Turn signal harness plug "de-pinning" tool needed

[Indycanard]

My new reproduction (Alloy Metal) 66 under dash harness had three wires pull out from the female socket that the turn signal switch harness plugs into.  I need to extract the now empty female sockets from the nylon shell so I can re-crimp the sockets on the wires.  The wires were in Pin 1 both wires (White/Blue), and pin 2 one wire (of two) (green/white).  I tried a really small flat screwdriver to press on the locking tabs, but I couldn't get it, and I don't want to ruin the socket (or shell).  I know there is a tool to remove these sockets, anyone have a name/part number. I'm heading up to Fry's and I am hoping they have one and I can actually identify it.

Thanks,   

[daveSanborn]

The tool that you need is available at your local Radio Shack store.  I bought one when working with new Painless Wiring harnesses.  It's similar to the one linked below....

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102600

[Indycanard]

I stopped into "The Shack", and didn't find anything to work. The d-sub extractor was way too small, and the Molex extractor .092 too big.  I went to the local electronics shop, and found the right tool:

http://shop.vetcosurplus.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=6838

I couldn't get myself to pay $17 for removing two pins.  I think I will try a even smaller screwdriver first

[daveSanborn]

The linked tool that you provided is the EXACT tool that I bought at Radio Shack.  It was in one of their drawers where they keep all of the pins and electrical connector blocks.  I think I paid $5.99 for it.

[Midlife]

Female pins for turn signal connector plugs are a problem.  The official tool removal tool is for the Commercial Mate N Lock 0.080" system: Tyco/AMP Contact Extraction Tool 465644-1, designed circa 1962.  I bought it, and it promptly broke on me due to cheap pot metal construction.  Here's what I do:

I took a small flat-heat jeweler's screwdriver, and used a bench grinder to remove 1/2 of the thickness, leaving one side flat and the other side curved.  I use this tool all the time to remove both male and female pins now.  The trick is that the locking tab is 180* away from the joint line (almost always visible where the two sides of the pin come together to form a cylinder) and wedge the screwdriver (flat side toward the pin).  It works for me!

[Indycanard]

Female pins for turn signal connector plugs are a problem.  The official tool removal tool is for the Commercial Mate N Lock 0.080" system: Tyco/AMP Contact Extraction Tool 465644-1, designed circa 1962.  I bought it, and it promptly broke on me due to cheap pot metal construction.  Here's what I do:

I took a small flat-heat jeweler's screwdriver, and used a bench grinder to remove 1/2 of the thickness, leaving one side flat and the other side curved.  I use this tool all the time to remove both male and female pins now.  The trick is that the locking tab is 180* away from the joint line (almost always visible where the two sides of the pin come together to form a cylinder) and wedge the screwdriver (flat side toward the pin).  It works for me!

I have a handful of those small screwdrivers, and a good grinder. I am going to try your grinding method tonight and see if I can get the sockets out. My problem is not only is the harness installed, with almost no slack or room to work, but I have to push the sockets out while depressing the locks. That $17 tool with the plunger may be a fall back for tomorrow if I fail tonight. 

[Midlife]

Yeah, doing it in the car will be a bitch...it's bad enough on a workbench.

I'm surprised the Metal Alloy stuff was bad; they have an excellent reputation and crimping wires onto these pins is trivial with the right part: Tyco/AMP Crimper, part 58515-1 for about $216.00

[Indycanard]

Yeah, doing it in the car will be a bitch...it's bad enough on a workbench.

I'm surprised the Metal Alloy stuff was bad; they have an excellent reputation and crimping wires onto these pins is trivial with the right part: Tyco/AMP Crimper, part 58515-1 for about $216.00

I was thinking it odd also that these pulled out. I never pulled on the wires, only the shell. There should not have been any stress on the crimp.  Pins 1 and 2 both have two wires crimped into the socket.  I only see 1/4" exposed conductor. I'm guessing with two wires being crimped into a small socket that it may not create an optimal joint. I did not notice ANY marks on the insulation caused by the crimping.  I do have a ratcheting crimper (from HF) that may work, if I can get it into the dash opening (I took out the speedo).  I was planning on re-crimping and then soldering the joint.  Do you think soldering these wires after crimping is ok?

[Midlife]

Ford routinely crimped two wires onto a single pin.  In all of my experience, these pins have rarely failed to make a reliable connection; it's the 90* connectors that give me the most grief.  These are the pins that go into the brake switch, headlight switch, etc.  I routinely have to re-crimp about 25-33% of these pins. 

To answer your question, a crimp is more than sufficient, provided both the insulation and the wire itself are tightly crimped.  If you feel that the wire portion is not firmly crimped, I'll either solder it in or use a flat crimper to make a firm crimp!  *LOL*  The insulation crimp is only there as a strain relief.

I always test crimps by seeing what the resistance is from pin to where ever the wire goes to: if less than 1 ohm, it's acceptable.  Unfortunately, you don't have the luxury of doing that on an installed harness.  I'd recommend solder, but be careful that you don't get solder glooping onto the pin where it gets inserted.

[Indycanard]

I took my grinder to one of my real small "jewelers" screwdrivers, and ground off 1/2 of the diameter for the last 1/2" of the tip.  It was then fairly easy to insert the screwdriver to depress the locking tab. In fact, I used the screwdriver to bend the tab flush (just slightly), then used the screwdriver tip to push the two sockets out.  a gentle pry, and the locking tabs were again in the proper position to retain the socket when reinstalled. I opened each crimp up a bit, and will attempt to reuse these sockets tomorrow.  My ratcheting crimper seems too big for these small sockets, but I have a manual crimper that I use for these smaller crimps.  We shall see...

Thanks Midlife for the suggestions on this.

[sah62]

NPD sells a combination tool that might do the trick.  Look for part number 957-2.  $13.95 on page 248 of the 2010 catalog.

[Midlife]

NPD sells a combination tool that might do the trick.  Look for part number 957-2.  $13.95 on page 248 of the 2010 catalog.

It's absolutely worthless, and it doesn't fit any Ford pins enough to do any good.  Ask me how I know.

[johnpro]

I've never had any luck using any sized pin extractor on those plugs.  I've broken 2 pin extractors trying.

What I have found that works better, is just to use the right sized punch (with a flat end) and and hammer and simply drive them out.  Extremely quick, and extremely effective.

[Indycanard]

Talk about a pain in the ass.

Trying to get two wires into the crimp part of the socket was almost impossible.  It took 25 minutes to get one pair of wires into the socket and crimped. I followed that up with solder to make sure they were not going anywhere.  If the socket was new, I don't think the solder would have been necessary, but with a reused socket, I didn't want to take chances.  It took a bit of finesse, but I was able to re-seat that socket back into the shell.  I gave it the pull test and it passed.  I'm going to try to tackle the other pair later.

 

[Indycanard]

Its done,

The second wire pair was tougher to re-crimp than the first. A virgin socket would have allowed a better fit for the wire pair, and straightening the socket probably did not reclaim the proper shape to let the wires fit in well.  Also, after crimping the wire conductor, the wire insulators were just outside of the second (insulator) crimp.  Therefore both crimps were around the wire conductor.  I followed up with solder here also. The pull test passed, and after reinsertion the socket retention tug passed to. Glad that is over.

After carefully shoving this connector back into the bowels of the under dash nether-regions, and VERY carefully reconnecting to my newly replaced turn signal switch harness, EVERYTHING check out 100%!  Both turn signals AND my recently overhauled emergency switch (that didn't work before I replaced the turn signal switch). 

Success.  Now onto wiring up my new Radio....

Thanks for everyones help on this.

[ponch0v]

Go to the local hobby shop and get the right sized brass tubing. Works really well

[sigtauenus]

It's absolutely worthless, and it doesn't fit any Ford pins enough to do any good.  Ask me how I know.

Randy, as much wiring work as you do, you should drop a note to Rick at NPD and tell them to drop the tool from their catalog.  I've looked at that tool several times now and haven't bought it because I've been lucky using a small jeweler's flat screwdriver, but I've been tempted nonetheless to purchase the supposed "right" tool for the job.  If the tool is crap, its crap and they shouldn't be selling it.

[Midlife]

I've seen Marv Rego use it in articles published in Mustang Times.  It can be used, but it simply isn't effective.  There's nothing else on the market designed for this, except for the extractor tool I mentioned above (which broke after a couple of times of use).  I simply made my own tool, and it has held up now for 2 years and over 80 harness restorations.