01: zzhostinfo: From Veeduber@aol.com  Tue Aug  8 16:30:57 1995
02: Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 17:30:56 -0400
03: From: Veeduber@aol.com
04: Subject: Re: Soldered connections in c...

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05:
06:
07:
08: To All:
09:
10: Certified aircraft wiring is usually tin or silver (!) coated, not bare
11: copper, except for certain battery and/or GPU circuits.
12:
13: Aircraft wiring is usually provided with an abrasion shield over the
14: insulator.
15:
16: The crimping tool for aircraft crimp-on electrical fittings is about 18" long
17: and generates several thousand pounds of pressure at the jaws, insuring a
18: gas-tight joint.  The typical pliers-type crimping tool used for automotive
19: work generates a few hundreds pounds of force and does not insure a gas-tight
20: joint.  If the joint is not gas-tight, it will eventually corrode, especially
21: if you spend much time flying very near the ground.
22:
23: If you have access to aircraft quality wiring, fittings and tools you will no
24: doubt have used them when making electrical repairs to your automobiles.  But
25: if you do not have these things your automotive electrical repairs will last
26: longer and provide better service if you solder  as well as hand-crimp all
27: connections.  This assumes you will use non-corrosive resin-cored solder
28: suitable for electrical work and not corrosive solder as used in plumbing.
29:
30: To provide vibration resistance at the connector, where the solder will
31: indeed result in hardening of the copper conductor and promote early fatigue
32: failure, use at least three layers of heat-shrink tubing, each layer being
33: slightly longer than the other, so as to distribute any flexing stresses.
34:
35: Aircraft and automotive wiring should be assembled in looms or bundles of
36: wire, fastened in sleeves so the wires may contribute support to each other.
37: All wiring should be fastened to the chassis/structure so as to prevent
38: vibration.
39:
40: If you perform aerobatics with your Volkswagen you should consider
41: installation of a gel-cell battery, and make some provision for operating the
42: engine in an inverted postion.
43:
44: -Bob Hoover, EAA 58400
45: