I have always used 50/50 or 60/40 lead tin rosin core solder haven't had any trouble yet. I like the rosin core cause you don't have to fool around with flux.
just my $0.02

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85 d-100 HEI 2BBl
06 Toyota Corrola

have used a variety of solder including the silver bearing for electronics - one ex - http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... nSession=1 - maybe a different percentage of silver than what dan is referring to ? -then there are the newer lead free varieties - no not the plumbing ones - no one mentioned yet so i will - when soldering clean components are important - and you will find it easier for solder to flow when said components are clean - get some acid brushes (multi packs available at home depot etc) cut em down so you have stiffer short ends - have a cleaning agent such as alcohol and clean up whatever you are to solder - and a nicely tinned clean tip - have a wet sponge handy to wipe the tip on - oo3

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69 a100 225 tree3

that last post with the rosin core tin/lead/silver is interesting. Not sure if the addition of silver would help with automotive wiring. Small diameter (somewhat) of .022 seem like it would get used up quickly.
I'll bet a good application for this solder would be fot the printed circuit boards on the back of the instrument panels. Supposedly the silver added to the solder is used to prevent leaching of silvered connections in IC applications.
Anybody out there have any luck with soldereing the printed circuits on the back of the gauge panels?

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1979 W150 Shortbox
225, NP435, 9 1/4, Dana 44

The Good Life.

I used to repair printed circuit boards using a strand of wire from multi-srand wire. Putting the wire on the good portions of the trace over lapping the good part (that I cleaned down to the metal first) you must also use a low wattage soldering iron. The real trick is holding the wire in place while you solder it. You might try having someone else to hold wire in place with a sharp knife edge tool.

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

I have done the same myself. It does help if you have a helper but it can be done solo. I have done this off and on for about 30 years, on assorted stereo and other electronic devices. All repairs worked well.


Mike

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An officialis Tyrde-Browne Racing membrum

Acid based flux is a quick recipe for green rotted conductors resulting in a failed connection, and as suggested previously; for use on plumbing & sheet metal work, and joint should be washed or neutralized.

Silver solder, something I have been using recently installing plumbing during construction of our new digs, exhibits rather different melting characteristics from 50-50 lead-tin solder; it passes from solid to fluid in a rather narrow temperature range that appears to be higher than the 50-50 solder. I have found it less user friendly and don’t practically like it, and suspect that it is harder to use on electronics with low watt irons where higher heat is necessary to get it to flow. Longer heat-up time, exposes components to excessive heat, and a heat sink may be necessary for safe soldering on anything other than standard 10-18 gage conductors used in automotive harnesses.

I still like the old EPA unfriendly; 60-40 rosin core solder. It flows at a lower temperature than 50-50, and much lower than silver blends, has a longer plastic stage before melting, making for an easily controlled joint.

For soldering conductors such as found in our old car harnesses, I prefer a two heat range Weller 100-140 watt soldering gun. It heats up fast, and with a drop of molten solder on the tip, heat is quickly transferred to the conductor splice because of the larger contact area created with the drop reducing transient heat traveling up under the insulation. As soon as the solder flows shinny, remove the hot tip, don’t let it linger exposing the conductors to any extra heat. On electronics, a low watt pencil iron is sufficient, but one must take care not to over heat the component, use of a heat sink such as needle nosed pliers maybe good insurance.

Not related to automotive soldering info department:

I construct Tiffany reproduction stained glass lamp shades using his copper foil method as opposed to lead came. On these projects, liquid acid flux is used to clean and etch the copper for soldering. When building a shade, the project is first tacked, and rough soldered together with 50/50 solder, and than a decretive solder bead is built up over the 50/50 using 60/40 solder which melts as a lower temperature than the 50/50. This tacking & beading can take many hours on a large lamp requiring an adjustable heat iron to prevent over heating the 50/50 base. When completed, the lamp shade must be completely scrubbed inside & out with a flux neutralizer to prevent destroying joints, and producing festering unsightly white stuff (I suspect is some kind of lead oxide).

I have about 15 hours of soldering out of 90 construction hours into this 1650 piece lamp hung over our kitchen table. Each piece of glass is cut from a sheet of art glass (automotive tie-in: I use automatic transmission fluid to lubricate the cutting wheel), their edges are than ground square using a wet diamond glass grinder, copper foiled (a little over a 100 yards in this project), than placed & secured on a three dimensional pattern to be soldered into five repeating sections which are than joined to form the shade. This shade utilizes about ten one pound rolls of solder.


Flowering Lotus: 18" dia. by 14" tall, requiring 11 square feet of glass.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

I like to use convoluted wire covers over the engine wiring like what is found on newer cars. Gives a nice, neat appearance under hood.

I prefer 63/37 rosin core or crystal 504 flux core solder. It is a eutectic alloy, so it has no plastic state. I would avoid using silver bearing solder in automotive applications. The combination of moisture and DC voltage is perfect to create silver migration issues. I would also avoid the new lead free solder. It melts at a much higher temperature and can be difficult to work with even for very skilled solderers. The main component of the lead free solders is Tin which can also lead to problems with tin wiskering in the prescence of moisture. The take-away tip from all of this is:

STOCK UP NOW with 2 to 5 pounds of good quality tin/lead solder while it is still available and store it away in a cool dry place.

Scott M

You talking the plastic split-loom stuff? I like that as well. Hard to find long lengths of it in my area though.

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

Wjajr, that stained glass work is beutiful! I'll bet that could go for a good hunk of money. Oh but the time that must have taken to assemble.
......Just great work!! ..........

So when are they going to remove the tin/lead solder from the market.
I will take the advice and stock up on it. (although it does piss me off)

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1979 W150 Shortbox
225, NP435, 9 1/4, Dana 44

The Good Life.

I don't find any evidence of any current plans to do so in the U.S. or Canada.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Yep, thats the stuff. Napa sells it, or just go to a wrecking yard and get some off any late model car. My favorite are trucks, because they are easy to get to and are usually long pieces. Any splices you can just use some electrical tape to cover the splices.

I think they have for acid-core plumbing solder. Couldn't find any tin/lead last time I need some.....

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Lead has been outlawed for plumbing use, but it's still available for other uses.

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Joshua

theomahamoparguy:
Thanks.

That lamp shade took about 90 hours start to finish including wiring.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC