Re: [Chrysler300] '62 help - Alternators

[William Huff <whuff@xxxx>]

Well said Jeff. However, I would wager that the average home mechanic does 
not have the proper terminals, nor the proper crimping/staking tools to 
make connections that will reliably handle the 50+ amps that an alternator 
charging circuit can carry. The wire size should probably be #10 or 
#8. Those light duty terminals that one sees in the plastic box kits don't 
cut it in my opinion. The crimping tools that come with those kits also 
leave much to be desired. If you spend the money for good components, 
and use them correctly, then probably crimping alone is ok. What might 
work ok for short cruises could leave you stranded on a long night trip 
with headlights, a good stereo and maybe an A/C going if a bad connection 
exists. Soldering requires a good mechanical connection prior to the 
soldering taking place, clean connections and a proper technique. Over the 
years, I have always soldered my crimp connections (after crimping) when I 
intended that they would become a permanent installation on my boats and 
also my cars. So far I have been lucky enough to not have any failures 
from those connections I completed in that manner.

Bill Huff


At 4/30/03 -0700 03:49 PM, you wrote:
> i want to head off the impression that crimping is always a cheap,
> poor substitute for soldering which, if done wrong, can itself be a bad
> connection. crimping, done with the proper components and correct
> tooling is a perfectly acceptable and superior connection method; just
> as soldering done wrong can be a lousy connection.
>
> JEFF