Don't know how tight of a space you're talking about but this has been one of my favorite tools ever! Butane is pretty cheap and this thing has worked for every imaginable space in a car I've tried to solder before...

Butane Soldering Iron

Have fun!

 

Here's a tip for crimping wires (which I hate to do since soldering is still the best): double the wire over into a "J" at the end before the crimp. Butt the curve of the J up against where the end of the wire would have been. It increases the bulk of wire inside the crimp and the bend is hard to pull out, unlike single strands.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by fmah
[B]Here's a tip for crimping wires (which I hate to do since soldering is still the best):

 

This is intended to fasten a connector onto the end of a wire. Crimping two wires together into the same connector obviously is a poor substitute for a soldered connection. Crimping a wire that is grossly undersized into a connector would be another bad move. You would need to fill the cavity of the crimping area well to proceed, but once you've satisfied that criteria, I think if you settle for a crimped connection, this method would hold the wire more securely than a straight in crimp. I think the bottom line is that you inspect what you've done or intend to do and if it looks tenuous, it'll probably fall apart as soon as you get the last piece of trim put back on. Maybe you can think of a few more worse case scenarios, but common sense should rule.

 

I worked in the aricraft industry for more than 20 years, crimping is pretty much standard now and has been for 40 or so years. The standards are pretty stiff. There are a few places where soldering is prefered mostly RF connectors and then not many of those. Still I soldered my HU wiring in.
Andy

 

Having tin/lead/rosin smoke flowing through my veins from many years of soldering pre-disposes me to prefer soldering. I typically use crimp connectors only when I need a connectorized connection (I usually add solder after I crimp it).

As much as I hate to say it, a well made crimp connection is as good as a soldered connection for most non-rf applications. With the right tools and proper sized crimp for the wire, you can make a connection that will not pull off (the wire will break before the crimp). Of course, you'll need to spend more than $6.99 for the crimp tool and do a little practicing.

 

Twist the wire ends together and then use crimp caps available more readily at auto parts stores for some reason. They look like little mushroom caps and hold better than any other type of crimp fitting I have used. That said, if it will be a PITA to get at later, I solder, even in a crimp fitting.

 

Just twisting connectors and using electrical tape can allow the wires to rub together and can generate interference or static. If you can't solder it, use a good quality crimp connector. If the connection is very important, you should solder it and use heat shrink tubing. If you are installing an alarm and this allowed the car to start, you would not want this coming loose.

If the connector is a crimp, I crimp it and then solder it. This makes sure the wire cannot get pulled out as well as crates a good electrical connection. I also tin the ends of the wire before I crimp it. This way when the connector is heated up, the wire is part of the connector and then I add a little more solder to make the crimp part of it as well. The connector would get destroyed before the connection was severed. I have seen the wires come out of the crimp connector before and that is why I like to solder them as well. Factory crimps are sufficient as they have a tool that makes perfect crimps.

Lance

 

There's been a lot of good and valid points.

I think that for anyone that is into wiring and electronics, it's important to know how to solder properly. Soldering is a skill we should all learn how to do, just like learning to swim, ride a bike, drive a stick, etc.

There's very little difference between a proper solder connection and a proper crimp connection. And at the same time, a bad connection is a bad connection, no matter how it is made.