Connections

Any tips or tricks on making connections. Crimp or solder? Where do you prefer to tap in( splice wire or harness/fuse block? )

Any and all opinions would be appreciated

Always soilder when possible. But if you have to t-tap then use the right color tap. Sometimes u just cant get to that one wire that's way the heck up there. All installers know what I'm talking about.

I've never used a Ttap in a car.  I've always managed to get to all the wires I've needed.  Then again, I have really small girly hands.  Usually, I have found, it is harder to actually solder a hard to get to wire then it is to strip it.  For that reason, I always kept a solder gun on hand for 99% of my connections, and then a pencil type for those hard to get to guys.

I just had a guy mail back a product today for a warranty repair that he had installed in his vehicle.  Our products come with 20 guage wire, and he used yellow butt splices on the harness.  I cut them all out, soldered all his wires, and actually heat shrinked them.  I'm sure he will be surprised when he sees that.   :)

I never use heat shrink in an install, I just happened to have some sitting by me today and figured I would use it.  For all my solder joints I ONLY juse Scotch 33+ black tape.  Don't mess with the cheap stuff, its not worth the time.

Thanks for all the replies. Any ideas about a good soldering gun/pencil that I should buy?

Once again thanks a bunch

i have been installing since 1993 and never really have problems i use brown 3 m brown scotchlocks thats right scotchlocks,  most people  hate them because the dont know how to use  them right,the browns work very well on large ign wires and all other wires i solder. t  taps suck with a t tap there is 3 possible connections that can go  bad , and i have seen them espacially on colums when a customer tilts his wheel they come unpulgged,and since they are not a solid connection on a heavy draw circuit ex ford heater they will build resistance and melt.

I used a Craftsman gun (I hate the Wellers which everyone else seems to like). 

My pencil is a Pace, which is digitally controlled.  It rocks.  :)

Never used taps and only solder tach, security connections ( passlock etc) or wires in the vehicle that have to be cut. Strip a good chunk, wrap it tight as can be , being generous with the amount of wire to wrap and tape it tight.