How do you Crimp #8 AWG Terminals?

[nitpik]

After 135 posts on a VERY tired thread, which is similar to arguing religion, guns and anchors, and which nobody can win, .......... can you blame us?

[nitpik]

(I know, I know, before someone else adds this, I will .................... "The Crimpers Won!")

[Blue Stocking]

I read all 138 posts, wondering how you get epoxy resin into a #8 terminal, and then realised we are talking CRIMP, not SCRIMP. Oh well!!

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

Some of you guys are no longer being serious...

Some never had any idea of what they were talking about in the first place.

The shame of it is, people come here for good advice and don't necessarily know when someone is joking.

[Caracal]

Originally Posted by nitpik

(I know, I know, before someone else adds this, I will .................... "The Crimpers Won!")

Crimpers always wins!

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Some never had any idea of what they were talking about in the first place.

The shame of it is, people come here for good advice and don't necessarily know when someone is joking. Or when they are simply an idiot with a computer.

Not to mention the egotistical idiots who are absolutely certain that they are absolutely right all the time.

[jgbrown]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

Some of you guys are no longer being serious...

Seriously? That's shocking!

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by s/vPainkiller

Could there be any *other* reason for the #10 wire other than fitting into the connectors? I can't see any reason why it would be necessary if I used a small enough terminal size that didn't interfere with the other connections.

Scott

The manufacturer might be concerned with the stiffness of the larger gauge wire putting stress on the terminals or circuit board. Again, without seeing it, I can only suggest using your best judgment.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by CharlieJ

This is not an unusual scenario. For instance, voltage drop requirements may lead to AWG 2 to provide power to a bilge pump (3% voltage drop required device) far from the source. Large bilge pumps typically are factory wired with AWG 14 pigtails. I install two power power posts with #10 studs; put ring terminals on the AWG 2 feed and the AWG 14 pigtails and run them to the power posts. The OCPD at the source is sized IAW the pump manufacturer's specification.

If your boat is big enough that you have to use #2 cable for bilge pumps, etc. to avoid voltage drop, you should consider installing a sub panel close to these devices and feeding the sub panel with large conductors, properly protected, and using more reasonable sized conductors to the devices.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by FlyingCloud1937

When seeking someone to do a job of any kind, including brain surgery, always ask for references.

Lloyd

I had stopped following this thread, but I love this one. I bet brain surgery failures aren't in a position to check references for.

[FlyingCloud1937]

Originally Posted by Don L

I had stopped following this thread, but I love this one. I bet brain surgery failures aren't in a position to check references for.

You are probably right on that one. So the family gets the windfall at a costs of demise of the loved one.

hehe.

Lloyd

[FlyingCloud1937]

Originally Posted by rwidman

OK, but it's irrelevant because the thread here is about crimping #8 cables. That tool won't handle #8 terminals and neither do the more common manual type.

Well I have an Ancor Crimper just as pictured in my post. I purchased it in 1998 it has 2 sides side one is clearly marked #8,#6,#4,#2, and #1, the second side is clearly marked 1-0, 2-0,3-0, and 4-0.

After I posted the specs along with the picture, I read your post. and then looked back at the specs that I posted....sure enough the specs say #6 thru 4-0.

I went and looked at mine and it's #8 thru #1, so I'm thinking Ancor changed since I purchased mine in 1998.

Today I was in Fisheriessupply.com and remembered this thread, So I looked at what was on the shelf. Guess what I found?

It's clearly marked #8,#6,#4,#2, and #1. So no Ancor has not changed the design, it seems the specs on the internet are wrong....go figger.

I will again state that this devise makes a UL approved crimp, and it should be aboard any vessel that doesn't have room nor weight available for a more professional crimp tool.

Just make sure it's Ancor, and not some Ch.....knock-off.

Lloyd

[FlyingCloud1937]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Even if we forget for one moment that copper conductors conduct heat as well as electricity which allows them to quickly dissipate localised heating, lead solders only begin to start melting at around twice the temperature of 105 deg C rated insulation. My ad-hoc maths could be wrong, but I suspect this means that about 4x more electrical energy would be required before solder started to melt. It would take a peculiar combination of factors in a 12/24VDC circuit for this to occur imo.

The pictures you have shown illustrate exactly my point that there needs to be some other serious problem with the circuit. I'm guessing that particular circuit (which isn't 12/24VDC obviously) suffered from either/or: undersized wiring (my guess), corrosion at the crimps/connectors or overheating breakers.

The problem in the pics I posted were not in the crimps, they were properly done,

The problem , was in the use of the fast-on/spade connectors...they can't sustain continuous loads over about 5 - 8 amps.

Now had these connectors been solder instead of crimps, that solder would have melted out, and lacking the crimp the wires would have fallen loose.

It could have then been the thing that saved the day, or the thing that burnt the boat down.

Funny thing...I asked the owners of the 1998 TolleyCraft 48, didn't you smell wire burning, or some sense of an electrical fire on-board..

NO, we never noticed anything.

Lloyd

[FlyingCloud1937]

Originally Posted by Don L

I had stopped following this thread, but I love this one. I bet brain surgery failures aren't in a position to check references for.

Now that I think about it, after the fact no, but before, choosing a brain surgeon, maybe, and if the family helps then yes defiantly ask for references.

[Richard5]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Would you rather replace them in the harbor with proper tools and materials available or out on the water, drifting towards the rocks?

If you bought a boat with soldered electrical connections, replacing them with crimp connections should be part of your plan to make the boat safe and reliable.

Bare with me as I attempt to express my not yet fully formed thoughts.

It is good to do the right job from the start. To many it seems there is not enough time to do the job right the first time but an infinite amount of time to do it right the 2nd time. It may seem OCD to insist (if only to oneself) that each task be performed to a high standard yet the risk of failure seems to correlate with the skill level, tool selection, time allowance for a given task.

Having said that, if I inherited a boat full of soldered electrical connections I would leave them as-is but with the understanding that repair (mortality) will be necessary and with the caveat that the connections at least survive inspection. The reason I would leave them as-is is because repair introduces a new mortality into the fitting, fixture, system, etc.