Which heat shrink material for 911 wiring?

cowtown · 01-27-2004, 03:08 PM

I'm cleaning up some of the wiring I did on my Turbo transplant car. It's 10GA (two fuel pumps and headlight/relay wiring), and 20GA (new gauges). I'm currently using plastic-covered crimp terminals with no shrink tubing, but want to do a better job.

Mcmaster-Carr shows a bunch of heat shrink materials, and I'm wondering which type is best for these uses. Viton looks great. PVC-Adhesive-lined looks good for moisture resistance and is dirt cheap.

It appears that some of the small spade connectors on the car use rubber shrink from the factory. Is this correct?

Does anyone have any advice on what to use for this type of wiring?

Thanks!

RoninLB · 01-27-2004, 03:14 PM

you did get my e-mail ?

cowtown · 03:18 PM

Ronin, no I didn't - could you resend???

And THANKS!

EDIT - the spam filter got it. I did get your reply Ron. Thanks again. -Colin

Oldporsche · 01-27-2004, 03:16 PM

Have you looked at Grainger or Radio Shack?

David Duffield

HarryD · 01-27-2004, 03:33 PM

Overwhelming, isn't it?

Looking at the table, I would think I would want good flexibility and abrasion resistance. Chemical resistance would be a plus. Based on that, I would choose: PVC, Fuel resistant elastomer, or Viton rubber. Price would most likely make the final decision for me.

Rich Lambert · Rich Lambert's Garage

If you're interested, I could check to see what type of thermo-fit sleeving Boeing uses in different environments.

74-911 · 01-27-2004, 04:04 PM

Suggest you take a look at marine grade terminal connectors.

thabaer · thabaer's Garage

Viton is probably overkill unless you're near leaky hydraulic/fuel pumps, the fuel-resistant elastomer in your table looks good if it isn't overpriced.

DanTheCat · 01-27-2004, 05:02 PM

Where is a good place to get Marine grade electrical items? RoninLB is always saying that's what he uses, but where would I find such goods?

Wil Ferch · 01-27-2004, 05:20 PM

West Marine...Anchor products....
---Wil Ferch

cowtown · 01-27-2004, 05:31 PM

Thanks everyone - Ron emailed me to recommend Anchor brand shrink tube and connectors, just as Wil says. I think they are probably a PVC-type material. The Viton looks great, but is seriously expensive.

Rich, thanks for the offer. Though I can swing the marine-grade stuff, I'm not sure I could afford Boeing-quality components.

Colin

DanTheCat · 01-27-2004, 06:47 PM

Oh, you mean Ancor Marine?

Took me a bit to figure that out. Saw 'Ancor' wire on the west marine site was what clued me in...

Dan

Randy Webb · 01-27-2004, 06:50 PM

Does anybody know about a wiring protector (not heat shrink) called Valtrex or similar -- supposedly used by Boeing?

RoninLB · 01-27-2004, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Randy Webb
Does anybody know about a wiring protector (not heat shrink) called Valtrex or similar -- supposedly used by Boeing?

google says Valtrex is for herpes

304065 · 01-28-2004, 04:52 AM

Aerospace = Raychem

Superman · 01-28-2004, 04:58 AM

There is some interesting stuff at the Boeing Surplus store. They have regular shrink tube. They have braided fabric stuff that looks pretty serious, usually in diameters like 1.5" or 2". And then they have this clear stuff, like plastic tubing, that's fairly stiff to begin with, but when you heat it and it shrinks, it becomes stiff as a goat's prick. I'd hate to have to remove that stuff. Shrinking it is difficult or impossible with a Bic lighter. Much easier with a brief hit of propane.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

I just used the shrink-tubing they sell at my local Radio Shack and it seems to be fine.

Grady Clay · 01-28-2004, 07:26 AM

Get yourself a heat gun, like a hair dryer only high temp. They come with fittings for heat shrink tubing and are not expensive.

Best,
Grady

RickM · RickM's Garage

The Radio Shack stuff is most likely fine for the job.

I typically use the stuff from a local independent electronis store (a rare sight these days). The selection of colors and diameters is fantastic.

And that Viton stuff is probably one of the best for harsh chemical environment...usually the most expensive selection for O-Rings.

Wil Ferch · 01-28-2004, 07:37 AM

A little off-topic but not by much...

I like the crimp connectors that have either a glue or solder ( or both!) embedded within. That way, when you do a "good" crimp ( use a good tool), ...followed by heat to shrink the stuff...you also end up more sound from a "mechanical connection" standpoint...as well as a "water-tight" standpoint.

It's all I use on my electrically-challanged ( from the factory !) Porsche....excellence was expected but never achieved IMHO as it pertains to electrical design and execution by the factory.

---Wil Ferch