etc too.
same here, I like uninsulated terminals, and adhesive lined shrink tube And get a crimper that's designed for un-insulated connectors. I've always used black shrink tube, but for my next project I'm going to try using clear, just to see how I like it. I can't stand seeing those red, blue and yellow plastic insulated connectors. they make me want to barf, haha
If you aren't afraid of the job and maybe have a little experience with them, Weatherpack stuff. Here is a list of smaller connectors from 1-6 for smaller harness layouts. https://www.whiteproducts.com/connectors.shtml I have this in my basket for going thru the firewall. Shamelessly stolen from another poster here. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005O0V5JQ/ref=ox_sc_saved_***le_1?smid=A39ZZJ3OT79TI&psc=1 And you will need weatherpack crimpers for it too. https://www.amazon.com/Delphi-Packa...6cf56&pd_rd_wg=SYDmD&pd_rd_i=B002CCAEJ6&psc=1
Wirefy seems to be a bit expensive for what they're selling... their crimpers definitely are IMO. Here's how I do it and why. Technical - Crimping Tutorial | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com) And for general guidelines on wire sizes, harness logic, etc, etc... Wiring 101 | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com) And if you want the very best in harness connectors (not the ones that fit OEM switches) there's these... not cheap. WireCare.com | Your Local Cable Management Superstore!
@Crazy Steve Thanks! Went back and read that thread. Do you have any suggested suppliers for terminals etc as I imagine some are better than others?
I get these weatherpack China made knockoffs on flea-bay. Paid $11 for this set of 15. Had excellent luck with them on lots of heavy equipment and automotive. Just need a good small crimp tool. For higher current stuff I use insulated spade connectors. Stagger the connections so you can hide them in split loom, like for electric radiator fans etc. Any perminant connection I Western-Union twist, solder, and depending on the location either tape with 3M super 33 or use self sealing heat shrink. I'm not a crimp fan, too bulky.
Look for terminals/splices that are UL and/or CTL listed, that will usually guarantee at least minimum quality. My personal favorite is uninsulated T&B 'Stakon' brand, but finding those in smaller quan***ies can be tough.
Dorman makes quality weather-pack connectors, they are big. I used them on my parking lights and had to open the holes in the splash pan. I bought a lot of sockets, wire, terminals from The Wiring Depot. Also Advance Auto Parts had good selections if I needed a few odd things. I picked up a large terminal ***ortment on eBay, US made, I forget who it was from.
That is the old AMP PIDG line. AMP is now owned by Tyco, I used to deal with a few AMP reps while it was still AMP and after that. Thomas & Betts makes a good terminal too.
last time I did some wiring a few years ago, I got a bunch of uninsulated Molex terminals from digikey....they sell in smaller quan***ies
Gonna post a bunch of helpful information below. I'm going to add some more stuff below on another reply.
More wiring info: Thanks to Ron Francis I print em and laminate them so I can reference them when working on wiring. You probably have a better memory than I do though.............
I like Ron Frances wiring because you wire back to the fuse panel form the accessory which makes for a cleaner setup...It also makes it easier to replace a wire that does get burnt around headers....The fuse panel is a stand alone part which is great....
Most of the above-posted 'commercial' tips are fine, but there's definitely some misinformation there also. But they're interested in selling product, so take all their claims with a grain of salt.
I've never used them, but I'm very skeptical of those ****splice connectors where you stuff two wires in and simply heat them to solder and shrink in one step. Anything that melts at that low a temperature is susceptible to breaking down under a load that could heat the wire and the joint. I've used good quality T&B connectors for ring, spade, fork, or **** connectors for my entire work career as an electrician. For automotive use I use T&B bare connectors, and heat shrink to cover **** splices, or the barrels on ring or fork connectors. All are crimp type, and I use a quality Ideal brand crimp tool, and never had a failure.
In military electrical wiring, there are a lot of solder sleeves used. This is all mil-spec NAS1744 or MS83519 items. The best way is when we ran what was called Deutsch blocks and everything was hardwired (with crimp contacts). But they and the mounting rails took up a lot of room. In real life, working on wiring for a living, I've seen just about any connecting method that exists. Workers are trained, tools are calibrated, there are specifications to adhere to. A far cry from stripping wires with a Bic lighter and "crimping" terminals on with side-cutter pliers.
No one can guarantee that perfect connections will always result no matter what method or products someone uses. I say that after having worked at a weapons facility where high levels of ***embly by experienced personnel was done. (not me) Mistakes were made, problems resulted, and corrections were made. I think the average guy using decent components and ***embly tools and equipped with a little knowledge of "how it should be done", can obtain results that are reliable and even look fairly professional. Others who wish to rely only on the most basic electrical ***embly tools and wiring can also make connections that are reliable as well. We been doing it that way for a long time and done properly it still works fine. Its simply a matter of the indiviual builder deciding what level of quality he wants to incorporate into his build. The information I provided will hopefully increase the knowledge of interested builders and let them make good choices. There will still be a learning curve and differences of opinion on exactly how to do things, but I think the info serves as a good starting point. I posted it because it was helpful to me and I figured others might find it so as well.
If you want period correct then the Type 56 look correct and will work well. If you want modern sealing then Deutsch are very hard to beat.
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