Vanman Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 I found out battery isolator not bad, what's wrong was the bad clamp-on wire connector installed by National in the wiring harness behind the air cleaner box and in front of the ignition coil that feeds the battery isolator coil. No voltage to the coil no charging of the coach battery. I could hear the relay click if I moved the wire half-way between 2 connection points. This has been intermittently going on for a while on my 91 Dolphin with 80 thousand miles so I wounder if this just the way they did mine, or is this a common issue???? Loong time ago we quit using those clamp connectors at work because of the all the problems, but they are cheap and quicker than doing it right. What might have made it worse is the Toyota wire is a lot smaller than the size wire that goes to the isolator coil. vanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 ARE you talking about those scotch lock junk connecters i hate those never use them myself better to tap splice it and solder it cover with heat shrink to finish it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 The stake on's are ok if properly done with the right tool. They make stake on's that have a heat shrink sleeve crimp them heat them up and you have a water tight connection. Agreed Scotch locks are worthless not only do they rot but they rot the wire also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eve "n" Stephen Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 With 12V (essentially low pressure) connections, I always solder and use shrink tubing . I have been known to unsolder, then put the shrink tubing on, like I should have before soldering though! With electrical connections, always use rosin core solder, not acid core! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanman Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 My BAD for not being specific about the type of connector. What I was referring to wasn't the crimp ( stake on ) kind. I call them clamp connectors as they are a plastic clamshell with small teeth that cut into the wires insulation to make the connection. The added wire is held similarly. It's a quick and easy way to add a wire to an existing wire without a stake-on tool or having to cut the original wire. But in all the trades they fell out of favor many years ago because of the problems with intermittent connections and in some cases one of the wires actually breaks. Again so sorry for the confusion due to my poor description, and worse typin. vanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 My BAD for not being specific about the type of connector. What I was referring to wasn't the crimp ( stake on ) kind. I call them clamp connectors as they are a plastic clamshell with small teeth that cut into the wires insulation to make the connection. The added wire is held similarly. It's a quick and easy way to add a wire to an existing wire without a stake-on tool or having to cut the original wire. But in all the trades they fell out of favor many years ago because of the problems with intermittent connections and in some cases one of the wires actually breaks. Again so sorry for the confusion due to my poor description, and worse typin. vanman Yeah they are Scotch Locks maybe ok inside and low current but they are for lazy people or those that don't know how to do it right. I hate to tell you this but the 120 volt wiring inside your MH uses pretty much the same system as a Scotch Lock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I THINK YOU MEAN MH MOTERHOME OR DO YOU MEAN MOBLE HOME MY HOUSE USE TO CONECT THE TWO HALFS TO GETHER WITH WIREING LIKE THAT I PUT BOXS AND WIRE NUTS UNDER THERE> NO MORE FLICKER i do have copper wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanman Posted October 19, 2012 Author Share Posted October 19, 2012 The coach I'm pretty much done with, it had some real eyeopeners for sure. Done properly scotchies are fine for inside wiring, same as the old days when we used linemans pliers to twist the conductores together then covered them with friction tape, later supplanted by plastic backed tape. In elevator loop connections we use formed rubber tape, friction tape, plastic electrical tape in that order. Corrision free and watertight. I am now finished with the generator and am going over the Toyota part. The crimped lug on the battery clamp to the wire to the isolator was as bad as the battery clamp it's self, now both replaced with the kind I used on my boat. Nice lugs, thick shrink tubing with adhesive inside from Western Marine. I also added a ctk breaker rite off the battery lug as per the PDF from the isolator maker, and I made insulaters for all 3 terminals on the isolator and the ckt breaker mounted below the isolator that feeds the coach battery feed wire. You can't find a heat shrink gun around here anymore they just said "buy a heat gun" which I did. Thank goodnes I got the good one with variable heat as the old heat shrink guns had much more airflow but nowhere near the temperature of the heat gun. More for removing paint methinks. Someday I'll be finished, boy is that front flarenut on the gas filter rusted!!!! vanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 it is nice to have the right tools i often heat my shrink with a giant antique solder iron. i have used it to solder radiators it is 220 watts tip the size of a thumb the heating element the size of a salt shaker. just hold close dont even touch the heat shrink does a great job. you cant buy that new ether 60 maybe 70 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Solder and heat shrink wherever possible. I try to remove all crimp-on connectors when I find them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred heath Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 I use the propane grill lighter. Not the one that looks like a match when lit, but more like a mini torch. Also found it works well when soldering 12 or 14 ga. Wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanman Posted November 16, 2012 Author Share Posted November 16, 2012 I'm working outside on the Toy in a breeze or wind. When I'm doing inside work I use the small burner on the elect stove. My MAPP gas braze/ solder rig has a really small tip I never thought about using until now. It would probably work well as a heat shrink tool, inside, no wind. Everyone has their favorite way to do things but in the applications I've worked on for outside conditions and/or where vibration is present on wiring the crimp connections are preferable to me, either way the proper use of heatshrink or no-oxy grease helps a lot. vanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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