How to remove tiny harness pin?

[JHZR2]

I’m at my wits end. Wasted way too much time trying to get amplifiers to turn and stay on.

I just can’t get the red pin, pin 6, out. It was corroded so it’s not even all there. Heck, I can’t get any pin to come out of these tiny harnesses.

I’ve tried removal tools, paper clips, straight pulling with a needle nose. Nothing works. I can’t get enough leverage. And the plastic is 32 years old and fairly soft.

There’s not enough slack to just let me cut the wire and destroy the pin. And I don’t really want to cut the harness and replace it because it is shielded to the amp it connects to. I need to remove and replace the stupid pin… for which ai still don’t know what size I need, and the ones I bought don’t fit. Sooo…. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[supton]

Got a pic of the replacement pin?

My guess, the small square hole is where access to the locking mechanism is. But I’d start by comparing the replacement pin to the harness, and see if you can figure out where to shove a pic in.

Unless if you don’t have the replacement pin yet?

 

[JHZR2]

Got a pic of the replacement pin?

My guess, the small square hole is where access to the locking mechanism is. But I’d start by comparing the replacement pin to the harness, and see if you can figure out where to shove a pic in.

Unless if you don’t have the replacement pin yet?

I don’t know what kind to use, so unfortunately no. That’s part of the reason why I’d like to get at least one out.

Using that small square hole is exactly what I was trying to do but I can’t seem to press on anything to get any pin to release.

 

[supton]

Hmm, not sure. Maybe bend a piece of buss wire and probe around, just to feel what is in there. My guess is that the contact uses a simple catch, and you just need to press it in, so that it releases. It’s finding where to apply pressure…. Need a bent probe I’m guessing.

There’s 10 pins here, and maybe a similar setup on the other end? Have you tried probing a different pin? Maybe try a different pin—once one is out, you’re going to have a much better idea what to do. The smaller gauge wires might have a different contact, and maybe you’ll get lucky.

I wonder if the catch is embedded into the body—have you pushed the wire end in, like trying to seat the contact? It should have minimal play, but some. I wonder if you have yanked it and driven the tab into the plastic body.

Alternatively: I’m wrong, and it’s not a tab on the contact, but rather the plastic body has a tab that catches the contact. In that case, you’d have to attack from the rear of the body, the wire side. Try probing that side, see if you can feel a protrusion on the side of the wall that is towards that small square opening. I wouldn’t guess that style but who knows.

 

[JHZR2]

Hmm, not sure. Maybe bend a piece of buss wire and probe around, just to feel what is in there. My guess is that the contact uses a simple catch, and you just need to press it in, so that it releases. It’s finding where to apply pressure…. Need a bent probe I’m guessing.

There’s 10 pins here, and maybe a similar setup on the other end? Have you tried probing a different pin? Maybe try a different pin—once one is out, you’re going to have a much better idea what to do. The smaller gauge wires might have a different contact, and maybe you’ll get lucky.

I wonder if the catch is embedded into the body—have you pushed the wire end in, like trying to seat the contact? It should have minimal play, but some. I wonder if you have yanked it and driven the tab into the plastic body.

Alternatively: I’m wrong, and it’s not a tab on the contact, but rather the plastic body has a tab that catches the contact. In that case, you’d have to attack from the rear of the body, the wire side. Try probing that side, see if you can feel a protrusion on the side of the wall that is towards that small square opening. I wouldn’t guess that style but who knows.

Hard to say. The power wires which are the ones that corroded and need to be replaced, are the ones I’ve needed. I tried to do a removal on a ground or speaker wire, but have not had luck with those either.

It’s true it could be the body holding it in. I do think that they are square shaped female pins, maybe even U shaped, and have a little bump (maybe folded over metal) that forces the contact.

I bought some that I thought were about right, 0.1”, 2.54mm, but the female hole is ever so slightly too small. I don’t know what’s the next size up. I know they’re all the same, and the power wire is 1mm2…

 

[Warstud]

 

[JHZR2]

Yeah there’s a million videos out there. Doesn’t mean I can get this stupid pin out…..

 

[Dave9]

Did you try pushing the pin further in the connector from the back/wire, while you inserted something in the holes on the face of the connector?

If "ALL" else fails, I would wrap a piece of solid core bare copper wire around a soldering iron tip, just large enough to fit in the connector contact, slide that in, be applying pull pressure on the wire and melt it out. When it comes time to reassemble it, hold the wire in when plugging it in so the pin is aligned in exactly the right position to mate with thing it's plugged into, and back fill the opening with epoxy to hold the wire in place, then once cured, unplug and replug to make sure it's solid in the connector body. Use the minimum amount of epoxy to get the job done, not enough to flow into the contact mating area and permanently epoxy the contacts together.

I don't understand the comment about not enough slack to just cut the wire. You mean not enough to then later re-join the wires? If so, simply add on a new piece of wire soldered onto both ends or with a new pin crimped on one end. At the same time I don't understand what cutting the wire would be beneficial for unless replacing the entire connector.

 

[Lubener]

There is a claw on the male pin or female socket that can be released with a dental pick and pulled out of the rear of the connector housing. Access it from the wire end or rear of the connector..

 

[paulo57509]

Have you tried tools like these?

Insert and Removal tools | Corsa Technic

Motorsport electrical products: OEM and hard to find terminals and connector kits, wiring, harness supplies, tooling, and sensors for modern and vintage motorcycle, automotive applications. Easy online shopping, low cost shipping options, to expedited around the world. We accept Paypal and...

www.corsa-technic.com

Insert/removal tools are often manufacturer-specific (to the connector, not the vehicle manufacturer). Sometimes, it's just easier to replace the entire housing and install new terminals.

Make of vehicle can sometimes help in locating replacement connectors (GM = Delphi, etc....)

 

[JHZR2]

Did you try pushing the pin further in the connector from the back/wire, while you inserted something in the holes on the face of the connector?

If "ALL" else fails, I would wrap a piece of solid core bare copper wire around a soldering iron tip, just large enough to fit in the connector contact, slide that in, be applying pull pressure on the wire and melt it out. When it comes time to reassemble it, hold the wire in when plugging it in so the pin is aligned in exactly the right position to mate with thing it's plugged into, and back fill the opening with epoxy to hold the wire in place, then once cured, unplug and replug to make sure it's solid in the connector body. Use the minimum amount of epoxy to get the job done, not enough to flow into the contact mating area and permanently epoxy the contacts together.

I don't understand the comment about not enough slack to just cut the wire. You mean not enough to then later re-join the wires? If so, simply add on a new piece of wire soldered onto both ends or with a new pin crimped on one end. At the same time I don't understand what cutting the wire would be beneficial for unless replacing the entire connector.

I’ve tried pushing it in from both directions. I have needle nose pliers to give it some force to try to get it out.

The melting is an interesting option. I don’t want to have to destroy the harness end. I think the pin being corroded may be part of the issue… some part of what springs back and forth may be gone. But my inability to get any other good pin out either is an issue.

The issue with there not being enough length is that this is a shielded audio harness. I can’t cut the wire (in order to literally destroy the female pin by contorting and bending it out), and still have enough slack to just crimp a new end and slide it in. I could solder another wire to it, sure, but it still needs to be before the shield, and given the length of the rest and the shield, bend radii may be an issue. TBD.

 

[JHZR2]

Have you tried tools like these?

Insert and Removal tools | Corsa Technic

Motorsport electrical products: OEM and hard to find terminals and connector kits, wiring, harness supplies, tooling, and sensors for modern and vintage motorcycle, automotive applications. Easy online shopping, low cost shipping options, to expedited around the world. We accept Paypal and...

www.corsa-technic.com

View attachment 144485

Insert/removal tools are often manufacturer-specific (to the connector, not the vehicle manufacturer). Sometimes, it's just easier to replace the entire housing and install new terminals.

Make of vehicle can sometimes help in locating replacement connectors (GM = Delphi, etc....)

Nothing that fancy. Just some keychain looking thing with tools that the ends look like it.


This is a 32 yo car and the harness was from the audio vendor.

 

[PimTac]

It wouldn’t be as simple as using a small flat screwdriver inserted into the smaller squares to depress the tab release?

 

[brianl703]

The issue with there not being enough length is that this is a shielded audio harness. I can’t cut the wire (in order to literally destroy the female pin by contorting and bending it out), and still have enough slack to just crimp a new end and slide it in. I could solder another wire to it, sure, but it still needs to be before the shield, and given the length of the rest and the shield, bend radii may be an issue. TBD.

Why couldn't you cut the shield back to gain enough slack to do what you need to do, and then use copper EMI shielding tape or a length of copper braid shield from some RG11 coax (probably available by the foot at a ham radio supply near you) to repair the shield?

 

[Mazomopar]

Soak it down good with something like PB blaster or Seafoam deep creep and wrap it in a rag a and let it sit. It is probably full of green crap and pins aren't moving. The blast it clean with canned or shop air and try again with the tools other suggested.

 

[JHZR2]

It wouldn’t be as simple as using a small flat screwdriver inserted into the smaller squares to depress the tab release?

I wish…

Finally got it. The corroded one wasn’t all there, which I think was the problem with release. I tried a two prong tool on a whim and that worked.

They are funky looking connectors. I pulled another once I found the two pin setup works.

 

[JHZR2]

Why couldn't you cut the shield back to gain enough slack to do what you need to do, and then use copper EMI shielding tape or a length of copper braid shield from some RG11 coax (probably available by the foot at a ham radio supply near you) to repair the shield?

I still needed to get the failed pin out.

Now I need to figure out what the replacement is….

 

[brianl703]

I still needed to get the failed pin out.

Now I need to figure out what the replacement is….

I'd have no hesitation about removing the connector from the board and soldering the wires directly into it.

 

[Nukeman7]

I still needed to get the failed pin out.

Now I need to figure out what the replacement is….

These guys carry all sorts of multi-pin connectors and terminals. You can probably find what you need by looking through their website catalog:

Ballenger Motorsports

 

[Dave9]

Can you find a brand symbol on the connector? If so, that narrows down which contacts were specifically designed for it.

From one of your pics, looks a lot like the contact itself has a metal spring tab on the back, but is bent in, in the picture which is common upon removal, so would need a stiff enough pin stuck in the smaller hole next to the contact hole, push the wire end into the back of the socket as much as possible and hold it there to give the spring tab some slack so it doesn't catch on the plastic of the connector shell, while levering the bottom of the pin in the hole, towards the contact to retract that.

If there is a lot of corrosion, it could be keeping the tab from springing backwards. In that case, I'd flush it with a mild acid (only in that one hole) trying to dissolve that, figuring if it's corrosion then the contact is probably done for anyway and you just want to get it out and buy a new contact.

Maybe a picture example, this looks like the position of the tab I'm thinking of when it's latched into the socket before removal, so it needs bent back to where it is in your equivalent pic: