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Crimpin' 101

Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:34 am
by racertodd
The crimp used in auto wiring is called an "F-type" crimp. To make an F-type crimp you need connectors of the "open-barrel" type.

Open barrel connectors look like this:
Image

The tabs that are sticking up are rolled over by the crimper. The smaller tabs crimp the wire, the larger ones crimp the insulation to provide support for the wire. Insulation support is critical to long-term reliability of the connection. Without the insulation support, vibration will tend make the wire fatigue and crack right were it enters the connector.

The crimp connectors you get at your local Radio Shack or auto parts store are the "closed barrel" type. If you look at the end of one you'll see the metal rolls all the way over in a round or barrel shape. They are meant for the typical crimper you'll also buy at Radio Shack or an auto parts store. Those crimpers CANNOT be used with open-barrel connectors.


AMP sells open-barrel connectors under their FASTON brand name. FASTONs don't normally come as individual connectors, but in continuous strips meant for automated machines. You can cut them apart with a pair of side cutters to get individual connectors.
They come in a huge variety of sizes, materials and configurations. The ones I've used are:
AMP part #41771 - .250" female spade, brass, for 18-22 gauge wire
AMP part #41202 - .250" female spade, brass, for 14-18 gauge wire
AMP part #41449 - .250" female spade, brass, for 10-14 gauge wire


I bought spools of 100 FASTONs from Digi-Key http://www.digikey.com. In 100-count spools, they are about a dime each.

Tyco carries them: http://catalog.tycoelectronics.com/cata ... u/en/17703 . British Wiring sells individual open-barrel connectors http://www.britishwiring.com . A Google search will probably find many other suppliers.

They look like this in a strip.
Image

I have a Paladin 1300 crimper (http://www.paladin-tools.com). It uses replaceable dies, so you can use it for all sorts of crimping duties. Bare frame retails for around $40, with dies about $25. I got mine used on eBay for like $15. Paladin die #2033 makes F-type crimps.

This is what a FASTON looks like crimped with my Paladin 1300. In addition to being a superior electrical and mechanical connection it also looks completely factory. Excellent for restoring old wiring to like new - cosmetically and electrically.
Image

Todd

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:54 am
by carello
Wow Todd, Great info! Thanks for all the thoughtful closeup photos and good links. I am motivated to purchase the Paladin 1300 and a box of F connectors. I will have to take a flogging for soldering my past connections, but they seem to work well.

Has anyone taken the time to list all of the crimped connectors that would be found on a 250 or 330? and their locations? How about any original connectors you have recently serviced?
Craig

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:24 am
by Yale
Damn Todd where were the close ups of the date codes on those connectors? Craig baby, I think a 40 page string of pictures of the different crimps made by the different brand of crimping tools, along with the full names of the Italian companies abbreviated monikers, ads for these tools through the ages, a through discussing of the correct wire color shades and poll on what other car companies crimping strategies is in order. Don't ya think? :)

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:26 am
by Yale
Of course I am joking, this was a great post Todd.

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:07 am
by racertodd
carello wrote: Has anyone taken the time to list all of the crimped connectors that would be found on a 250 or 330? and their locations? How about any original connectors you have recently serviced?
Craig
I'm a non-Ferrari owner so I haven't worked on any Ferrari wiring. I did recently assist in repairing and restoring the wiring harness on a '72 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super.
90% of the connections were 1/4" spades. Most of those were female terminals on the wire attaching to a male tab on the electrical part. A few of the larger power wires on the fusebox used 3/8" spades. Might be a smaller 3/16" on something small like a dome light terminal.
Headlights use a larger terminal, British Wiring sells connector kits for headlights, with the correct open-barrel terminals and plastic connector (page 17, part #808).
Only odd-ball terminal I saw was a female spade with a male tab on it, used at the fusebox when two wires came off one tab. It's a type D on page 12 of the British Wiring catalog.

I'd guess a nice set of those three sizes would cover most of the wiring in older cars. A note: the terminals I got from British Wiring were tin plated, not brass. A consideration if concours looks are important.

Also, British Wiring carries some nice clear soft plastic terminal covers (page 13 of their catalog) that are used to cover the terminals that attach to the fuse box. They were a near perfect match for the ones we found on the Alfa.

Oh, the FASTON terminology they use is "receptacle" for the female part and "tab" for the male.

Todd

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:34 pm
by kare
carello wrote:Has anyone taken the time to list all of the crimped connectors that would be found on a 250 or 330? and their locations? How about any original connectors you have recently serviced?
Most of the connectors on a 250 GT/E are these Italian type bullets. Only the overdrive uses flat connectors, I think.

Image
Image

The tabs at the wrist are crimped to support the wire and the tip is crimped on the wire and then soldered. I love working with these; they make a perfect connection. Many components were built with female terminals for these so they really can't be replaced with anything else.

Best wishes, Kare

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:01 pm
by kare
I recently rebuilt my instrument light loom.

Image
A little too much patina, even for my taste...

Image
The basic bullet can take one or two wires. For three wires a "queen bee" -type of connector is needed.
I think it is the only one on the whole car. I went to great lengths to save it...

Image
When putting two wires into a connector the insulation must be "sharpened", otherwise it does not fit.

Image
Looking good...

Image
Done. For the sake of origininality I did solder the tips...

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:32 pm
by tyang
Hi Guys,

I have to thank you all for improving our skills. Great pictures both Todd and Kare.

I am learning a ton of skills from Francois that he has been using for over 40 years, and many of them have withstood the test of time, but crimping the connectors with the right tool looks like the right way to go. It might take some more convincing to change Francois' techniques, but I'll try!

I checked with my Wurth supplier today and he got me a part number for the right pliers:
ART# 055813

I think this post will become and instant archive item!

Tom

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:02 pm
by Rudy van Daalen Wetters
Love the smell of solder and flux in the morning...

Very informative this 'crimpin 101' seminar!

Rudy van Daalen Wetters
1963 GTE s/n 4001
1966 330 GT s/n 8705

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 3:59 am
by 250GT
kare wrote:I recently rebuilt my instrument light loom.

Image
A little too much patina, even for my taste...

Image
The basic bullet can take one or two wires. For three wires a "queen bee" -type of connector is needed.
I think it is the only one on the whole car. I went to great lengths to save it...

Image
When putting two wires into a connector the insulation must be "sharpened", otherwise it does not fit.

Image
Looking good...

Don't forget to place a isolation tube first befor you crimp, and finisch with your ligher the rest
ciao
C.


D
Image
Done. For the sake of origininality I did solder the tips...

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:55 am
by kare
buurman wrote:Don't forget to place a isolation tube first befor you crimp, and finisch with your ligher the rest
In general only ring connectors have a piece of insulation tube on the wrist.

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:01 pm
by josh
Great info.. wish I'd had this a few months ago.. no way I'm redoing all the work I did, though :)

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 11:25 am
by carello
Yale wrote:Damn Todd where were the close ups of the date codes on those connectors? Craig baby, I think a 40 page string of pictures of the different crimps made by the different brand of crimping tools, along with the full names of the Italian companies abbreviated monikers, ads for these tools through the ages, a through discussing of the correct wire color shades and poll on what other car companies crimping strategies is in order. Don't ya think? :)
Yale, you are exactly correct! Please help where you can in this regard. :)
Kare, thanks for the bullet lesson. Good photos! what does the shielded Z mean?

Here are some Italian connections from a 1968 wire harness and they appear to be similar to the machine applied crimps by Todd. They also appear to be AMP, a well known brand? These are plated brass for what what reason?
Several of these plastic boots, elsewhere in the harness, have melted.

These neat, plastic booted, flag connections were only used at single wire connections. When a multiple wire was stuffed in to the same flag connector, looks like a piece of black rubber tubing was used as the boot. I will post picture later.

Re: Crimpin' 101

Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 1:42 am
by JAshburne
This and the other post on crimping versus soldering are most informative. Thanks for posting the information and the photos!

Also, I hear that this may lead to a new automotive television show to be called "Crimp My Ride"!

John