[Healeys] Fw: Screw terminals - keeping them connected?

[Dick Matson]

----- Original Message -----
From: Dick Matson<mailto:medlabinc at msn.com>
To: AustinHealey List<mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 8:00 AM
Subject: Fw: [Healeys] Screw terminals - keeping them connected?


More wire terminal stuff.

If Military Wiring Specifications (Mil-Spec) is the gold standard, then I can
add to the conversation that for many years Mil-Spec has called for crimping
on many or most wire end connectors - even in many multi-wire connector
applications.

A 'potting' process, molded-in-place rubber-like material molded in place over
the wire ends and against the end connector, is sometimes added after
connections are made.  When potting is used it provides moisture protection
and as important additional stability against vibration or other movement
between wires or a wire bundle and a connector.  Ratchet tools in Mil-Sped
wiring are typical for making crimped connections.

This part baffles me though.  Not all Mil-Spec wire connections are crimped.
There is also Mil-Spec soldering.  And some wire connections are soldered,
soldered and potted, or soldered with heat shrink tubing applied over the
solder connection as one lister has described.  A main culprit with soldering
is something called wicking - solder traveling up a stranded wire from the
soldered end connection.  A stress riser is introduced in strands of wire at
the point where wicking ends.

I have never figured out why Mil-Spec sometimes calls for crimping and other
times soldering unless it's the environment the connector operates in.  An
engineer-type among the listers maybe could help sort this out.

Dick Matson / Bj8