T taps

[kleinkid]

What should be done to a wire after a T-tap has been removed from it? Can you leave it like that or does it need to be tape wrapped or something?

[kimokalihi]

What is a T Tap?

[evolutionmovement]

It's a wire splicer that allows you to to splice a new wire anywhere onto a pre-existing circuit.

Since the T Tap cuts through the insulation to make the contact, I'd put something on it. I'd use a liquid insulator to seal, then cover it with electrical tape if heat shrink isn't practical. I used T Taps on the wagon for the side markers originally. I'm not a big fan, but I was in a hurry when I originally did the job and I wasn't surprised to see a little corrosion with the wires in spite of also sealing the taps off with hot glue. I just redid all that wiring with a bigger gauge and splices I can heat shrink, and I also put them in OEM style plastic harness and wrapped it all in tape like the OEM and we do in telecom for outdoor fittings. Turned out pretty slick, I have to say, though nobody will see them under the fenders.

[kimokalihi]

Oh I see. Doesn't sound like something I would ever use.

[93forestpearl]

You should cut it off and use a butt-splice heat shrink connector. Don't ever solder a flexible wire that is important.

[evolutionmovement]

Yeah, that's what I used. The butt splices range in size and I was able to splice a 14 ga. on one end to two of the stock ga. wires (18 or 20) on the other. And you can heat shrink them, though they also come in a version where the ends of the splice can be shrunk. Then I wrapped it all in tape, putting a piece between the two wires on the one side to help seal that end even further, then I wrapped over everything. Then I put a piece of plastic harness over it and wrapped that, leaving the tape so the end would be held captive by the harness ties and couldn't unravel.

[Legacy777]

T taps are the shit. Much better than those damn alligater slice things.

As long as the base wire isn't damaged, I would just wrap the wire with electrical tap and be done with it.

[evolutionmovement]

What are the alligator splice things?

[kleinkid]

These t-taps are on the '94 SS I have. This car had an aftermarket alarm system and some ancient car phone or some such gizmo. Gobs of wire that doesn't do anything under the dash with t-taps and other kinds of connecting garbage, and a cheapo radio which used TV antenna wire for speaker wire. I want to get rid of anything that is not stock.

This stuff is inside the car, but it still needs to be wrapped?

[evolutionmovement]

Nah, I wouldn't bother wrapping it, then. Just throw some tape on it and call it a day. I'm anal about corrosion as I hate electrical issues and lost too many cars to cancer, but if it's in the interior that's all I'd do.

[__TT__]

Coming from 16+ years in car audio/12volt. Unless the wire is on the outside just electrical tape it once the t-tap is removed. it'll be fine. if its outside the cab i would use the butt connectors that are heatshrinkable.....or solder and heat srink it.

and yes...t-taps are the shit, as long as you use the correct size for the wire (THERE ARE THREE)

[kleinkid]

It is all under the dash. Shouldn't be complicated then, just pesky, tedious.

[cj91legss]

i love T taps, i installed my alarm with em

[magicmike]

I'd just like to add that you should take a look at the wire before wrapping it to confirm it hasn't been damaged. I've seen the wrong size T-tap used in many cases where a smaller size tap was used on a larger gauge wire and it cuts through about 50% of the strands. This is fine while the t-tap is in but once you remove it the wire becomes very weak and susceptible to breakage.

"This is fine while the t-tap is in" to elaborate its not "fine" but what I'm saying is that you would most likely never have a problem with this connection unless you disturbed the t-tap (spun it around).

Be cautious anywhere you see a red t-tap on any wire thats looks larger than 18 AWG.