wire repair

[winkylocc]

I noticed the hot copper wire that goes to my generator has rubbed up against something and caused it to wear down to all but a few threads of wire. To replace the entire harness is a lot more involved I think than trying to repair or rebuild the wire that is left. Does anyone have any ideas on how repairing copper wire?

[Harold Lanfear]

Personally, I'd try to replace the wire, but if that's not possible, they do make Crimp-type Butt Splices which would allow you to cut out the bad part and connect a new piece in, with a new crimped ring terminal on the end. If you want to see the butt terminals, I know Steinair has them; but others will have them as well.

I'd also suggest some support, and maybe some chafe protection, for that wire to prevent vibration and a repeat of the problem. A short piece of nylon spiral wrap might help with the chafing, but would still need an Adel clamp or other support.

[Canadian_JOY]

If this is the main generator output wire, replace it, period. And as Harold has suggested, make sure the replacement wire is re-routed, clamped, etc to protect against future damage.

Why replace the wire rather than use crimp splices to repair it? Crimp splices are pretty good, but will never be as good as the original stranded wire. Plus at each crimp you have an opportunity for a high-resistance connection to either be made by poor crimping, or to build up over time as a result of corrosion.

It's work to replace a wire, but not nearly as much work as rebuilding your airplane after an electrical fire. If you have to use a crimp connection to "tide you over" until you have time to do the job right, then that's what you have to do, but in the end you should replace the entire wire in order to ensure maximum integrity and longevity of your aircraft electrical system.