Wiring Harness Plastic Sheathing? Options

[TINKERGINEERING]

Currently working on the wiring harness and found a couple wires in desperate need of replacement but they go through this plastic sheathing on the harness. Has anybody replaced wires through this sheathing? Should I just pull the wires out and try and jam them back in? I was also thinking I could just replace the sheathing, because it is 50 years old now, but how would I put new sheathing back on?
Thanks so much

[technicalninja]

Francis, decide for yourself which method is best for a specific joint.

Just saying "always solder" or "always crimp" is short sighted IMO.

Soldering takes more skill to do properly and more prep than crimping.

If you have a bunch of wires going into gang plug crimping is better.

Usually crimping works better on new installations.

Crimping is ONLY effective if you use exactly the correct tools, terminals, and nothing goes sideways.

Splicing old stuff together below 16 gauge I'm normally soldering but I have a BUNCH of little things I do that most others don't.

I use more heat than necessary and as little solder as I can. I "spot-weld" my joints in a very short amount of time. I don't have much trouble with wicking.

I use a small drop of solder on the gun tip as my complete load. I'm not adding solder after applying the gun.

I'm under magnification and the solder has to go "chrome like" before I'm happy.
It will "wick" up into the joint if you're doing it right. Takes less than 1 second. Most of the time I'll get a little tiny mushroom cloud from the flux I previously added to the wires. Fans should be used for ventilation.

I don't have problems with "cold" soldered joints.

I fan the individual strands out and apply flux to all then twist them back together and remove the extra flux with a paper towel.

Two pair of hemostats are used as "heat sinks" on either side of my joints.

I quench my joints with a fairly damp cotton dish towel. This happens instantly after the gun is removed. This removes the extra flux that surfaced during the melt phase.

If I'm repairing multiple wires, I stagger my joints as to not have the connections next to each other. If you solder 20 wires at the same point you end up with a big bulge in the harness.

When I'm done there is no increase in resistance and the joint is stronger than the original wire.

All soldered joints are heat shrunk with #2 style shrink. This is the stuff with the glue on the insides and I verify glue "filets" at each end after the shrink.
I use a Gar-tech heat gun (made in Germany!) for all shrinking and I've made a special "tip" for it that forms an almost complete circle. The "shrinking" happens evenly and quickly. Using a lighter is not an option.

I don't have problems with corrosion down the road.

Crimping takes FAR less finesse but requires perfection in the tools and terminals.

Crimping is far easier to achieve nice looking harness, especially if your using brand-new high-end stuff like they do in the video.

Crimped gang plugs CAN be taken apart and re-assembled. This might be a hyper-critical feature to have.

When I'm done with a solder joint it's NEVER coming apart again and should I have to go back in, it has to be chopped out of the circuit, and sometimes replace with a small section of wire with a soldered connection on both ends.


This is the NASA style connection I use for splicing individual wires

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhzXRIj5FaY

That guy would NOT like working for me!
His joint looks like crap.
He took 10 times too long to get it done.
He left a huge amount of exposed wire on either side of the twisted sections.
Mine looks like a 1/8 inch long rolled copper section that is the same size as the OD of the insulation. After the heat shrink is applied you CANNOT tell exactly where the joint is in the shrink.

So, rules are for fools, wise men (and women) use good judgment!

I've been making electrical connections in cars for 40 years. I've paid the price in burns, blood, and having to eat comebacks.

There definitely is a place for soldering in car repairs.

I have not had a failure in a solder repair in 25+ years.

Above 16 gauge I'll use a molex butt splice (as SH shows) and add the solder INTO the tiny open hole in the center. When you see the wires exiting the crimp go chrome, you're done. This takes a bit more time but never more than 3 seconds.

The best "standard" crimpers are made by Thomas & Betts Co out of Elizabeth NJ.
https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Betts-WT111M-...mp;gad_source=1

I don't know if they are still built in New Jersey. Mine are old and NOT for sale.

And the Molex butt splice SH showed is the seamed style, I prefer seamless.
When using a seamed style, the "tooth" of the crimper HAS to hit exactly on the seam.
You have to bend BOTH sides of the seam in.

Hope this helps.

[TINKERGINEERING]

This is awesome! This is actually really similar to how another on of my mentors told me to create strong connections as well and has been the method I have been using so far! It works really well. Thanks for looking out for me.

Francis, decide for yourself which method is best for a specific joint.

Just saying "always solder" or "always crimp" is short sighted IMO.

Soldering takes more skill to do properly and more prep than crimping.

If you have a bunch of wires going into gang plug crimping is better.

Usually crimping works better on new installations.

Crimping is ONLY effective if you use exactly the correct tools, terminals, and nothing goes sideways.

Splicing old stuff together below 16 gauge I'm normally soldering but I have a BUNCH of little things I do that most others don't.

I use more heat than necessary and as little solder as I can. I "spot-weld" my joints in a very short amount of time. I don't have much trouble with wicking.

I use a small drop of solder on the gun tip as my complete load. I'm not adding solder after applying the gun.

I'm under magnification and the solder has to go "chrome like" before I'm happy.
It will "wick" up into the joint if you're doing it right. Takes less than 1 second. Most of the time I'll get a little tiny mushroom cloud from the flux I previously added to the wires. Fans should be used for ventilation.

I don't have problems with "cold" soldered joints.

I fan the individual strands out and apply flux to all then twist them back together and remove the extra flux with a paper towel.

Two pair of hemostats are used as "heat sinks" on either side of my joints.

I quench my joints with a fairly damp cotton dish towel. This happens instantly after the gun is removed. This removes the extra flux that surfaced during the melt phase.

If I'm repairing multiple wires, I stagger my joints as to not have the connections next to each other. If you solder 20 wires at the same point you end up with a big bulge in the harness.

When I'm done there is no increase in resistance and the joint is stronger than the original wire.

All soldered joints are heat shrunk with #2 style shrink. This is the stuff with the glue on the insides and I verify glue "filets" at each end after the shrink.
I use a Gar-tech heat gun (made in Germany!) for all shrinking and I've made a special "tip" for it that forms an almost complete circle. The "shrinking" happens evenly and quickly. Using a lighter is not an option.

I don't have problems with corrosion down the road.

Crimping takes FAR less finesse but requires perfection in the tools and terminals.

Crimping is far easier to achieve nice looking harness, especially if your using brand-new high-end stuff like they do in the video.

Crimped gang plugs CAN be taken apart and re-assembled. This might be a hyper-critical feature to have.

When I'm done with a solder joint it's NEVER coming apart again and should I have to go back in, it has to be chopped out of the circuit, and sometimes replace with a small section of wire with a soldered connection on both ends.


This is the NASA style connection I use for splicing individual wires

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhzXRIj5FaY

That guy would NOT like working for me!
His joint looks like crap.
He took 10 times too long to get it done.
He left a huge amount of exposed wire on either side of the twisted sections.
Mine looks like a 1/8 inch long rolled copper section that is the same size as the OD of the insulation. After the heat shrink is applied you CANNOT tell exactly where the joint is in the shrink.

So, rules are for fools, wise men (and women) use good judgment!

I've been making electrical connections in cars for 40 years. I've paid the price in burns, blood, and having to eat comebacks.

There definitely is a place for soldering in car repairs.

I have not had a failure in a solder repair in 25+ years.

Above 16 gauge I'll use a molex butt splice (as SH shows) and add the solder INTO the tiny open hole in the center. When you see the wires exiting the crimp go chrome, you're done. This takes a bit more time but never more than 3 seconds.

The best "standard" crimpers are made by Thomas & Betts Co out of Elizabeth NJ.
https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Betts-WT111M-...mp;gad_source=1

I don't know if they are still built in New Jersey. Mine are old and NOT for sale.

And the Molex butt splice SH showed is the seamed style, I prefer seamless.
When using a seamed style, the "tooth" of the crimper HAS to hit exactly on the seam.
You have to bend BOTH sides of the seam in.

Hope this helps.