Sometimes I use wire nuts until I can make a more permanent connection.
I have also used  splice connectors that have dielectric grease in them.
I like these-I have used them where moisyre is common with no problems.

Most of my connections or terminations on my inline four gas motor are
soldered-no problems in the last 6 years. I did re-use some AMP terminal
ends and if I had all the tools this would be a true plug and play
conversion.

But I have a solder gun and plenty of solder and heat shrink tube so this
the most economical way for me to go.

As someone else pointed out-a crimp-on with heat-shrink over it works well,
and I have used this before.

The soldered splice also makes for a less bulky bundle of wires and this is
what i usually deal with in conversions and gas heaters, having to route the
bundles of wires thru small openings, etc.
Gives the harness the factory look.

My objection to making up the entire harness in a conversion or a repair
with the cheap terminals you can buy at your FLAPS is what we have all
seen-the tacky -looking wires with blue yellow and red plastic shields that
have a real un-factory look-like what you may have observed under the dash
of an old VW. Give them a little tug and-
It makes me wonder why even vanagons and Eurovans are prone to burn-use a
good crimper.

Klein is fine.

Robert K
1982 Westfalia

>From: Kitzmann <kitzmann@EXIS.NET>
>Reply-To: Kitzmann <kitzmann@EXIS.NET>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: Crimp vs splice
>Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 16:20:21 -0500
>
> >1) Based on actual test results, crimping is better than soldering.
>
>
>Read something interesting about all this a few months ago.  It turned out
>that after long term reliablitiy test done for satellites, and other really
>too expensive to let them fail stuff, it was found that the reliability of
>electrical joints broke down to this.
>Most reliable:  Wire rap. easy and fast
>Pretty reliable:  Crimp, easy and fast
>Not very reliable:  Solder, connections cracked under vibration and flexing
>of cables, hard to learn
>
>All the circuit boards in the satellites they were building had wire rap
>post for attaching cables.  It seems that when subjected to vibration this
>type of joint just didn't fail anywhere near as often as any other.  But
>how would you apply this to a car or truck??

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