What Do You Do When the Locking Clips on the Wire Connectors Break Off???

[73Elsinore]

OK. I have about 6 or 7 engine wiring connectors now with broken lock clips. Some of them I have zip-tied together but that fix won't work on all connectors. Can the connectors be bought new from Ford and spliced into the existing wire, or what? How do you fix these damn things??? This is only going to get worse as the wiring continues to get older. Thanks! Pete

 

[CAHUNTERMAN]

I use heat shrink tubing to hold them together and then slice it off if you have to disconnect them later.

 

[Michiganbear]

hmmm I have NOT done a damn thing on any of them ( and there have been a lot of broken clips between my 91 continental, 91 minivan, and the 92 ex). I make sure they wont fall onto any moving parts, but thats about it. seems I have had good luck with them staying connected even without the locking tabs.

know, I know I just jinxed myself, I will go out and find the 92 ex wont start now.. due to a broken locking tab.. LOL

 

[little x]

I'm in the same situation as the Bear, but if any of them started not sticking together I would just wrap them in a cocoon of electrical tape.

 

[Four0Sport]

ive found that packing the connector with some conductivity grease helps to hold the plug ins together

 

[410Fortune]

clean then dielectric grease

some get zip ties to hold them together, some get electrical tape
If you have the HUGE heat shrink tubing (Harbor freight) you can wrap the entire assembly in that

 

[Robrt32]

hmmm I have NOT done a damn thing on any of them ( and there have been a lot of broken clips between my 91 continental, 91 minivan, and the 92 ex). I make sure they wont fall onto any moving parts, but thats about it. seems I have had good luck with them staying connected even without the locking tabs.

know, I know I just jinxed myself, I will go out and find the 92 ex wont start now.. due to a broken locking tab.. LOL

I'm the same way and i WILL intentionally break one that is giving me trouble unhooking... so FAR, Ive never had one come apart..But which I'm not a big off roader either.. I use 4x4 when i need it, not to play.

 

[410Fortune]

also
when I am at the junk yard, I will cut off a TON of wiring connectors from a donor truck, usually the junk yard just gives them to me or is like $5 for the entire batch

I collect the connectors because a 1988 is getting harder and harder to find... so when I am working on the area again I will actually re-pin the broken plastic connector with a new non broken plastic end....
BII will hit 300K miles officially in 800 miles now

 

[Four0Sport]

Its good to know that I am not the only one on here who scavenges for connectors/relays/switches and other electrical odds and ends at the junk yard. Now I dont feel as much like pack rat.

 

[Michiganbear]

speaking of scavanging.. one of these days I am gonna have to brave the weather and head to my local yard.. I need 1 measly little knob to make my life more enjoyable in the cold up here in NW michigan.. can anyone guess which one I need?


for those who dont want to guess.. just the damn blower speed knob!! for one with AC (a 92 sport)

 

[HahnsB2]

I purposely break them, I hate those damn things, you need 3 hands to undo some of them. The only one that's given my a fit is the MAF connector and that's because of the body lift stretching the wiring, I zip tied it in place for now.

 

[Four0Sport]

ive always gotten away with sticking a flat head between the 2 connectors and turning the handle to pop them loose. the few clips i did break were brittle enough that a good gust of wind would have cracked em.

 

[boggs1227]

never mind the red arrow and dot .....but the maf is what i'm talking about....
had a problem with mine clicking in the maf ( the tab is still intact but i also have some that the tabs are broke off like my dpfe module and now my new ect sensor ) ....it would click in like it was connected but it would not so i tie wrapped it ...come to find out that the time i replaced the maf the old weather proof boot was still on the harness but it already had one in the new maf ( did not see it at the time ) saw i had 2 so i took one out and clickied in and made a good connection ,so no need for anymore tie wraps.


.....just something to pay attention to when plugging and unplugging sensors .

 

[Crunchy]

The worst clip on our trucks must be the one for the radio harness!

Even after breaking the stupid lock off, I always need some chanel locks to get the thing off.

 

[mikeinri]

"What Do You Do When the Locking Clips on the Wire Connectors Break Off???"

Depending on the day, and in no particular order...

Curse (OK, that's usually the first thing)...

Drink

Curse some more

Cry

Punch something (just kidding, I'm too much of a wuss)

Throw something (usually the piece that broke off, can't hurt anything)

Curse again (OK, I never really stop sometimes, especially if I cut myself in the process of breaking the part, especially if it's cold out, late at night, the parts stores are closed, etc.)

Zip ties as mentioned.

Electrical tape, and it helps to use one of those plastic spiral-wrap things under the tape.

I LOVE the idea of the donor connectors.

Michigan, my first guess would have been MAF. I still have mine zip-tied (with two zip ties), just like Boggs...

Happy New Year!

Mike

 

[Michiganbear]

hmmm I have NOT done a damn thing on any of them ( and there have been a lot of broken clips between my 91 continental, 91 minivan, and the 92 ex). I make sure they wont fall onto any moving parts, but thats about it. seems I have had good luck with them staying connected even without the locking tabs.

know, I know I just jinxed myself, I will go out and find the 92 ex wont start now.. due to a broken locking tab.. LOL

remember this post early on by myself???

well, I did it!! Jinxed myself.. not a starting issue, but the connector to my blower resistor (which I broke the clips on changing the resistor last spring).. came loose, leaving me with high only.. at least its not buried under a lot of other stuff to fix.. easy job, just push it back on.

 

[410Fortune]

on the mas I would get another connector from a junk yard and re-pin it with your wires

All of the wiring connectors on your truck COME APART
there is a keeper and a locking plastic pin for each and every wire, remove the keeper and release the pin and you can pull the wire out, out it in your new connector (junk yard) and have it brand new again.

four0sport you are not the only pack rat LOL I have BOXES and BOXES of factory wiring harness, Jars and jars of just short wire leads with different OEM pins on them, male and female, I have jars and jars of complete connectors from 84-2007 trucks, from 4 wires to 24 wires, from Fords, Chevy's, it doesnt matter, I use them all the time! Like I can disconect my license plate lights I can disconnect my heated seats, etc etc all using junk yard connectors.....some of the 1988 connectors on my truck have been replaced 3-4 times now

the 1988 BII had issues with the headlight wiring harness melting in the steering column, it also has issues with wearing out the tricky little rear wiper/sprayer switch, I have about 20 of those suckers in a jar, every single time I see these and other parts in the junk yard I grab them... 86-90 rangers and BII's are getting more and more rare in the yards, 5 years ago there were ROWS of them, not its all Gen I explorer's and even Gen II's!

 

[Explodr94]

A lot of times the connectors are available at RockAuto.com for cheap. They are typically the right ones and you splice them in with a connector and shrink wrap. However, they don't always have everyone you need. I concur with everyone elso regarding the salvage yards. They are also a good source.

 

[73Elsinore]

Right on, thanks for the great replies!

410Fortune - Could you please write up a little step-by-step on how to take the connectors apart and replace the individual pins? I can't quite make it out from what you wrote. Thanks!!!

I live in a hot climate so most of the connectors in the donor trucks in the junkyards here are already knackered. If you just look at them crooked they fall apart.

Maybe we could get this thread stickied?

 

[Turdle]

http://rjminjectiontech.com/index.php?s=o2

Here is a source for connectors. Hopefully they will have at least a few we can use.