Crimping tool/kit?

Post by **KirstMin** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 11:38 am

Hello all, after breaking down on several occasions over the weekend and doing a bodgetastic job with my brittle old wires and dodgy crimps, in the dark and rain, I think I need to pay some attention to this area.

Can anyone advise me where I can buy a crimping tool and assorted bits that the moggie needs and I can keep in the car in case of future breakdowns? I've looked on Screwfix and their crimping tool is £25 + VAT (seems a bit steep) plus the bits come in packs of 100 so I wonder if there is somewhere that sells assorted bits in a pack/kit? Ideally a website would be handy if anyone knows of one?

Thanks

PS: what colour connectors does the moggie need? I see that there are usually red, blue and yellow

Post by **shaunb** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 11:54 am

Maplin Electronics do a kit containing 50 assorted insulated crimp terminals and connectors and a crimping tool. Yours for £5.34 if you have a store handy or buy on line. The code is YP96E.

Post by **KirstMin** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 12:26 pm

Excellent, that sounds more like it! Thanks for the info.

Post by **lowedb** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:43 pm

The colours are a guide to the wire size that the terminals fit, red being for thin wires, blue middle, and yellow big. So it depends which wires you are fixing. If you wanted to carry just one, blues would be OK for most things.

Personally I don't like the pre-insulated ones as you don't form a good mechanical fix on the insulation. I prefer the termianls with a loose sleeve (that you push on before fitting the terminal, or alternatively after cutting off the terminal because you forgot). These are available from places like RS components, and benefit from a good pair of crimping pliers. Best of all, they look more original.

Post by **246gts** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:48 pm

I have always had very good service from
www.vehicle-wiring-products.co.uk/
They have the full range of insulated and non insulated terminals, bullet connectors etc.
Dave

Post by **Andy** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:35 pm

The kits from maplin have the scissor type crimping tools in them which are okay for the odd emergency repair but a bit cheap and nasty if your going to be doing a lot of crimping. Maplin also sell a ratchet crimping tool that holds the crimp and lets you apply the correct pressure before releasing. These tools are more expensive but well worth it in my opinion. There's nothing more annoying than cheap and nasty tools. You can then buy the crimps you actually need seperately. Whatever you do, DON'T buy a blister pack of crimps from Halfords, They work out at about the same price as 24 carrot Gold

Also, if you're going to buy one of the automatic wire strippers from Maplin, don't buy the cheaper red and black ones (approx £5). These are rubbish and WILL brake after about 3 minutes.

Post by **Onne** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 5:12 pm

The ratchet one is truly excellent, makes very good connections!

Post by **newagetraveller** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:24 pm

Soldered joints are more reliable.

Post by **Skeggysteve** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 9:19 pm

Onne wrote:The ratchet one is truly excellent, makes very good connections!

Yes the ratchet type are the only crimpers worth considering.

Soldered joints are more reliable.

Totally agree and cheaper!

Get yourself a gas soldering iron, solder, flux and some heat shrink.
Take some time to get used to soldering - it will be worth it. It will, all but, eliminate bad electrical connections.

Just don't buy any of the above from Halfords! As Andy said they can be a little

on the expensive side.

I use Farnells (sorry lost my bookmarks so just google) not sure if they are the cheapest ( my company pays!) but good quality. One bad side is the web site - very difficult to find what you want.

Post by **lowedb** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:57 am

Soldered joints are more reliable.

The joint itself is more reliable, but the connection is still prone to failure.

The solder has a tendency to wick up the cable a few mm. If this goes higher than the part where the crimp holds the insulation as a strain relief (which happens often) then there's a stiff bit of wire connected to a flexible bit of wire. Any movement / vibration in the wire stresses that point and you end up with a break.

For use in cars, a properly made crimp is extremely good and I've never seen a properly made crimp fail in service. The problem is its very hard to get a good crimp without really good equipment, so sometimes careful soldering to avoid the wicking problem can help to improve a repair made by crimping.

Post by **ColinP** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 9:00 am

On the subject of soldering, our local Homebase have a battery powered soldering iron ("instant heat - no warming up time") - I'm adding one to the "wish list" so I can keep a small soldering iron in the car!

I've had more sucess with soldered connections (for lasting) than with crimped - especially bullet connectors which always seem to pull apart if they are crimped....

All the best,

Colin

p.s. there's nothing like a good reel of insulating tape for connections!

Post by **KirstMin** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 9:10 am

ColinP wrote:there's nothing like a good reel of insulating tape for connections!

ahhh yes, insulating tape, my old friend

Post by **Multiphonikks** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:20 am

For a start I'd agree - don't scrimp on a decent crimper as you want really good electrical connections to avoid problems in the future. I've never personally owned the ratchet sort but they are very good. I'd recommend that you tin the wires prior to crimping but that it's always good to keep a crimper in the car if you can find a bit of space between your spare head gasket and steering rack. ...

No , seriously... I carry a crimper. They're so small they live in the tool bag which goes next to the spare wheel above the fuel tank. It also means you can fix most electrical problems at the roadside with the help of that, some insulating tape and emry paper square!

Post by dp » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:51 pm

Does a gas soldering iron have a metal tip like electric or is it a little flame thrower? I've been using a gas powered kitchen hob ignitor which is like the latter. What a revelation, pull the trigger get a flame. No more electric extension leads out of the window and waiting for heat up in winter.

Actually at a pound a pop I could have one on each finger and be FlameClaw(TM)

Post by **Pyoor_Kate** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:52 pm

Incidentally, while we're on the subject, if you're having lots of problems - devote a day to it.

When I put the rebuilt engine in Rebecca she'd been sat idle with no grille on for *ages* and nothing worked properly. I kept doing little fixes and still, I'd be driving along and something else'd stop working. Eventually I gave in and spent a few hours cleaning connectors - bending the good ones so that they were tighter fits and replacing ones that were grotty. I put on new bullet connectors all over the place - and since then *touch wood* we've not had any problems...

Post by **Skeggysteve** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 5:51 pm

dp wrote:Does a gas soldering iron have a metal tip like electric or is it a little flame thrower? I've been using a gas powered kitchen hob ignitor which is like the latter. What a revelation, pull the trigger get a flame. No more electric extension leads out of the window and waiting for heat up in winter.

Actually at a pound a pop I could have one on each finger and be FlameClaw(TM)

They have a tip like an electric one. It is heated by a catalitic (sp) thingy!

On the subject a mate at work today told me about a soldering iron being sold on one of the Sky shopping channels that heats up instantly and when move from the work is cold enough to touch - anyone seen this?

Post by **bigginger** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:47 pm

The one I've got (Draper) is just like a fag lighter, though you can fit a metal tip in front of the flame.

Post by **Stig** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:13 am

That tip about strain relief is a very important one, it would have saved me having to effect a temporary repair by the side of a busy dual carriageway this morning!

Yep, the wire broke as it went into the spade connector on the coil. And it was raining.

And dark.

Post by **ColinP** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 10:50 am

Steve wrote:

On the subject a mate at work today told me about a soldering iron being sold on one of the Sky shopping channels that heats up instantly and when move from the work is cold enough to touch - anyone seen this?

Colin wrote:(see page 1 of this thread)

On the subject of soldering, our local Homebase have a battery powered soldering iron ("instant heat - no warming up time") - I'm adding one to the "wish list" so I can keep a small soldering iron in the car!

That the one?

I must admit that it's not on the website, but I reckon it would be really nice in the toolbox!

Colin

Post by **Skeggysteve** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:11 pm

ColinP wrote:Steve wrote:

On the subject a mate at work today told me about a soldering iron being sold on one of the Sky shopping channels that heats up instantly and when move from the work is cold enough to touch - anyone seen this?
Colin wrote:(see page 1 of this thread)

On the subject of soldering, our local Homebase have a battery powered soldering iron ("instant heat - no warming up time") - I'm adding one to the "wish list" so I can keep a small soldering iron in the car!
That the one?

I must admit that it's not on the website, but I reckon it would be really nice in the toolbox!

Colin

Did see the info on page 1, just didn't connect the two

Sorry!