It didn't break right at the point where the insulation was stripped, so less likely that the wire was nicked.
FYI: Another downside I've seen is offbrand connectors tend to fail more in unprotected areas like engine compartments due to mfg type. There are name brand equivalents to these types which usually are mfg to SAE or something similar and work just fine. There are also solder splices that are used regularly that perform the connection and shrink all in one step. But even there the knock-off ones use lead-free solder which requires a higher heat value to melt and sometimes cause collateral damage.
once you use these you will never go back - they are that good, ease of use, speed and quality.
That comes from not anchoring the wire to something secure nearby. Something that moves with the alternator as it vibrates. I've seen busted stuff like that where the wire was tied to something that didn't move with the terminal, such as the engine mount. That engine, especially a Lycoming on a Dynafocal mount, moves a huge amount during start and shutdown, never mind the usual vibration and propeller torque reaction twisting the engine. And those terminals, like I said, are made of tinned copper, and copper has a bad habit of work-hardening when it's flexed. You have to make sure it's protected against flexing. They last a long time if they're set up right. 1960s airplanes are full of them, still working unless oxidation has ruined their conductivity.Apparently good crimp on my 2003 SR22 wasn’t enough to prevent this:
Seemed like pretty poor quality for something as important on an “all electric” plane.
Greenlee and Klein are, I think, still quality tools. The Klein's price is very modest, and I hope they haven't cheaped out on it. Those tools used to cost far more than that. I paid more than $100 for the first one I bought for the school.Is the greenlee better than my ratcheting klein?
https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/...cheting-crimper-10-22-awg-insulated-terminals
I've been pleased with it. I like it better than my prior "4 dollar model" from above
Those and others in that quality level are all good. Top shelf gets into STA-KON, DMC, and Pressmaster out of Sweden who OEMs a bunch for other name brands. I lucked out and have several mil surplus STA-KONs. I also keep a HF rachet model in my truck tool bag which works rather well but doesn't seem to hold a depth adjustment as well as others.
Best article Ive seen on practical connections, glad they addressed how solder today is... a joke? LOL agreed except for some older uhf and vhf antenna coax ( big stuff) thanks for sharing that!
Soldering can produce a short stiff spot at the end of the solder joint, making breakage under vibration or flex more likely.
No, you just solder it after the crimp side, not on the wire side
Curious. If the terminal is crimped properly, what do you gain by soldering the tip of the wire?
Ev
even when properly crimped, you still stress the exterior of the wire bundle. Heat, vibration, and time can exacerbate that process, leading to the outside of the bundle fraying and breaking. I’ve seen the center of a 2 gauge wire pull out of a well crimped terminal, but the center wire that was left exposed looked more like 4-6 gauge wire. If everything after the crimp is soldered it makes it more difficult for the remaining wire to pull free. Hopefully the fraying is caught before the solder is needed, but it’s very little effort for added security. The solder also helps to seal the end of the wire to keep out corrosion inside the crimp.
I guess I still don’t follow. If you have wire pulling out of proper crimps or wire failure that is more indicative of an installation problem than a crimp issue. For example, insufficient strain relief or harness support issues would lead to those type issues. There are a number of guides that detail methods to prevent that. Most of the failures I ran/run across were installation related with improper crimps a close second. A proper crimp should be close to the stretch limits of the wire crimped on with some exceptions. Now if you want to go top-shelf follow EWIS guidance as it was specifically designed to prevent the failures you mention but at the transport level.
Don’t care if you follow, it’s my logbook entry and my A&P number. That’s like saying you shouldn’t use a lock washer with a locknut lol.
