soldering copper wire to aluminum wire

[Dave]

What are the risks of soldering copper wire to aluminum wire? I just
had to repair a wire on my Chevy truck. The original wire was aluminum
and I spliced a copper wire between two ends of the damaged wire. It
seemed to take the solder well but I have reservations about the
longevity of the fix. What are the implications of having done this?
Am I looking a a problem down the road (pun intended)

Dave

 

[PeterD]

On Mon, 09 Jul 2007 22:27:51 -0400, Dave
<mystic_daves_tarot@yahoo.com> wrote:

What are the risks of soldering copper wire to aluminum wire? I just
had to repair a wire on my Chevy truck. The original wire was aluminum
and I spliced a copper wire between two ends of the damaged wire. It
seemed to take the solder well but I have reservations about the
longevity of the fix. What are the implications of having done this?
Am I looking a a problem down the road (pun intended)

Dave

I didn't knwo that GM used aluminum wires on their trucks! What year
is this vehicle?

 

[Eric]

Dave,
How sure are you that it's aluminum wire? Aluminum does *not* take solder
easily, special flux and techniques are usually required.

More likely the wire is tinned copper - "tinned" basically meaning it's
coated with solder already, and ends up looking a lot like aluminum.

Eric Law

"Dave" <mystic_daves_tarot@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:mn.4d437d77ee87c989.66512@yahoo.com...

What are the risks of soldering copper wire to aluminum wire? I just had
to repair a wire on my Chevy truck. The original wire was aluminum and I
spliced a copper wire between two ends of the damaged wire. It seemed to
take the solder well but I have reservations about the longevity of the
fix. What are the implications of having done this? Am I looking a a
problem down the road (pun intended)

Dave

 

[Brian Gregory [UK]]

"Dave" <mystic_daves_tarot@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:mn.4d437d77ee87c989.66512@yahoo.com...

What are the risks of soldering copper wire to aluminum wire? I just had
to repair a wire on my Chevy truck. The original wire was aluminum and I
spliced a copper wire between two ends of the damaged wire. It seemed to
take the solder well but I have reservations about the longevity of the
fix. What are the implications of having done this? Am I looking a a
problem down the road (pun intended)

Aluminium is very difficult to solder.
You need a special very powerful flux to do it successfully.

--

Brian Gregory. (In the UK)
ng@bgdsv.co.uk
To email me remove the letter vee.

 

[Otto Sykora]

Yes, there were times when Al wires were used, but they have not very
nice properties. Al is amorph at normal temperatures and when
connected with screw pressure terminals, will 'flow away' making loose
connictions.

I woud recommend however also in this case a crimp connection with
standard car installation parts and checking then later every year to
see if the connection is still OK.

BTW: is the whole car wired with this kind of wires and cables?

 

[Ronbo]

Dave wrote:

What are the risks of soldering copper wire to aluminum wire? I just
had to repair a wire on my Chevy truck. The original wire was aluminum
and I spliced a copper wire between two ends of the damaged wire. It
seemed to take the solder well but I have reservations about the
longevity of the fix. What are the implications of having done this?
Am I looking a a problem down the road (pun intended)

Dave


Are u sure it's alum? GM used steel wiring for their rearward lamp

harness for years. Repair method was splice and crimp & pack with
dielectric grease.