Alternator wires

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I recently screwed up refitting my alternator and damaged the wires. I am trying to figure out the best way to repair these w/o replacing the stator. It is a Sparx unit. What are the best type of connectors to use? The break is about 1.5cm from the stator. Can I test for output at the break. I have an original shop manual and it mentions using a 1 ohm resistor in parallel to get an accurate reading. Is this necessary with a modern voltmeter/ammeter? Any info would be appreciated
 
Matisse
if the break is 1.5cm from the stator, the best fix would be to do an inline solder splice and heatshrink the joint. I did this on mine years ago, and it's been fine. Any electrician or technician, or DIY, good with a soldering iron can do it. Where are you, you do not say in your profile
 
I'm in the southwest US. I can do the solder but I am unfamiliar with how to heatshrink the joint
 
Use shrink tubing as an insulator. Slide it over the bare joint then use a heat source that shrinks the tubing to make tight contact. You can buy this in strips or rolls at Fry's Electronics or even Radio Shack. Comes in many colors.
 
It may not be a problem with the alternator wires, but soldering wire on anything that vibrates is not a very good idea. Crimp only is the preferred method. You won't find any soldered connections on any newer motorcycle or auto.
 
The problem with soldering wires where there is vibration, the solder turns the wire into a solid wire. As the vibration causes the wire to flex, it will eventually break. This is a very common problem with the pickup wires on the Boyer electronic ignition stator. The break usually occurs inside the insulation making it virtually impossible to tell visually.
 
If you have enough stator wire available to attach a crimp connector using a pair of ratchet-type crimping pliers (not those crappy crimping pliers that the sell in kits) that's what I'd do. If not, I would solder the connection, shrink wrap it, and then epoxy the connection to the stator so that the stator and connection are now "one piece." Ensure that the soldered portion of the wire lies completely within the epoxy so that plain, stranded wire exits the epoxy.

Crimping pliers like these: http://i00.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v1/3219 ... ools-b.jpg
 
Rather than epoxy the soldered joint, I'd use RTV, of course the non corrosive type, and plenty of it, maybe even attach it to the stator. Nothing wrong with shrink tubing, you can get it cheaper at HD than RS, not that the amount you need matters.

Vibration may kill it in the long run, hard to tell, all you can do is try.
 
Try these butt splices:

http://www.cableorganizer.com/elelktral ... t-splices/

They're hermetic and mechanically stable. I could not separate a test splice with full body weight pulling on the wire held in a vice. The splice is quite light and unlikely to contribute to vibration weakening. Just interleave the strands of the two wires in the tube and apply a heat gun to flow the solder and activate the heat shrink. I've used a half-dozen or so on my Mk3 to modify my custom harness. Easy and effective.
 
rick in seattle said:
Try these butt splices:

http://www.cableorganizer.com/elelktral ... t-splices/

They're hermetic and mechanically stable. I could not separate a test splice with full body weight pulling on the wire held in a vice. The splice is quite light and unlikely to contribute to vibration weakening. Just interleave the strands of the two wires in the tube and apply a heat gun to flow the solder and activate the heat shrink. I've used a half-dozen or so on my Mk3 to modify my custom harness. Easy and effective.

That's probably the best, if you must solder. The shrink tubing will probably keep the wire from flexing at the point where the solder ends and the stranded wire begins. That's where fractures occur in soldered wire that's exposed to vibration. All things considered, I think it best to not solder anything on our English vibrators.
 
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