Mustang 5.0 O2 Sensor?
- Thread starter epj3
- Start date
hmmm - how would soldering them not work? I would never wire-nut anything except for a mains circuit in an electrical box. Wire-nutting and crimp-connectors are very unprofessional, unreliable and look like crap. If you want to do it right clean everything real well, solder the wires together and use heatshrink tubing to seal them up.
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Soldering is not always recommended for installations and is sometimes warned against. I am not sure why. I am also an electronics tech and have been soldering since I was a kid (my dad was a ham radio operator and built his own gear.) But I have never had an issue with using butt splices. When properly applied they are very secure and provide an excellent connection. Solder flux is corrosive and can eventually cause wires to fail if not cleaned properly afterward. A cold solder joint can also cause problems.
If it were me I would stagger the connections with butt connectors (i.e., make the cuts in the wires so the connections are not next to each other), cover them individually with heat shrink, and finally cover them all with heat shrink. It makes for a very neat cable that will last a long time.
YMMV.
Steve
If it were me I would stagger the connections with butt connectors (i.e., make the cuts in the wires so the connections are not next to each other), cover them individually with heat shrink, and finally cover them all with heat shrink. It makes for a very neat cable that will last a long time.
YMMV.
Steve
I used this beast... http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=4328
even rosin core solder would just fall off the wires -- the solder melted just not onto the wires.
even rosin core solder would just fall off the wires -- the solder melted just not onto the wires.
The three most important things about soldering are clean wires, clean soldering tip, and flux. Oxidation can keep solder from adhering to the wire. Clean wires allow the solder to adhere to the wire. Flux helps the solder flow. Most solders have flux within their cores but solder paste still helps. The soldering tip must be cleaned as well as the wire and tinned so that solder flows on it as well. If the tip of the iron is black with crud, lightly file the tip to a point, let it heat up, stick it in the flux and tin the tip with solder.
Other helpful tools include a solder sucker or some solder wick to pull away excess solder from a joint you want to clean up or take apart. A wet sponge helps to keep the tip of the soldering iron clean. A small stand to keep the the iron from burning stuff is a good idea.
To solder, let the iron get good and hot and make sure the tip is well tinned. Apply some flux to the end of one wire and apply the tip to the wire and let it get hot. While still applying heat apply some solder to the wire, not the soldering iron. The idea is to have the solder get wicked up into the wire. Do the same with the other wire or to whatever it is you're soldering. Apply heat and put the two tinned ends together. When the solder flows between the two (you may need to add a bit) take the heat away and hold the wire in place until it cools. The resulting joint should be clean and shiny. If it is dull and rough or if the wire is moved before the solder is solid, the joint should be heated up again and resoldered.
A lot of heat is not necessary and wires 10 gage and smaller can all be soldered with a 40 watt pencil iron when proper technique is applied. A 200 watt gun with a trigger is nice but unless you're going to do some serious work like build a ham radio or weld up a bumper hitch, it really is overkill.
Steve
Other helpful tools include a solder sucker or some solder wick to pull away excess solder from a joint you want to clean up or take apart. A wet sponge helps to keep the tip of the soldering iron clean. A small stand to keep the the iron from burning stuff is a good idea.
To solder, let the iron get good and hot and make sure the tip is well tinned. Apply some flux to the end of one wire and apply the tip to the wire and let it get hot. While still applying heat apply some solder to the wire, not the soldering iron. The idea is to have the solder get wicked up into the wire. Do the same with the other wire or to whatever it is you're soldering. Apply heat and put the two tinned ends together. When the solder flows between the two (you may need to add a bit) take the heat away and hold the wire in place until it cools. The resulting joint should be clean and shiny. If it is dull and rough or if the wire is moved before the solder is solid, the joint should be heated up again and resoldered.
A lot of heat is not necessary and wires 10 gage and smaller can all be soldered with a 40 watt pencil iron when proper technique is applied. A 200 watt gun with a trigger is nice but unless you're going to do some serious work like build a ham radio or weld up a bumper hitch, it really is overkill.
Steve