66 C10 Rewire questions with American Autowire kit - 500560

[msg]

Never rewired before and heard it was super easy with this kit. So I bought it and then I read the instructions that Ill be stripping and crimping a bunch of terminals on wires and that each terminal I install should be properly soldered. Ive got a few wire crimping tools but nothing like what they show in their video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u_EkMsioMY

Those of you who have done this, did you have or buy hundred dollar crimpers? And on each crimp of a terminal did you solder?

[REDROCKER652002]

My son and I did his 69. My advise, rent the crimpers they have. They will make a huge difference in how well you get the wires crimped and how well the connections fit into the plugs and bulkheads. I tried it with a regular crimper and screwed a few up before I decided to get the tools they have. Get both sizes, they allow you to rent them for 30 days I think it is. And if you need more time all you do is call them They were great with me when I ran into a few self caused problems. Super easy setup if you ask me, and I had never done anything remotely close to that before. Get their tools and you will save yourself a bunch of headache. Just my .02.

[notsolo]

A barrel terminal crimping tool does a decent job....$16....soldering is not really needed IMO....would be good on larger wires.

[nsb29]

I used the crimpers I had but soldered all the terminals as I have even factory crimped pull apart why take the chance

[msg]

I'll call them today and ask what the cost of renting the recommended tools are. In the video they show the terminal crimped but I didnt see it soldered. Thats only once its slid onto the post of the component? Not an electrician so I assume a terminal is that point.

[msg]

I called and spoke with them and the guy I spoke with was confused as to why soldering would be needed and apologized it was in the instructions and told me not to solder there was no need. The 2 F type crimping tools to rent in the end would be $50 for 30 days. You buy them at full cost but if returned before the 30 its $25 each tool and he said I needed 2 different ones. One to do a single style connection and one for multiple wires into one like for headlights.

[The Rocknrod]

I've hardly ever soldered terminals in my past life. Over the years I have purchased a few crimper styles, ratcheting etc. Their all good and not one is perfect for every crimp or terminal. Ya you can do it with one, I have.
Brass terminals tend to be softer in the hold department, so that may be why they recommend soldering. Don't go cheap here, do as they say.

[roll_the_dice]

I am almost finished with my wiring job..only thing left is the rear tails lights...same kit. I was lucky and a buddy of mine had the crimpers from AAW so I borrowed them. Before I knew that though, I bought a pair of the smaller crimpers used on Ebay for about $35 delivered...I plan on doing more cars, so I will be purchasing a set of good crimpers for future use... and I did not solder anything.

[MT65]

These are some of the tools I personally use, the pictures with 3 have the terminals they would be used for and the single is for the terminals pictured with it, it happens to be a Klien, the others are marked made in usa, possibly ones I got from American Auto Wire...hope this helps

[PGSigns]

When I did the first truck with AAW I bought the crimpers they have off ebay. They guy bought both pairs and sold them when he was done. I do a lot of work on cars and trucks so I always just buy the tools I need.
Jimmy

[msg]

Originally Posted by MT65

These are some of the tools I personally use, the pictures with 3 have the terminals they would be used for and the single is for the terminals pictured with it, it happens to be a Klien, the others are marked made in usa, possibly ones I got from American Auto Wire...hope this helps

Much appreciated!

Originally Posted by PGSigns

When I did the first truck with AAW I bought the crimpers they have off ebay. They guy bought both pairs and sold them when he was done. I do a lot of work on cars and trucks so I always just buy the tools I need.
Jimmy

I do hope to buy and own, Ill snoop on ebay. Thanks.

[theastronaut]

It's best to not solder automotive wiring due to vibration. Check out HP Academy's free intro to motorsport wiring before you get started on your truck, it has a lot of great info. I wish I'd found something like this years earlier.

https://www.hpacademy.com/introduction-to-wiring/


We have these and have done multiple AAW installs with it.

https://www.amazon.com/Tool-Aid-1896.../dp/B006O1Y1FY

[clemsonteg]

Originally Posted by theastronaut

It's best to not solder automotive wiring due to vibration. Check out HP Academy's free intro to motorsport wiring before you get started on your truck, it has a lot of great info. I wish I'd found something like this years earlier.

https://www.hpacademy.com/introduction-to-wiring/


We have these and have done multiple AAW installs with it.

https://www.amazon.com/Tool-Aid-1896.../dp/B006O1Y1FY

Which set(s) of jaws do you typically use from this set with the AAW kit?

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by clemsonteg

Which set(s) of jaws do you typically use from this set with the AAW kit?

Top left set in the Amazon pic.

[msg]

Originally Posted by theastronaut

It's best to not solder automotive wiring due to vibration. Check out HP Academy's free intro to motorsport wiring before you get started on your truck, it has a lot of great info. I wish I'd found something like this years earlier.

https://www.hpacademy.com/introduction-to-wiring/


We have these and have done multiple AAW installs with it.

https://www.amazon.com/Tool-Aid-1896.../dp/B006O1Y1FY

Much appreciated Astronaut, I may buy this and return the AAW tool set I bought today at Summit. Drove 2.5 hrs round trip to do it. I thought I would get started this weekend wiring and that I would need the tools to get going. If you have had good success with the Amazon kit I will look into it tonight and the tomorrow watch the video you sent the link to.

Im actually trying to figure on the best sequence of what to do next. The engine is in but the quadrajet is not installed and connected to anything yet. The fuel tank isnt installed yet it will be in the cab and needs to have the electric fuel pump sone as well. The transmission and fuel lines need to be formed and installed. Steering isnt in yet. I have been working on the instrument cluster to get it done and thought it would be best to get that in and wired up before I put a steering column in the way. The Vintage Air AC needs to be installed but I thought that would be best after the engine is closer to being ready to fire up. So in all of this I though the wiring would be the right next step.

Ill include a few pics of where I am and if anyone has any thoughts on what is the right order please let me know.

Originally Posted by REDROCKER652002

My suggestion, take your time, have a cold beverage or two of your choice, and have fun with it. My son and I did it all in a few weekends, and I really went slow. The only place I encountered issues was at the starter and the gas gauge. I did not allow enough wire to the starter, and when he went to a header set up, he had to do a bit of rerouting of the battery, ignition and alternator wires. The gas gauge is a ground issue I believe, but I have told him to run grounds and he has yet to do it Other than that, make sure you have a good connection and just take your time. The instructions are easy to follow if you just sit and read each bag before you open it and start fooling with it My email is Redrocker652002@yahoo.com if you have any questions. If you are interested, I can give you my text number so you can text me while you are at it if you run into any questions. The 66 may be slightly different than the 69, but the basics are the same. Good luck, and I recommend a good IPA as a beverage. LOL. RR

Thanks Redrocker for the tips and the offer on help!

[REDROCKER652002]

My suggestion, take your time, have a cold beverage or two of your choice, and have fun with it. My son and I did it all in a few weekends, and I really went slow. The only place I encountered issues was at the starter and the gas gauge. I did not allow enough wire to the starter, and when he went to a header set up, he had to do a bit of rerouting of the battery, ignition and alternator wires. The gas gauge is a ground issue I believe, but I have told him to run grounds and he has yet to do it Other than that, make sure you have a good connection and just take your time. The instructions are easy to follow if you just sit and read each bag before you open it and start fooling with it My email is Redrocker652002@yahoo.com if you have any questions. If you are interested, I can give you my text number so you can text me while you are at it if you run into any questions. The 66 may be slightly different than the 69, but the basics are the same. Good luck, and I recommend a good IPA as a beverage. LOL. RR

[roll_the_dice]

I would also recommend doing as much wiring under the hood before you start putting inner fenders and pieces back on. Much easier to get everywhere with nothing in the way. The only things I really had to wire once my truck was back together was the wiring harness for the headlight and park lights.

Where in GA are you again? I am in Savannah.

[msg]

Yeah I thought that before I bolted up all the fender panels and radiator support that the wiring and fuel line install would be easier having the room. But I would have to have the radiator support in in order to run the transmission coolant lines that need doing. I guess I can spend today with the first bag in the kit and see how far I get without doing any crimping. I did order the kit the astronaut suggested to save a hundred bucks. Im sure Ill need something else from Summit in the next few weeks, another drive. Im in Newnan GA about 4 hrs from Savannah.

[roll_the_dice]

Hey MSG...did you buy the crimpers theastronaut recommended from Amazon? If so, did they do double crimps (for lights) as well as single? I have a single crimper and borrowed a double crimper from a friend, but want to have a good set of double crimpers for future wiring.

[pdxhall]

I also bought the crimpers that the astronaut has. I was using this style but without the changeable jaws and found that the jaws were a little too large for what I really needed for my AAW kit. I also didn't do any soldering after reading the cons.

[roll_the_dice]

Originally Posted by pdxhall

I also bought the crimpers that the astronaut has. I was using this style but without the changeable jaws and found that the jaws were a little too large for what I really needed for my AAW kit. I also didn't do any soldering after reading the cons.

So you liked the ones from Amazon theastronaut recommended? I didn't solder any of mine either. I am finished with my truck, but need to send my friends crimpers back to him...and I have another truck to wire.

[pdxhall]

So far they are working fine.

[msg]

Originally Posted by roll_the_dice

Hey MSG...did you buy the crimpers theastronaut recommended from Amazon? If so, did they do double crimps (for lights) as well as single? I have a single crimper and borrowed a double crimper from a friend, but want to have a good set of double crimpers for future wiring.

I did buy the Amazon crimpers and returned them after trying them out. I hated to do it cause it was half the price of the 2 I need from AAW and they offer way more crimp styles. The reason I returned was trying to crimp with them on the test connectors that AAW had in the kit was more difficult for me than the AAW ones.

The AAW approach is to crimp the 2 prongs individually like you see in the videos. The width of the AAW crimper head of the tool is about half the width of the Amazon tool allowing me to target one crimp at a time. The amazon kit is designed to have the exposed/stripped wire crimp and the sleeved wire crimp to lay on the tool and crimp at once, but to do that the tool designed so wide that some connectors were too tricky, in fact I mangled 2 of the male connectors that were in the test kit trying to make it work. I took a side by side of the tool heads which also showed the crimp barrel space is taller in the Amazon tool, the AAW is shorter which I would think makes for a tighter crimp. Ill attach the pic, the blue handle is the Amazon tool on the left. I thought I took a comparison pic of the straight on comparison of the jaws so you could have see the width of the heads but I didnt.

Im still trying to get to actually wire things up, hopefully tomorrow.

[roll_the_dice]

Originally Posted by msg

I did buy the Amazon crimpers and returned them after trying them out. I hated to do it cause it was half the price of the 2 I need from AAW and they offer way more crimp styles. The reason I returned was trying to crimp with them on the test connectors that AAW had in the kit was more difficult for me than the AAW ones.

The AAW approach is to crimp the 2 prongs individually like you see in the videos. The width of the AAW crimper head of the tool is about half the width of the Amazon tool allowing me to target one crimp at a time. The amazon kit is designed to have the exposed/stripped wire crimp and the sleeved wire crimp to lay on the tool and crimp at once, but to do that the tool designed so wide that some connectors were too tricky, in fact I mangled 2 of the male connectors that were in the test kit trying to make it work. I took a side by side of the tool heads which also showed the crimp barrel space is taller in the Amazon tool, the AAW is shorter which I would think makes for a tighter crimp. Ill attach the pic, the blue handle is the Amazon tool on the left. I thought I took a comparison pic of the straight on comparison of the jaws so you could have see the width of the heads but I didnt.

Im still trying to get to actually wire things up, hopefully tomorrow.

Thanks the pictures shows perfectly what you are talking about. I will end up buying an AAW crimper....at least I only need 1.

[bigmoe]

Hmm. When it comes to joining wires I've been using solder and shrink tube for 30+ years on dozens of projects and have never had a problem. I keep the joins short and tight and heat just enough for the solder to penetrate without over heating it. Sometimes I double shrink tube or use waterproof types if the wire is exposed to the elements. I'll crimp terminal ends on but often I remove plastic sheathing and use shrink tube.