Soldering Cables

[CTcummins24V]

I know little to nothing about wiring...Finally replacing my oem battery cables, need to attach new cable to existing ground on the passenger side with the grey plugs. I want to crimp and solder the connection, I already have rosin core solder wire, do I need to dip the ends in rosin flux to prevent corrosion? Or is the rosin core wire enough? I can’t seem to find rosin flux anywhere. 

[Mopar1973Man]

I was just using acid core flux on doing my alternator cable. The flux is what cleans the wire metal to make the solder weld to the wire. The flux part typically is an acid material to remove all oxidation on the wire.

 

1 hour ago, CTcummins24V said:

do I need to dip the ends in rosin flux to prevent corrosion?

 

No. 

 

1 hour ago, CTcummins24V said:

Or is the rosin core wire enough?

 

Typically yes. Again the flux part is to make the solder bind to the wire metal. Has nothing to do with corrosion protection. 

[IBMobile]

Use rosin core solder for electrical connections.  Acid core is for radiator repair and plumbing.  

[Mopar1973Man]

Might be but when finding true lead/tin solder is getting tough. At least for me locally. All this EPA safe stuff is a joke. 

[Dieselfuture]

I used to use acid core wire myself, then I had few failures where the wire rotted internally and broke off the terminal, so now I only use resincore wire. I personally don't think it would hurt anything to dip wire into some flux, just make sure the wire is clean with no corrosion.

Eliminate the quick connects on your ground wires, Run one solid wire straight to the battery.

[dripley]

I dipped all my cable ends in flux prior to heating them. Just me.

[CTcummins24V]

Dip it in rosin flux it is. I guess I’ll have to amazon it since no establishment anywhere has it.

[Dieselfuture]

I've use plumber's flux before

Edit 

Pine tree sap may also work

Edited December 19, 2018 by Dieselfuture

[dripley]

Pretty sure mine was plumbers flux. Do they make flux specific to electrical?

[CTcummins24V]

11 minutes ago, dripley said:

Pretty sure mine was plumbers flux. Do they make flux specific to electrical?

 

 According to what I've read online, yes. Plumbers flux is some acid flux, electrical flux is called a rosin flux, so I've read.

[Dieselfuture]

1 hour ago, dripley said:

Pretty sure mine was plumbers flux. Do they make flux specific to electrical?

Yeah I think plumber flux is acidic as it turns green on pipes. I always backed it out as much as I can,  but it would be best to have resin flux. I remember long ago someone using pine tree sap for soldering boards. 

[dripley]

2 hours ago, CTcummins24V said:

 

 According to what I've read online, yes. Plumbers flux is some acid flux, electrical flux is called a rosin flux, so I've read.

I will have to look at mine when I get home.

51 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

Yeah I think plumber flux is acidic as it turns green on pipes. I always backed it out as much as I can,  but it would be best to have resin flux. I remember long ago someone using pine tree sap for soldering boards. 

Never heard of the pine sap thing. Thought you were kidding.

[Dieselfuture]

5 hours ago, dripley said:

 

Never heard of the pine sap thing. Thought you were kidding.

https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Soldering-Rosin-Colophony-120ml/dp/B07BBQRL6X/ref=asc_df_B07BBQRL6X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312134375915&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6655159079233156624&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1015736&hvtargid=pla-571305387495&psc=1

[dripley]

57 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Soldering-Rosin-Colophony-120ml/dp/B07BBQRL6X/ref=asc_df_B07BBQRL6X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312134375915&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6655159079233156624&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1015736&hvtargid=pla-571305387495&psc=1

I'll be danged. At least I used the right solder. I will just keep an eye on them.

[Dieselfuture]

2 hours ago, dripley said:

I'll be danged. At least I used the right solder. I will just keep an eye on them.

This guy I used to know when I was a kid really loved that stuff for fixing radios and such. I'm surprised myself it's not more common.

[dripley]

2 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

This guy I used to know when I was a kid really loved that stuff for fixing radios and such. I'm surprised myself it's not more common.

Some of the reading I have done says the the acidic flux is really bad on soldering smaller wires than on larger ones. So no matter what I have I am not going to sweat it to much and just keep an eye on them for anything unusual. Makes me want to drain some sap out of the pine tree in the back yard.

[Mopar1973Man]

Same here the old acid core I got hasn't been any problem so far in what I've used it for. You have to remember that the lead/tin mixture seals the copper. So the acid part is only there for a short time and the lead/tin seals the copper. I only use it for the big cable stuff. I've got small diameter flux core solder but it for smaller soldering jobs.