How do I solder this?

[SilveradoCA]

Below is the headlight switch. The green wire is the low beam power, and it connects to the small circle below the blue hi-beam wire. (I snipped off the old solder before I thought to take the pic. It was 98% broken off from the contact.)

 

How do I solder this without melting the plastic? Would the plastic withstand the heat of soldering? How would it be manufactured originally? Will I be able to heat the wire alone, then somehow quickly get it in place and flow the solder? It's awkward, because getting that switch pod off the bike and onto a bench will take about 4 hours to completely disassemble both the front and back sides of the fairing, then replace. I don't have three hands to hold the iron, switch, wire and solder...

 

I'm sure one of you electron herders can help a dumb carpenter out with some insider tricks? This is the continuing saga of my thread from last year, trying to troubleshoot the loss of low-beam and driving lights. After splitting the fairing to change the bulb and trace the wiring connections, this is where the problem lay. I've only soldered a thing once or twice in my life. Thanks.

 

 

[cowpuc]

Using a soldering iron such as this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/COMBO-60w-Soldering-Iron-Gun-1pc-15g-Tube-60-40-Tin-Lead-Solder-Wire-Home-Shop/202465966978?hash=item2f23e97b82:g:soUAAOSwyA1dl-hF

 

and NOT a soldering gun such as this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-CRAFTSMAN-MODEL-146-5378-SOLDERING-IRON-GUN-120V-2-Amps-60-Cyc/303544990074?epid=1325177116&hash=item46acb0f97a:g:uWYAAOSwWPtem7na

 

I would start out by making sure the pencil tip of the iron was "tinned" real good and had a small drip of solder remaining on its dip as I approached the to be soldered connection. I would then touch the area that you show in the pic right between the wire and the contact point on the device and leave the iron there until I saw the old solder on the pieces go fluid. Then I would remove the iron and blow on the refreshed solder job.. I would also support the wire with a pair of tweezers as I soldered with the other hand just to keep it from popping away during the process..

[M61A1MECH]

That is going to be a tough one.

 

First off you need a small pencil type soldering iron that you can control the heat and some fine gauge electronics type solder, not one of those huge Weller soldering guns that get super hot.

 

If the green wire is long enough to reach the terminal point, strip off about 1/8" to 3/16" of insulation off the conductor. Apply a little flux to the wire, heat it up with the soldering iron and touch the solder to the wire to tin the wire, let the solder flow in and fill around the strands. put a small amout of flux on the terminal carefully heat the terminal up with the soldering iron watch for melting plastic, quickly apply a small amout solder to the terminal to tin it also. Clean the tinned wire and tined terminal with isopropyl alcohol and dry. Move the wire as close to the terminal as possible, if you can find a way to hold it in place on ther terminal that would be good, if not heat the wire up again with the soldering iron and add a drop or so of solder to the wire, while holding the wire in one hand and the soldering iron in the other heat the wire up until the solder flows, keeping the iron in contact with the wire, more the wire to the terminal and let the molten solder on the wire melt the solder on the terminal, quickly remove the soldering iron while holding the now very hot wire in place until the solder solidifies. This is not an easy repair even for those that are experienced with this type of repair.

 

If the green wire is to short you will want to solder a length of wire to the terminal, using the above procedure and then splice it to the original green wire.

 

Good luck

[SilveradoCA]

Thanks friends, that makes it pretty clear. There doesn't seem to be a job on this bike that isn't a tough one; the price to be paid for brawn and beauty I guess.

 

The green wire has plenty of length; I only cut off about 3/32" which was the old connection. I just moved it up out of the way for the pic, but it actually feeds in below the blue.

 

I've read other posts around the internet, and some mention using flux-cored 60/40 solder for this kind of job. Any insight? Maybe that type only comes in thick gauges too large for this?

 

As far as heat to the plastic, are we talking glass the thickness of onion skin sort of delicate, or am I being paranoid?

 

I laughed when you mentioned big Weller soldering guns M61A1... my dad had one in his workshop and I used to sneak in and burn things with it when I was small. Didn't piss him off one bit, I'm sure. I liked how it hummed in my hands haha.

[Flyinfool]

I believe the switch body is made of Bakelite which can handle normal soldering if you do not dilly dally for to long. M! did skip over one vital point. As you remove the iron and start blowing to help it cool you absolutely must not let the wire move until all of the solder has solidified. your fingers will be screaming in pain and you will have utter some of your favorite words that are daddy only words, BUT DON"T let the wire move till cooled. After you do enough soldering your finger tips become immune to the heat.

 

It takes time and practice but you will eventually learn to hold all of that stuff in 2 hands and make it all play together.

 

For this job I would use around a 40W pencil type iron. To big and you melt stuff, and believe it or not, to small and you melt stuff.

 

60-40 is the easiest solder to work with but any solder made for ELECTRICAL will work. Plumbers solder has acid which will wick up inside of the wire insulation and corrod the wires off and you will get to go thru this all again. Also make sure that the flux you use is made for electrical for the same reasons.

 

If it were me, that solder job on the blue wire don't look so good either.

[SilveradoCA]

I believe the switch body is made of Bakelite which can handle normal soldering if you do not dilly dally for to long. M! did skip over one vital point. As you remove the iron and start blowing to help it cool you absolutely must not let the wire move until all of the solder has solidified. your fingers will be screaming in pain and you will have utter some of your favorite words that are daddy only words, BUT DON"T let the wire move till cooled. After you do enough soldering your finger tips become immune to the heat.

 

It takes time and practice but you will eventually learn to hold all of that stuff in 2 hands and make it all play together.

 

For this job I would use around a 40W pencil type iron. To big and you melt stuff, and believe it or not, to small and you melt stuff.

 

60-40 is the easiest solder to work with but any solder made for ELECTRICAL will work. Plumbers solder has acid which will wick up inside of the wire insulation and corrod the wires off and you will get to go thru this all again. Also make sure that the flux you use is made for electrical for the same reasons.

 

If it were me, that solder job on the blue wire don't look so good either.

 

You may be right about the Bakelite, though it doesn't look as swirly as the other stuff I've had. It had occurred to me that it must be at least somewhat heat resistant, as current is flowing through the contacts all the time.

 

I decided early on that if I didn't botch the repair too badly, I'd do the blue one also. Glad to know it looks sketchy to you too. It's not loose, but it looks as if the solder makes a solid bridge between the wire and contact about 1mm tall.

[tz89]

Spend the money to get a good soldering iron that is adjustable and has several tips including a fine one.

 

As mentioned, get thin solder made for electronics.

 

Practice on something other than your bike's electronics first.

[Karaboo]

Remember, if your tip isn't shiny and well tinned you are not going to conduct heat fast enough.

 

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk

[robert121]

That looks bad. I think very thin soldering iron would do be able to do the job. But it could be one hell of a task, so get yourself used to of using very fine soldering iron first before you attempt to do it on your headlight switch.

[SilveradoCA]

Thanks to all who responded with help and advice here. I did get the repair done on Sunday; it's not pretty, but it works. Seems sturdy enough, everything tucked back into the switch housing neatly, and I only melted the plastic a little bit LOL!

 

HI beam, CHECK.

 

LO beam, CHECK.

 

Running lights, CHECK.

 

That's a win.

 

Thank you again friends.

[Poppa Phill]

Thanks to all who responded with help and advice here. I did get the repair done on Sunday; it's not pretty, but it works. Seems sturdy enough, everything tucked back into the switch housing neatly, and I only melted the plastic a little bit LOL!

 

HI beam, CHECK.

 

LO beam, CHECK.

 

Running lights, CHECK.

 

That's a win.

 

Thank you again friends.

Sounds Like Mr Check Off Got a few Things to Holler about !

[SilveradoCA]

Sounds Like Mr Check Off Got a few Things to Holler about !

 

 

Thanks for the laugh!