Motor Connections- How Do You Do Yours?

There exists also a gel filled shrink tubing for harsh environments. I had forgotten about that. Pretty handy stuff too.
Yes, that's great stuff. Well drillers use it for submersed connections. The heat that shrinks the tubing also makes the gell set up.
 
Speaking of heat shrink tubing, is there a "industrial strength" tubing that is thicker than the hardware store stuff is? The stuff seems awful thin for insulation of wires. Or is this normal and safe to use in place of vinyl electrical tape?
 
Different thicknesses and hence dielectric ratings are available, as well as different shrink ratios. Some, like you mentioned, seems thin and I would only use it for class 2 wiring, but there is heavier stuff.
 
I do it the way Bob Korves (and Stan on the video) does it. To weatherproof the connection I use 3M's Temflex tape and top it off with a layer of 33+. I used to crimp and then solder connections but having been taught by a few old time electrical engineers I don't now, but that's my preference. A proper crimp will last. Do it right the first time. BTW, I've used those gel filled connectors when we had a well. Twenty years later when we pulled it I was floored how great the connection was after all that time. I swear it looked like the day we first used it! Amazing stuff.
 
Anything that will fit (7.5 HP and below) the 3 tied motor leads get twisted together and then a crimp cap put on. Crimp caps look like a wire nut but physically get compressed with a crimper. Side note on crimpers. There are varying levels or quality of crimpers. There are also double and single crimp crimpers. I strictly use a double crimp tool. They compress any connection two different places. Once I get into wiring that is larger than wire nuts can handle. (I also use a wire nut wrench on all wire nuts. This allows a good torque to be applied to the nuts.) It depends on the connection. If there is space I get a terminal block similar to the one in the video and use copper or silver anti-seize (blocks are typically aluminum and don't care for copper wire). I have a preference of allen screws over flat head so I can torque them to spec. This is done if the connection is going possibly need removed lather on. If the connection is permanent or semi-permanent, I use the Burndy compression barrels and wrap butyl rubber tape and then a layer of Super 33 for anything permanent. These are a one use splice and crimpers for them are costly (150 for a cheap set) but they are a high compression tin over copper 1/16 wall tube that is exposed to over 2000 lbs of crimping force during compression. They are effectively real lugs, and not to be confused with the standard ring and spade red yellow and blue stuff you find at an auto parts or home improvement store. This is what the electric company uses to connect your house to the mains coming in from a pole.
 
Now on a side note. I work in the radio communications field to pay the bills. I have found an interesting thing called a courtesy wrap. That is a wrap of Super 33 with the adhesive facing up and not sticking the connection. On RF connectors tape will over time get very stuck to the brass connectors. The back or courtesy wrap prevents this even when using butyl rubber tape. It allows the wrap to be slit and removed for servicing. Something that you might find useful if doing the nut and bolt pecker head connections that may face high heat and bake the tape to them.
 
Speaking of heat shrink tubing, is there a "industrial strength" tubing that is thicker than the hardware store stuff is? The stuff seems awful thin for insulation of wires. Or is this normal and safe to use in place of vinyl electrical tape?

Look for double wall heatshrink. It has an adhesive on the inside


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
All good advice.

One bit that I would add is that after wrapping with tape, I will slide a heat shrink collar over the end of the tape wrap to keep it from unraveling. If the wire are too big for me to use heat shrink I will do what the automotive industry used to do with wrap: tuck the end of the tap underneath the final wrap and pull it tight. This locks the end in, preventing unraveling.
 
Back
Top