Ok, the idea I would like to start here is to have input from the members on here.
The idea is to post any electrcal wiring tips. Not trouble shooting, just the mechanical part of actually doing wiring. (methods for testing results of your work is ok though). One of my pet peeves is bad wiring. This has come from many years in the trucking industry and being exposed to shoddy work at truck stops.
I'll start out with one of my tricks: Remove the insulation from an insulated but connector [red, blue, yellow] and you instantly have an uninsulated butt connector which you can then add some solder to or use shrink tubing or good electrical tape on.
Ok, thats the first one guys.

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

The Good Life.

Well, you just posted the best one! Solder and shrink tubing. When I rewired my D100 (actually still in the process) I wired it with solder and shrink tubing. But you can buy butt connectors at Radio Shack without the plastic sheath that you end up removing any way.

OK, here's mine. NEVER trust a factory ground! Add a ground loop wherever possible.

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If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

I solder and heatshrink wrap everything unless I'm in the field and don't have a soldering iron/gun.

Tricks for soldering:
1) Melt a small dab of solder on the tip of the gun/iron, then hold that melted dab onto the joint to be soldered.
2) Then melt additional solder onto the wire or connection itself NOT the iron tip.

It takes longer to heat the wire, but once the wire wicks in the solder, you know you'll have a solid joint and not a "cold" joint where the solder just sits on the outside of the wire and breaks off later.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Never use those crunch-type (ScotchLock) circuit taps, even for light-duty work. If you need to tap a circuit and a soldered splice isn't practicable or possible for whatever reason, use these instead.

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

Dan, those scrunch-lock work ok if you use a dab of di-electric grease on the wires before you close them. I've got a snowmobile trailer I wired seven years ago, and has seen lots of salt and wetness.
Just my experience.

Naw, they don't. Their current capacity is minimal, and they damage the tapped circuit unacceptably. Remember, this is the thread where we're sharing our tips for good wiring work, as opposed to Harry Homeowner cheesy "that'll get by" schlock. ScotchLocks are halfaѕѕed, always, every time, and always will be.

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

Slantsixdan, Dart 270 thanks for input!! (I like those posi taps, first I've seen them, thx for tip Dan)
Think I might throw another one out there; If you are gonna use electrical tape, at least use the "good" stuff, I think the 3-M super 33 tape is the best. When wrapping the tape around the wire, stretch it around EXCEPT when you get to the last wrap, at that point you just roll it around the wire with no stretch tension. This helps keep the tape from unraveling. But, if you use the good tape in the first place, you will have far less trouble.

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

The Good Life.

There's also this interesting-looking product, which I've never tried but looks a great deal more robust than taped splices.

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

Seems like an expensive way, to do the same job a "sealed" butt splice will do. Just crimp to splice connector, with a proper (good) tool, and heat the connector with a heat gun.

PS: just about any thing you might need for you wireing work, is available from Terminal Supply Co. http://terminalsupplyco.com/Default.aspx

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

I like to include a service loop of several inches of extra wire at the end of each wire, "just in case". When making a harness, the service loop can be tucked in under the tape or wire loom. I also think it is critical to use automotive grade, high temperature wire. Anything less will simply result in hard crumbly insulation after baking under the hood for a few years. I like to grab the wire harness from late model Crown Vics or any large SUVs at the scrap yard. Lots of high quality wire in those babies.

Scott M.

Another excellent supplier of the Packard wire trminals is Waytek wire.
http://order.waytekwire.com/CGI-BIN/LAN ... 22+M37+ENG

The best way I have seen a wire tap done cheap was on a tractor. The insulation was striped the wires were soldered. Hot glue was put on the connetion then before the glue cooled all the way it was wraped with the tape that is like cloth with pine pitch in it. the job looked good and im shure that its sealed

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85 d-100 HEI 2BBl
06 Toyota Corrola

An easy one is to put a small bit of electrical tape over any point that you're going to apply shrink wrap. This keeps any sharp points from possibly sticking through the wrap and causing a short.

And for the "No Sh*t Sherlock" file, make sure you use silver-bearing solder.

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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

Eh? Silver-bearing solder is usually used for physical repairs to metal objects, and for copper pipeworks. Tin-lead solder is used for electrical repairs. Never use acid-core solder for electrical repairs; rosin-core is okeh.

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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, acid free is what I always use. I don't want to have to re-repair something a week later....

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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