Heat shrink with sealent?

[whitexj98]

Whats the bests stuff to buy? I got some regular stuff from HF but its pretty thin and no sealent.

I'm about to do a bunch of solder work on my dune buggy so I want use good stuff....

Recomendations?

 

[kayle666]

i use the home depot stuff usually, but in the past i have had no problems with oriellys, autozone and even the HF

 

[ChiXJeff]

I've been buying filled butt splices & connectors from http://www.partsexpress.com (not the cheapest place, though.) I haven't bought any filled heatshrink, you could always fill it with your own dielectric grease if you wanted.

 

[Rush Power Systems]

use the cheap stuff, coat it on both ends with black or clear silicone, its what we do when we build off road harnesses, silicone keeps it air tight.

 

[SpeedyVic]

HF has a box of various sized and cut "Marine" grade shrink tube that has the glue in it. Works great for most of what you will be needing to do with it. It comes in the little plastic organizer. Looks just like the others so make sure you get the one that is designated marine something or other.

http://www.harborfreight.com/42-piece-marine-heat-shrink-tubing-67598.html

 

[XJLI]

I've been buying filled butt splices & connectors from http://www.partsexpress.com (not the cheapest place, though.) I haven't bought any filled heatshrink, you could always fill it with your own dielectric grease if you wanted.

yup. i build super high end residential and commercial audio racks for work. i dont use any sealant, but i'm not putting anything into the condition a buggy would see. i'd just fill it with some dielectric grease.

 

[old_man]

I wouldn't recommend the grease as much as I would getting a can of liquid electrical tape, coat the joint, then cover it with the heat shrink and heat. The excess will ooze out and will make a great joint.

 

[Rush Power Systems]

liquid tape can crack, silicone stays soft and is a better at shock resistance, + it is cheaper.

 

[ChiXJeff]

I don't recall off the top of my head what silicone gives off when it cures, some caulking compounds do give off acetic acid, IIRC. Tom might have the best idea yet, a thin coat of liquid electrical tape, covered with heat shrink.

 

[Rush Power Systems]

well i would not snort it. forgot we are in the grasps of the nanny-state, please read and follow all label info before using.

 

[ChiXJeff]

Not the nanny state... conductor corrosion from the acid.

 

[Rush Power Systems]

oh i see, we use black and clear, and have for many years, never a problem, have not tried others so it could be fun to test, if we had the time.

 

[Liquid Wrench]

3M triple shrinking with adhesive, its the cats ass.

 

[kastein]

That's an interesting point about acetic acid, and yes, many common silicones give it off as part of the polymerization process. If it smells like vinegar while curing, there's your hint.

Me, I use heatshrink crimp terminals lined with a semiflexible sealant/glue and a good ratchet crimper. The terminals I use have clear (color coded) heatshrink on them, which makes it real easy to make sure you got all the strands of the wire(s) into the terminal and fully seated everything before crimping. They end up being pretty expensive but it's worth it for the peace of mind.

 

[xcm]

Clear, and Metallic (999, and 999a) smell the worst of vinegar, and are therefore probably the worst about this acetic acid.

Normal colored caulking, (like 795), doesnt really have any smell.

Just sharing some experiences ive had with the ****, 999a is enough to make me hurl if used on an empty stomach in a small room.

When in doubt, buy the right shit.

 

[Rush Power Systems]

For clarification, if we are talking about a bike or off road vehicle we only use black or clear silicone and we have never had any problems, we use it for 3 reasons. 1) It makes an airtight seal when done correctly. 2) Shock and vibration resistance. 3) Better in extreme heat and cold than anything else we have tried, so it is not going to get brittle and crack.

 

[whitexj98]

Thanks for the info, I ended up finding some stuff on ebay and ordered it. Got it in and it seems to be pretty good stuff. Its much thicker wall then the autoparts store stuff and has glue/ sealer when heated.

 

[91AzXJ]

The HF package is actually a pretty good product using the Polyolifin material with the adhesive and a great price.

 

[David_Bricker]

I've had good luck with http://www.buyheatshrink.com/

Decent prices, though certainly more expensive than Harbor Freight. But huge selections, fast shipping and great quality. Also have nylon wire ties, including giant ones.

David Bricker / SYR