Solder Spider
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 975
Likes: 108
From: Phoenix, AZ
Solder Spider
After unwinding 17 yards of electrical tape from a portion of the the rear wiring harness, I found a solder spider. I counted six legs off this rosin arachnid. (Anatomically, spiders have eight legs, but this mess looked like a spider!) Four of the wires dead ended in the electrical tape. Bubba creatively used his solder iron to create a common ground for the tail and brake lights. All wires led to the bolt pictured at top. All legs removed.
I uncovered all of this mess in my valiant effort to restore fiber optic to license plate bulb. That will have to be another day.
I uncovered all of this mess in my valiant effort to restore fiber optic to license plate bulb. That will have to be another day.
Last edited by bhk2; Jul 10, 2012 at 07:32 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
Sadly I have seen worse,
So...speaking of the optics....one of my front ones just wont shine on the console....i have shined a mag light in either end and it works fine, but when hooked up barely shows...any ideas?
So...speaking of the optics....one of my front ones just wont shine on the console....i have shined a mag light in either end and it works fine, but when hooked up barely shows...any ideas?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 975
Likes: 108
From: Phoenix, AZ
At the bulb end, is the light pipe squeezed correctly into the grommet?
At the consul end, try the end of a pipe cleaner to clear lens.
On the counsul side, you could try switching the light pipe to another lens to see if that makes a difference.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,112
Likes: 28
From: Florida
After unwinding 17 yards of electrical tape from a portion of the the rear wiring harness, I found a solder spider. I counted six legs off this rosin arachnid. (Anatomically, spiders have eight legs, but this mess looked like a spider!) Four of the wires dead ended in the electrical tape. Bubba creatively used his solder iron to create a common ground for the tail and brake lights. All wires led to the bolt pictured at top. All legs removed.
I uncovered all of this mess in my valiant effort to restore fiber optic to license plate bulb. That will have to be another day.
I uncovered all of this mess in my valiant effort to restore fiber optic to license plate bulb. That will have to be another day.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,264
Likes: 3
From: Vero Beach FL
There is a similar connection in the engine compartment ground wiring joining multiple wires, but done properly. It's commonly called a parallel splice, using an uninsulated parallel connector, crimped and soldered, then taped or heat shrunk. They are a very good connection. In a pinch, I've even used pieces of small copper tubing.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,697
Likes: 3
From: Woodinville WA
Try cleaning off the little glass nipple on the back of the headlight. Source may not be bright enough if there is something on it.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Well, they're OK as long as the last wire actually connected to ground can carry all of the current for the other 5 (or more) lines. Looking at that "nest o' snakes", I doubt that the final ground line is sized for all the lighting at the rear of your car. If you want to keep that 'bugger' in there, at least make a #10 awg line the last one to go to ground.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski