in addition, looking at the pdf of the instruction sheet, the fact that they specify those squeeze on connectors that bite through the insulation worries me. i've used them quite a bit but they are problematic on several levels and their use in a supposed high-class high-performance etc. product kind of sits me back a minute, and that combined with the lack of proper support you're mentioning really makes me wonder about these guys. even if their basic engineering is good, it seems their applications and marketing torpedoes the whole ship.
looking at the pdf of the instruction sheet, the fact
I had a 72 Dodge 318 PU that I replaced the ignition with a later Dodge Van electronic ignition. I had squeeze on connector problems with it after a few years. I replaced everything with Mil Spec connectors and all was OK.
product kind of sits me back a minute, and that
These are my thoughts also. Too many aftermarket products, particularly electronic, are market by folks who know little about their products. There are a few who do but they alwys turn out to be manufactured by Industry leaders like Bendix, Delco and the like. The ones that the big three turn to with problems. Like the brakes on my Chevrolet P30 RV chassis.
A lot of time the problem with the insulation displacement type connectors is that people don't pay attention to the proper size (red, blue, or yellow) for the gage of wire. That is particularly a problem with using one made for bigger wire on smaller wire (say, blue connector good for up to 18 ga wire but used on 20 or 22 gage wire). But, yeah, otherwise, due to exposure to air and moisture, they are not nearly as reliable over the long term as a soldered or crimped-and-soldered connection. Crimped (no solder) is good if done right - i.e., right size connector for the gage of wire, and good quality crimp tools - none of this squeeze it flat with pliers routine.
So much about making connections is dependent on the skill and care of the person doing the work. Shipping typical consumer (poor) quality connectors to be installed by the typical consumer is a recipe for poor reliability. But the typical consumer wants quick and easy vs. takes a little time and care to do, and the manufacturer/marketer wants low cost and to make it easy for what he knows is his ignorant, cheap, and impatient consumer (not saying you are any of those - just generalizing).
If they put better type connectors in the kit, they may lose sales due to cost or higher skill levels required for installation (and you could credibly argue that they eventually lose sales due to poor reliability with cheap connectors, but unfortunately the company who cheaps out will probably have the overall better profitability record (in today's ebay/consumer market).
When faced with using a too large terminal just strip the wire a little more than twice as long as needed, bend the wire over double and then crimp in place. IOW use the additional wire as a filler.
I also agree on using the proper crimp tool. I do hate those cheap ones like the brand name "Crimp". Fortunately in many years I have collected enough crimping tools that I can do almost all of them.
And also there was a thread seveal years agou about whether to solder and crimp or just crimp. Related to mostly battery cables. It was noted that GM crimped only. Less trouble with corrosion as in green stuff. The connection then needs to be sealed.
Good suggestion about doubling up on the wire, Bob - I think I've done that myself a couple of times - didn't actually double it over, but stuck a second piece of wire in there.
For sealing a crimped or plain soldered connection, I've taken electrical grade (acetic acid-free) silicone sealer and covered the joint with it, then slid a piece of shrink tubing over it and shrunk the shrink tubing - fun watching the excess get squoze out. Wiped off whatever squeezed out. I think I got that idea from my Dad when I was a kid - I think that's how they did wire splicing with submersible pumps when they were a new item - maybe still do. The pumps came with the splice kit including the sealer - that was in a time when your typical silicone sealer had acetic acid in it, so the acetic acid-free type was provided with the kit.
You think YOU'RE holding the bag.... try one of the 89-92 TBI v8 engines! That's an orphan and you can't even very well "MacGuyver" a solution for it like you can with a carb.
The problem is that there's not only no reason for the factory to keep supporting 80s vehicles, there's also no aftermarket interest in 80s vehicles to cause the kind of support that you can get for 60s cars. About the only 80s car that even raises any interest at all is the Buick GN/GNX.
Once upon a time I had a job (briefly) for an automotive supplier and occasionally would have to fabricate/repair wiring harnesses for test vehicles that weren't off the shelf parts. The way I was shown to weatherseal a soldered wire connection was to use silicone *grease* under the heat shrink. Sometimes connections would be potted in 5-min epoxy as well, e.g. multi-pin connectors. I hadn't thought of using slow-curing silicone sealant, but that seems more elegant if anything.
I like the ideas presented regarding sealing crimped terminals. Good stuff! To add my $0.02 worth, I've also done the double-over (and sometimes more) wire trick when the terminal normally fits a larger wire. I also prefer to use a crimper like this one:
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(Klein pn 1005). Another way to keep moisture out of the crimp zone is to use heatshrink tubing. You can get heatshrink w/ adhesive/sealer on the inside. A side benefit is a little more support for the wire as it exits the crimped terminal. When I added a second battery and wiring (front & rear) for an electric winch to my '77 Dodge 3/4 ton pickup, I used 1/0 welding cable with heavy-duty sealed heatshrink on the crimped terminals. Yes, the ground cables are also now 1/0 wire! The connectors for the winch are 175A units, and I made up a 1/0 jump-start cable w/ gnarly clips... I don't have to open the hood to give (or get) a jump-start! :) Bryan
I can't believe how complex these internal combustion engines are and how well they run when everything is operating correctly. They are truly marvels of engineering.
At 2500 rpm, a V6 is firing each plug over 20 times a second.
Each intake and exhaust valve is opening and closing at the same rate.
125 explosions a second, all synchronized to maximize power output.
Meanwhile, the cooling system is pumping coolant throughout the engine block and heads and through the radiator.
The power is transmitted to the wheels by another complicated system to propel the vehicle down the road at speeds in excess of 70 miles an hour. Thousands of different parts are involved and all must be working correctly for the vehicle to maintain forward motion. I am truly amazed that I don't see more vehicles broken down on the side of the road.
well you should put the msd in and the coil pack in . then you should run a NOVIS system on your cars brain box to change the factory setting . to a higher voltage . You can also up the fuel and air ratio , novis is a wonderfull tool .
28 cylinders, 56 spark plugs, 4 magnetos. One caburetor (actually a hybrid called an "injection carburetor" with venturis the size of coffee cans.
In this case, controlled SEA Fury ;-)
And when those engines were installed in a B-36 or a Globemaster, they would run *continuously* for 20+ hour missions. A B-36 had SIX 4360s, each of which had two turbochargers in addition to its 56 plugs. That made for one very busy flight engineer! Turbocharger wastegate, throttle, mixture, prop pitch, and several other parameters were all set and monitored by the FE. Good old days!
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