The solder joints have come loose at the small contact block in the switchgear, rendering my turn signals useless. I tried to resolder them using a cordless micro soldering iron, but that never got hot enough.
Any suggestions? Don't want to ruin such a small piece of the assembly.
Get a better iron is the first smart ass reply. Do you have anyone with better equipment that can help? I have had to fix the same problem but not with a micro iron. If I were closer I would pay you a visit and get you sorted out. Think through the problem. How much is a better soldering iron cost wise to fix the problem?
Quote from: Yamahahammer1300 on June 18, 2017, 05:01:45 PMThe solder joints have come loose at the small contact block in the switchgear, rendering my turn signals useless. I tried to resolder them using a cordless micro soldering iron, but that never got hot enough. Any suggestions? Don't want to ruin such a small piece of the assembly.
Yamahahammer1300,
Good soldering takes practice. Beg, borrow or steal a better soldering iron, preferably one with a cord and a heat control. Get La-Co soldering flux (US$5), which is NOT an acid flux (it
will be worth it).
http://www.laco.com/soldering-fluxes/regular-flux-paste/ (http://www.laco.com/soldering-fluxes/regular-flux-paste/)
Use 60/40 tin/lead solder, which is hard to find and not environmentally friendly, but you will want it for just this one job. You can also use lead-free solder, but it will need some practice work first, to get good results with it. Get a small common sponge that you can keep wet in an old jar lid, to wipe the soldering iron tip clean, before each and every touch of the iron to the work. Solder-Wick (copper braid, US$5) will suck away all of the crappy old solder first, before you begin the repair action. With all that, you stand a fair chance of success. Never use that sponge for anything but soldering, after the first use.
Alternately, find a soldering ace who has everything needed already, buy dinner for the guy, and have the ace do the job for you. Plan B: Sometimes you can find the correct switch assembly on eBay or similar web sites, and use the part you buy instead of fixing what you have. You might also need to use parts from the old and the "new" switches, to build up one good unit for your bike.
All good advice from Red. i.e. I would ask around to see if you have someone in your circle that does fine electrical soldering in their sleep. e.g. Find an audio geek. Soldering drives a lot of people 'round the bend because they don't have the patience for it, frankly.
Even if you bought what you think you'll need, the thing is to have the know how on how to prep the wiring* going to the contact and to clean up the contact so when the actual soldering effort starts, it's over and done with in a matter of maybe 15 seconds. It's like a good paint job - 90% preparation.
* I am guessing at the age of the motorcycle, the wiring has oxidation creeping under the insulation a good 1/8 to 1/4 inch from the exposed end.
Thanks dudes, for the advice. You are correct that prep is 90% of the work. Life isn't much different.