Looking for general rewiring tips

[preserved_killick]

I need to rewire, and I have limited experience. Having read a number of books on the subject, I have a good understanding of the concepts involved. Seems most of the books explain the fundamental ideas and goals.

Before I begin, I'd like to read further on tips and techniques that go beyond the basic ideas. For example, I thought Acoustic's write up on marine crimping was fantastic. (http://www.plasticclassicforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3281). That little article alone was worth the subscription to this site!

While I'm sure I can get the job done, I'd like it to look like a professional job. My needs are simple. A few cabin lights, the lights up on the mast & a bilge pump, nav lights and that's it. Everything is super accessible & open with this boat, an Alberg 30 pre-liner.

Any tips or resources available on the web? Any books that you thought outstanding? (I've got D.Casey, Nigel Calder & Charlie Wing's latest).

-Jeff

[Ceasar Choppy]

a good wire stripper and double crimper will make your life a lot easier. I think acoustic may have covered some of that in his write-up.

You will also want to pay attention to the size of your wire, but if you have all that book learnin material, its covered in there.

have fun!

[LazyGuy]

Copper has gone through the roof (along with just about everything else) but here is a great source of electrical wire/lugs etc...

I have no financial connection with this site:

http://bestboatwire.com/

[David]

A few suggestions:
To keep from having different resistance in the negative side of you wiring, and prevent any potential stray current at the engine and underwater metal, run your negative side to one bus and terminate all your negative circuits at that bus.

For multiple batteries you are wiring in parallel or series, make all your wire lengths exactly the same.

I soldered, crimped and adhesive sealed with shrink tubing. I labelled each end of each wire with two and from destinations.

Good luck,

David

[preserved_killick]

Thanks for the tips guys. Good tip on the bestboatwire.com website.

David, you soldered your connections? From what I can gather that is somewhat controversial? I'm reading more often that not that a good crimp then adhesive shrink tube is preferred?

-Jeff

[David]

There are different opinions about soldering. It worked very well for me. I rewired everything on my Bristol in 1995 and I'm happy with the results.

[Ceasar Choppy]

I will say that when I re-wired my boat, I ripped out tons of wire where the PO soldered the connections. The connections were OK I guess... he knew what he was doing when he soldered... problem was the millions of pounds of gooey, messy electrical tape he used to wrap the connections.

I'm sure it wasn't gooey and messy when he installed them, but it was a MESS when I got the boat!!!. Crimping is so much neater and easier and just as strong. Why deal with the mess?

[bcooke]

problem was the millions of pounds of gooey, messy electrical tape he used to wrap the connections.

Electrical tape = amateur

Shrink wrap = pro

[Hirilondë]

There are different opinions about soldering........

ABYC is completely against it. Solder in effect makes a once stranded wire into a solid conductor at the solder joint. It is now more susceptible to breaking from vibration.

[David]

Thanks for pointing this out. I'll be sure to not invite the yacht council to go sailing with me.

[bcooke]

Solder in effect makes a once stranded wire into a solid conductor at the solder joint. It is now more susceptible to breaking from vibration.

I am not going to enter the solder versus no solder debate but I wonder how flexible the stranded wire is under the crimp? It would seem to me that with the connector tightly crimped down around the wire there isn't much flexibility left and probably not much difference in flexibility between it and a soldered joint.

[Rachel]

That's what I was wondering too - wouldn't the wire-to-crimp joint area have the same issues? I'm all for a good crimp, so like Britton I'm not trying to argue against them, but the question did pop into my mind.

[Hirilondë]

I believe the theory is that the crimp wont break from vibration and even if the wire inside breaks the connection stays intact. If the soldered wire breaks you have loose ends and a chance for a short. How well this would all prove out under test conditions or real application I can't say.

[kendall]

Having run my own garage for many years I've had to repair hundreds of cars with problems that were traced down to a faulty crimped connection. Soldered joints have always held up through the years.


The replacement starter on my explorer came with a crimp connector for the solenoid, worked great for a few months, then started having starter trouble, replaced the crimp with a solder connection and I haven't had any throuble for three years.
wire is secured to the crossmember, and the joint is midway on a 6" lead connected to the starter, very bad position as far as vibration is concerned, solid mount at one end, vibration and movement at the other.

As far as I've been able to tell, the ONLY advantages crimps have are speed and ease of use.

Ken.

[Tim]

As with all things, ultimately this question boils down to the initial quality of the materials and installation. Anyone with observational experience can point to failures of one or both kinds of connection, but generally that's because the initial installation was lousy to begin with (poor quality materials and/or workmanship), not specifically because the connection was soldered or crimped.

Garbage in, garbage out.

Use quality materials. Learn how to install things the right way. All will be well.

[Zach]

One thing worthy of mention... is that if something doesn't vibrate, it doesn't fatigue.

So keep either crimped or soldered connections from moving, and they will not fail from vibration.

I've had them all fail. It is about the quality of the materials, and thinking through the installation so the wire isn't ever under tension, under water, or beside something that looks like a cheese grater.