Help! Soldering aluminum wires

Can someone help me out, I can get the solder to tin on the terminals im using, but it avoids even touching the copper clad aluminum wires im using in my audio build.

Its the wire in this kit:

$34 KnuKonceptz KCA Complete Oversized 4 Gauge 2 Channel Subwoofer Amp Installation Wiring Kit

http://amzn.com/B0050I6KII

Im using 63/37 lead solder, rosin flux, ive tried a butane torch as well as a soldering iron.

Different solder, different flux? Im aware of the aluminum oxide issue and that it needs to be removed to tin, it flux enough to do this?

The wires are already all laid out, and im not looking to replace everything. It never occurred that this would be an issue, ive always used pure copper cables until now.

 

I would just go with regular wires instead of fancy new "oxygen free coated wire" crap like that which is probably your whole problem. maybe its designed for screw lugs and not supposed to be soldered?

all I can suggest is a call to the manufacturer to see what "special" soldering it needs

 

get some good quality crimpers and heatshrink and call er a day?

 

My vote is Crimpers and heatshrink as well. Easy enough to do just don't use the fork connectors...Get some good ring terminal connectors and it'll be a cinch

 

It ain't easy, but here are a couple of tips, you need low temperature solder made specifically for aluminum and you must use a flux that is, again, made specifically for aluminum, if you are joining aluminum to copper, then you have to get flux and solder made to join the two different metals...aluminum melts at a lower temperature than copper...

it sounds like you are trying regular solder and flux, it will not work that way...do some research and get the proper materials to pull this off, or use crimps and shrink wrap...

good luck...

 

i crimp pretty much all my wiring connections nowadays. i buy the regular crimp connectors then use some pliers to remove the shitty plastic covering on the connectors so they're bare metal, crimp it together and then slide some good heatshrink tubing over them. sealed nice and tight and you can pull as hard as you want on the wires without them coming apart. the crimping pliers i use cost $20 or $30 bucks iirc

 

I just picked this stuff up at a local welding supply, Harris Al-solder 500. It wasn't cheap, but it should work.

I have two concerns. First the flux claims that it is acidic. Also the solder is tin and zinc based. Any concerns with either of these two things for electrical application?

http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/en/Products/Alloys/Soldering/Lead-Free-Solders/Al-Solder-500.aspx

 

Unfortunately my OCD wont let me simply crimp electrical terminals.

 

meh. they both accomplish the same thing and there's nothing wrong with a good quality crimp, at least for a stereo job and most other standard applications. your call though, good luck

 

To help alleviate your OCD, check the terminals on your battery, starter and ground connections.. If crimping is good enough for high amp battery electron flow, it certainly will suffice for stereo connections...the most important tool in this whole operation would be a very high quality crimping tool...

Just sayin'

 

Still prefer crimping + soldering.

The Al-solder 500 is no good. It will bond with the wire, but there is no capillary action that you would expect. The solder is just melting where you place it.

 

I work in Circuit Breaker Bays carrying enough amperage to burn me to a crisp and all we use are crimp connectors and heat shrink. I understand the OCD aspect of it but IMO a well done crimp connector is very clean and professional looking. Just my .02. I hope you can find something that works I know it's frustrating! Good luck!

 

Sometimes the message doesn't register, he will figure it out sooner or later....hoping he figures it out, the time and extra coin spent could have gone to copper wiring, problem instantly solved....

 

On marine work, crimping rules...The soldered connections do not like the movement, and tend towards cracking. A ratcheting crimper is the key.

 

I know this. It never occurred to me until everything was installed that aluminum doesn't solder like copper. It was never asked, it was never pointed out until now.

 

Update: Fuck it.

Using the aluminum flux and silver solder, i was able to get the large gauge wire for the cable and ground to solder properly. In my research, im glad that my amp only puts out 300 watts, as the CCA wires do not conduct at the same level as pure copper.



Otherwise the terminals that were barely soldering to the CCA speaker wire, will not solder to the smaller terminals im using for the the speaker connections. So fuckit, im ordering a spool of pure copper wire. Its been about $80 down the drain trying to make this work.