Quote:
Originally Posted by skyl4rk
Are there any other clean ways of tapping into wires? Sometimes the loom makes it difficult and wires are pulled pretty tight.
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I prefer solder. If done properly, I believe it's less subject to failure and intermittent connection problems.
If at all possible, find some point where the wire loom/harness provides a reasonably accessible 12 in. (30 cm.) or so run. Depending on just how many wires are in the harness, open a 3-7 in. (8-18 cm.) section of the loom. Find the wire you want to tap into and remove a 1 in. (3 cm.) section of insulation (with out nicking any of the wires). In so far as possible, separate the individual strands of the exposed wire. Strip off 3/4 in. (2 cm.) from one end of the wire you're adding. Separate into individual strands. Blend the individual strands of both wires together and wrap tightly with a single strand of very thin wire (that you've previously prepared) and solder. (More or less
what this guy does but don't cut the wire.)
Now we need to provide strain relief for the solder joint; repair the insulation; and repair the wire loom/harness. This will require electrical tape and a tape-wrap termination tool. As no one sells tape-wrap termination tools, you'll need to make one from a 16 in. (40 cm.) piece of 16 ga tie wire (plumbing section of Lowes, Menards, Home Depot ...). Make a 180* bend in the middle of your piece of tie wire. Starting about 4-5 in. (10-13 cm) from the 180* bend, make several spiral twists in the wire to keep the bend from spreading back open. Then bend the two loose ends of the tie wire into a tee and wrap them around any convenient piece of dowel/stick which will serve as a handle.
Illustration of a pseudo wiring harness and really crummy tape-wrap termination tool (no handle).
For illustration purposes - pseudo solder joint - A with a single wrap of electrical tape.
Wrapped down the single wire leg to wrap termination point - B and back up to the pseudo solder joint - A.
Wrapped up the dual wire leg to wrap termination point - C and made a single wrap around the termination tool.
Re-wrapped over the termination tool back to the solder joint - A.
Re-wrapped over the termination tool back up to termination point - C.
And thread loose end of tape through termination tool.
*** I flubbed this picture. You should only
pull the loose tape end about 1/3 of the way through the tool (arrow), not all the way as illustrated here. ***
Detail illustrating correct threading through tool.
Use the tape-wrap termination tool to pull the loose end of the tape under the tape windings for a clean insulation repair that won't unravel as the tape and glue age.
If you have any doubts about strain relief, make an additional wrap of a longer section of the spliced wire to two or three other wires in the loom.
Finish by wrapping the exposed loom wires in similar fashion.