Removing Pin Terminals from Wiring Connectors

[chimivee]

[r39o]

Here is THE trick.

Hold the connector in one hand. Push the wire in from behind with the other. Feel the slop? Keep the wire pushed up. Put the tool in. Twist the tool. Push the tool from the connector side. Push the wire in. Twist. Push.......

Now the tabs should release.

It takes FEELING!

I have the offical AMP tools too. They only work slightly better.

You are trying to get the tabs to push in to the tube and bend back.

So then you can twist and eventually the wire will just pop out.

Try it. Like it?
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[ragnarhairybreeks]

[OwnYourReality]

I always go from the connector side, not the back / wire side, for the same reason - no room to work & from that angle the ears are spreading out towards u if that makes sense. From the connector end the ears are spreading out away from you. I wiggle the tip down the side of the barrel. As for seeing the ears from that view on some connectors it's been easier to see their position from looking right down the barrel, you can see where they protrude out to the sides. The barrel will give some & allow the tip to contact the ear so you can push it in. If it's too tough, you could use a dental pick or something similar without the thickness of the ice pick.
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"Imagination is more important than knowledge"
Al Einstein

[syncrodoka]

[ragnarhairybreeks]

I measured both the "small" and "large" molex type tools I made.


small - 7/64" ID (0.1063"), 0.135" OD

large - 11/64" ID (0.1719"), 0.205" OD (note: fits quite snugly into plastic block)


I made the ID's with drill, that explains the fractional dimension. The OD's I made empirically, on lathe, testing fit on Audi plastic block connector.

alistair
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'86 7 passenger syncro, converted to westy pop top, project still in progress
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94, now gone...
https://shufti.blog/
Old address still works...
http://shufti.wordpress.com

[chimivee]

Update...

Ok, I tried shimming the tool I have w/ a slice from an aluminum can. It wasn't really working - maybe if I spent enough time with it I could have gotten it right. But not wanting to mess about with that anymore...

I tried some 1/8" brass tubing I found at OSH. It had a 3.175mm O.D. and 2.825mm I.D. According to the specs of Allistair's tool (thanks!!!), this should have been very close to working, and at the very least fit. But, while the O.D. fit (w/ some slight play), the I.D. was too small and wouldn't clear the pin... Which doesn't really make sense compared to Allistair's numbers.

I made a half-assed attempt at reaming it out the brass tube w/ a dremel. I made a little headway... but it just didn't seem like I was gonna work.

*Sigh*... So, I went back to the original tool I bought for another try, twisting and pulling as r390 suggested. Not working. Although, with the tool's perfectly cylindrical/smooth barrel, I'm not really sure what the twisting does in this case...?

Anyway, next I tried pinching the end of the tool's barrel slightly to ovalize it somewhat. The idea being to make the I.D. a little smaller - at least on two sides to better compress the ears. This time, w/ r390's twist/pull technique the ears would compress more when the narrower part of the ovalized barrel came around. And after a couple revolutions of trying... BINGO - the wire finally pulled out!

So, in the end, I was able to pull the wires I wanted... but it was still a hack that required a bit of futzing to make work. But then, it wouldn't be my life it was easy. Thanks for all the help.
_________________
-James
86 Syncro Westy, etc

[ragnarhairybreeks]

James,

must have felt good when you finally succeeded. I went out and did a quick measurement of one of the connectors... the flare at the very end is about 0.106" diameter. Its a fairly close fit into my homemade tool which I measure an ID of 0.1063"

That ID measurement was made by seeing which diameter transfer punch I could get into it. Not the most accurate way, and I doubt that the 7/64" (0.1063") drill I must have used does indeed drill a hole exactly that diameter. But the tool works, and I now think that I was pretty fortunate to get it right.

alistair
_________________
'86 7 passenger syncro, converted to westy pop top, project still in progress
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94, now gone...
https://shufti.blog/
Old address still works...
http://shufti.wordpress.com

[GreenMachineVW]

[61Scout]

I know this is an old post, but I just wanted to add that a sewing needle is great tool for pin terminal work. Forget the paperclip or regular pick. Sewing needles are super sharp, thin and strong. Jam one into a piece of scrap wood or glued between two popsicle sticks and you've got a handle. Now you can reach down and release those pesky plastic tabs. Working like a charm on the Subaru harness I'm building on right now. I do have a set of the correct release tools and they are just okay. I often still turn to the sewing needle as my tool of choice, and it's the only terminal tool in my travel tool kit.

-Kevin
_________________
1986 Westfalia Weekender Wolfsburg, RJE 2.3
1985 Tin Top, Subie 2.2 + 5MT
Floppy Mirrors no more: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=653018&highlight=
Remove the front spindle nut with ease: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679567&highlight=
Remove the rear wheel bearing housing without messing with the big 46mm nut: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679507&highlight=

-Nec Spe, Nec Metu

[jmranger]

[Alaskaberrys]

**BUMP**

[beach_creature]

Is this what you are looking for?

https://www.brickwerks.co.uk/t3-parts/electrical/t...emale.html
_________________
84 Westy
1.9TD AAZ
5spd manual with Locking Peloquin TBD

[crazyvwvanman]

This VanCafe connector is for the back of the 86-91 fuse panel and comes with 2 of each size female pin.

https://www.vancafe.com/171971997-p/171971997.htm

Mark

[Alaskaberrys]

[Alaskaberrys]

Learned the ID number for the smaller 1.4mm lock-in connector female pins - 1-66358-6

Example on Digikey website here

_________________
'91 Westfalia, Bordeaux Red Pearl 2.1L 2wd Auto
'91 T3 Syncro Doka, Escorial Green 1.9L TD AAZ “Gremian” (to provoke, irritate, exasperate, vex...)

[syncroAustralia]

The correct tools are made by Wurth. They also sell the terminals.

A few of my friends have had success using an old car aerial to remove the terminals.
_________________
Phill

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~pjlander/volkswagen_syncro.htm