Best way to open a crimp connector?

[Cameramonkey]

Inlaws brought me a wiring harness today to fix.

Suddenly their wood shop breaker tripped. So they started unplugging things. Eventually they discovered it was their 30+YO saw. The insulation on the cord dried out and shorted.

But the connection between the cord and the motor is unique. And there is not enough wire on the motor side to replace the QD connector.
I can pull the individual barrel contacts from the cord and reattach wires to rebuild it with a new cord. But its going to be a tight fit in the rubber housing if I just try to solder a new wire to the old crimp leaves. Its a 2 leaf fold over style crimp where its stamped out as a T and the two leaves are folded over together to crimp onto the wire. But I dont see an easy way to get anything under the leaves to open them back up.

ideas? Its not a cheap saw and it works awesome otherwise, so not something they want to just replace. Plus they are retired, so income isnt as plentiful as it used to be.

Ideas?

 

[Lmo1131]

Picture = 1000 words

 

[woowoo2]

Can you shrink wrap the wires from the other end?

 

[radar8756]

add 6"-12" of wire with barrel crimps on each end of burnt wires --- staggering lengths to avoid crimps in same location on each wire

should work for basic harness

 

[JAL]

Inlaws brought me a wiring harness today to fix.

Suddenly their wood shop breaker tripped. So they started unplugging things. Eventually they discovered it was their 30+YO saw. The insulation on the cord dried out and shorted.

But the connection between the cord and the motor is unique. And there is not enough wire on the motor side to replace the QD connector.
I can pull the individual barrel contacts from the cord and reattach wires to rebuild it with a new cord. But its going to be a tight fit in the rubber housing if I just try to solder a new wire to the old crimp leaves. Its a 2 leaf fold over style crimp where its stamped out as a T and the two leaves are folded over together to crimp onto the wire. But I dont see an easy way to get anything under the leaves to open them back up.

ideas? Its not a cheap saw and it works awesome otherwise, so not something they want to just replace. Plus they are retired, so income isnt as plentiful as it used to be.

Ideas?

If the connectors on the old cord were crimped on, there's no reliable way to reuse the crimp connectors. They invariably fail -- breaking -- and you don't want that on a power cord connected to a near infinite current source -- until the breaker trips. Yup -- need to replace the entire cord. A picture is worth a thousand words. Normally one would simply use the same type crimp connectors on the new cord that were used on the old cord. Requires the same type and size connectors and a crimping tool with the correct jaws to put them on properly. I've been known to solder new wire to an old connector, but that's a kludge, and if it needs insulation around it, that's a PITA if it can even be done (shrink tubing?). I presume these are connectors going from the power cord to some sort of power switch or power control circuit board with the switch on it inside the saw.

 

[red_zr24x4]

Dremel the fold, should come apart then

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Dremel the fold, should come apart then

I remember trying to pry off a crimp connector, intending to reuse it, but one side broke off. I used my dremel tool on the other side, leaving the center part, a tab about 1/8" wide. I took another connector, cut off just the crimp end and used that to crimp over the wire and the 1/8" tab. That "temporary" repair is still working many years later.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I remember trying to pry off a crimp connector, intending to reuse it, but one side broke off. I used my dremel tool on the other side, leaving the center part, a tab about 1/8" wide. I took another connector, cut off just the crimp end and used that to crimp over the wire and the 1/8" tab. That "temporary" repair is still working many years later.

I may do that. The rubber housing has little clearance, and I think I’ll have trouble if I try to solder over the full thickness. I'll just leave a solder tab.

And this part is under the table and will be under no stress. This connector plugs into the motor. (The connector is parked backwards for safekeeping)

 

[BroodXI]

can you not just open the motor up and resolder new leads?

 

[Cameramonkey]

can you not just open the motor up and resolder new leads?

That is plan B. What you see above is all that I have seen. They live an hour away and just brought me the harness. I'm not even sure which saw this is for. (yes, they have that many. They are avid woodworkers)

 

[Mr. Habib]

If you carefully remove the old pin, why can't you just crimp on a new one?

 

[Cameramonkey]

If you carefully remove the old pin, why can't you just crimp on a new one?

Never seen this type connector before. And if I dont reuse this, I'll just replace both ends.

 

[Cameramonkey]

That was relatively easy. I just ground down the folded ears, which left me with a nice channel. A bit of liquid flux in the channel, tinned the wire REALLY good, and then mated them. Rock solid.

Thanks guys!

 

[Rookie]

I'm disappointed that nobody suggested uncoiled rice.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I'm disappointed that nobody suggested uncoiled rice.

Because it was whollly inappropriate for that. COILED rice, maybe. But definitely not uncoiled.

 

[eric001]

Congrats on the fix... but it's past time to show off a little...

 

[Cameramonkey]

 

[Cynical]

I’m way more impressed with the x-tronic soldering station, however you do have mad skills and good tools. As a side note, am I the only one who loves the smell of rosin core solder?

 

[Cameramonkey]

I’m way more impressed with the x-tronic soldering station, however you do have mad skills and good tools. As a side note, am I the only one who loves the smell of rosin core solder?

Since solder has been lead based in the past, that explains a LOT about you, my friend

But seriously, thanks. I'm just mediocre.

If the ladies dont find you handsome,
They should at least find you handy.
-Red Green

 

[Cynical]

Since solder has been lead based in the past, that explains a LOT about you, my friend

But seriously, thanks. I'm just mediocre.

If the ladies dont find you handsome,
They should at least find you handy.
-Red Green

Lol, when I showed your reply to my wife she nodded in agreement. I hope there’s nothing going on, by the way I’m very handy.