Rat Disaster. Need Electrical Help.

[Texasmark]

Since the area is not exposed to weather, I would get a box of name brand butt splices. Stacon or similar. A wire stripper and a crimper.... add a few inches to the harness to ease your working area.... go to town on it.
Remember. you can use a bigger wire size but not a smaller gauge wire in your splicing.

+1. Nice thing about splicing wiring harnesses is the color code tells you what goes where. Having spent 45 years in the electromechanical aspect of the electronics industry I think crimp connections will do just fine. Radio shack or possibly your auto parts store will have a kit with the crimping/insulation stripping/cutting tool and an array of butt splices. I know WW has them here. You'll spend $15 and will take you a lot less time than redoing the whole harness not to mention the $300.

And if worried about weathering, I have butt splices on all my trailers, underneath where road spray gets on/into them and never lost one. Only thing I ever had happen was driving across fields with weeds and brush pulling them apart which you won't have in your dash application.

I built a rat box and put it under my tractor. Filled it with Tom Kat cubes I strung on a wire inside. Screwed on the lid so that I can check it periodically and keep it full.

HTH,
Mark

 

[kencunningham]

As long as you use flux and the tip of your soldering iron is clean you wont have a problem. The only time i every had a problem soldering was when the tip gets dirty with oxidation which doesnt allow the transfer of heat from the iron to the work piece. So clean that tip and solder away.

 

[pmsmechanic]

And if worried about weathering, I have butt splices on all my trailers, underneath where road spray gets on/into them and never lost one. Only thing I ever had happen was driving across fields with weeds and brush pulling them apart which you won't have in your dash application.

I can see getting away with butt splices in an area of the country that rarely gets snow and the roads probably never see salt. I cringe everytime I use one because they have given me so many problems. The worst being a factory butt splice in the middle of the enclosed frame on a horse trailer.

Where salt is used on roads I refuse to use butt splices. Usually the insulation has to be pealed back 6-12 inches before you can find copper that hasn't been corroded black with road salt where a butt splice has been used.


That being said butt splices would probably work OK in the OP's situation but it is so little extra work for the peace of mind to know that the soldered splices will never give problems. Personally I would use marrettes sealed with a dab of silicone long before settling for butt splices. Solder and heat shrink is still better than marrettes in my not so humble opinion.

 

[N80]

You guys are going to shame me into soldering! As I mentioned before, the butt splices I intend to buy have heat shrink on them. So if the crimp holds I don't think water and such will be an issue.

But, I got out my soldering iron, a 25w Weller, pencil type, and I still can't do anything with it. And while I'm not exactly graceful or even very coordinated, I can stitch the end of your finger back on or remove a mole like it was never there.........but I could not solder. In truth, I think it is my soldering iron. It seems to get cold real fast. Touch the solder and it melts. Touch it again a second later and nothing. No melting. No smoke. A few seconds later and it melts the solder. I had a hard time getting the tip tinned. So maybe it is the tool and not me. When I was running RC race trucks all the serious guys had soldering guns and scoffed at the pencil type. I throwing this one out.

 

[N80]

Oh, I ordered the little 6" breather tube today. 25 freakin' bucks! For that much it should be rat proof.

 

[crazyal]

For doing wires you want something like a Weller soldering gun. I like the 200w/ 260w model. Things like wires will suck up lots of heat (vs small electronic components). 25w will be a struggle to get a good joint.

 

[skyhook]

Here's a little tip on soldiering,,
dab a little soldier paste on the wires to be soldiered, soldier loves that stuff.

 

[k0ua]

Tighten the tip of your iron. If you don't know how, post a pix and I will help you.

 

[JRobyn]

SOLDER, guys. Not soldier. Not solider. Not soilder.

- Jay

 

[skyhook]

Yes I am sober....lol