Soldered in the leads.


I would never use these nor let anyone that worked under me use them.

 

Maybe people do not know how to solder properly. Not everyone has a soldering iron nor know which solder to use for electrical wire. And everyone is not like you and your likes or desires.

I have used the taps and other splices for years with absolutely no problems. As have many other people. This is for giving options for those who want other methods on installing.

 

I agree Larry on the Taps if they are inside and you stick Dielectric grease on and in them. I will not use them on my Boat. Even with the Adhesive lined heat shrink Saltwater finds is way past the heat shrink. I end up having to replace crimped on connectors on occasion. I look them over after I crimp and use the heat gun to shrink the connector to seal it. 1 or 2 will get nicked and you will see it go bad in a year. Kinda sucks when the Bilge Pump goes bad and you stick your hand down to find the wires and you can feel the 12V power tingle your cuts on your fingers in the water.

Thank You, Larry for the Electrical Supply Website link you posted above. I will see how the Relays I got from them work for another project on my boat. Remote steering with a joy stick on the Back Deck.

I do not use solder on my boat only adhesive lined heat shrink Mechanical Crimps

 

Those scotch lok taps came out in response to the automotive aftermarket installation industry (70's-80's).
They damage the wire and insulation, no way around it.

There are a taps available that are a better option, and as expected they cost more.




Since you brought up boats, and it was brought up above, there is a place for proper mechanical connectors and the ABYC guidelines specify that, especially since many people cannot solder correctly.

Properly wired boats, using marine grade connectors and adhesive lined connectors AND using a proper double crimping tool and/or shrink tubing and marine grade wire (thin strand, tinned) should last for many years. But, dockside sinkings still get all the wire replaced as a precaution.

But, they are your vehicles and if you want to damage what could be sensitive wiring with scotch loks, why not.

 

I'm not a fan of Ttaps either. Used to install car stereos and cell phones (when people actually installed them). Had many issues down the road with loose connections and wires fraying. Others used them with no issues, but I prefer not to. I do know how to solder, but have similar worries about doing it in my truck.

Porthole, I don't really care about spending more on a decent connector, better than a Ttap. What do you recommend, the Posi-Locks?

 

Anybody know offhand what gauge wires they are? Looks like maybe 20 o 22 AWG?

 

My Pop N Lock just arrived! Nice bracket, seems well made.

 

The posi-locks seem to be a pretty good product. Unlike the scotch-loks, which are slicing, pinching, degrading the conductor, the posi-locks use a sharp pin which pierces the insulation and spreads the wires for the tap.

I still wouldn't use them where environmental concerns are an issue though.

And, there is a reason they cost what they do. They are pricey, especially compared to scotch-loks. But they seem to work well.

 

I thought you might recommend those. I was just looking at them online. They do seem superior, but I suppose there is still risk that they are tearing some of the internal conductors (strands) of the hot wire, no? I suppose short of stripping and soldering, it's likely the best option.

 

Great question, especially if using Posi-Tap type connectors...I'd like to know as well.

 

I love post taps. Decent deals on Amazon. Just want to make sure I use the right gauge tap. My pop & lock arrives today as well. I had one on my 2012 F150 and one on my 2013 F250 and loved it.

 

So you're putting in your 2014 F350? I have a 2015, so we can likely share tips!

 

The f250 was easy. Have to use the washers so the mechanism doesn't bind. I actually wired it into the connector on the drivers side b-pillar but will go passenger side this time like mentioned in this thread. My F350 has the stripper pole so not sure if that will complicate things. I know it works with the pole & step but not sure if I can easily get my fat hands in there. Make sure you watch their YouTube video of their install. Makes it easy-peasy.

 

I wasn't that impressed with the bracket. It took some shimming and tweaking to make the lock work to my liking. Not quite plug and play. But since then it has been flawless, so no complaints so far.

 

I have the pole and step too. Someone said it helped to remove it from the tailgate, but it wasn't a required step.

As for the bracket, my instructions say to use BOTH included washers on the stud post first, then put the bracket over the washers. From everything I've read, this is to eliminate the binding.