1968 Soldering grounds

[dalorzo_f]

OK. Tried to add the ground wires to a spare taillight harness I have before taking the real one out of the car.

A few tips in other threads, decided to start a new one.

The solder refuses to stick to the brass. Flux core, silver solder.

I tried:

- steel wool housing, new wire. Splay the strands out flat on the housing, put a dab of solder on the tip of the iron, hold iron to wire, solder close but not touching. Solder flows over wires, loks great, remove iron, wait... and it falls off the housing.

- Tried the same but first putting a drop of solder on the housing, sits as a blob, and falls off. Smeared it around with the tip of the iron, scrubbed clean to see if the flux core would "prep" the brass, same result.

- Tried putting solder on the wire, then holding the tip between the housing and wire until the solder melts. Same result.

The housing is so hot after I'm afraid it will melt the wiring, so its heated. The wire is hot, touching it 4-5" from the end is very hot.

An hour wasted and so &*)&)_ frustrating...

How do you get the solder to stick to the brass?

Debatine using solid core wire, single strand, drilling a small hole thru the lip of the housing and one at a 90 into the housing, feeding the wire thru, and just putting a dab of solder over the point where the wire goes thru the two points... but it wil probabkly just roll right off... again....

 

[robert campbell]

I pushed the wires and assorted stuff out of the housing before I wired it into the harness. With a very hot iron and flux core solder I was able to connect. I tinned the wire first and tinned a spot on the socket housing. You need a high temp soldering iron.

Rob

 

[rvrtrash]

When you say "housing" I assume you're talking about the bulb sockets. I wouldn't bother trying to solder a ground wire on them because they press into the taillight housing and are only held at the base, where the wires come out. As long as the housing and socket are both clean, and the press fit is tight, you should have a good ground. I added a ground wire to the housing itself by drilling a small hole in one of the rear ribs and adding a wire with a ring terminal, the other end grounded to the body inside the trunk. If the socket is loose in the housing, you can build up a layer of solder around the base of the socket. Since there is no tension on it, such as trying to hold a wire, it should stay stuck. If not, you'll have to use acid flux, like in plumbing, but make sure you don't get it on any wiring or terminals because it will corrode them.

Steve

 

[dalorzo_f]

Hmm... a few other posts here and elsewhere talk about how poor the ground thru pot metal is... so I figured bypassing and going direct from the socket to ground would help.

The sockets have plenty of exposed area above the reflector to add a wire, was going to tape it into the harness and bond them all to a common ground wire to the body.

The grounding of the reflector is far easier, but ... does it work well???

 

[robert campbell]

I grounded the sockets directly.

Rob

 

[dalorzo_f]

How... ???

 

[robert campbell]

couple posts up. You need a good high temp soldering iron.

Rob

 

[rvrtrash]

Hmm... a few other posts here and elsewhere talk about how poor the ground thru pot metal is... so I figured bypassing and going direct from the socket to ground would help.

The sockets have plenty of exposed area above the reflector to add a wire, was going to tape it into the harness and bond them all to a common ground wire to the body.

The grounding of the reflector is far easier, but ... does it work well???

Works OK for me. The pot metal measured 0 ohms of resistance. I checked first. That's basically the way they ground originally, but with a smaller screw through the fiberglass panel, and I wanted something with a better contact.

Steve