Wiring tools

[Tocoti]

Got the Ron F wiring. Could you recommend a crimper for the tail light connectors?

[Bob Cowan]

That's a Weather-Pack connector. You do need a special crimping tool to quickly and easily get it right. As usual, good tools are not cheap. I have one of these, and it works well. I thought after I finished the harness I was building, I would sell the tool and get some money back. But then I found other uses for those connectors.

http://www.diyautotune.com/catalog/ratcheting-crimper-for-weather-pack-connectors-1420-gauge-p-365.html

[edwardb]

Agreed those are Weather-Pack's, and you need a special crimping tool. The dedicated one Bob suggested I'm sure is good. Another option -- I think I heard about this on the other forum -- is the S & G Tool Aid 18920 Ratcheting Terminal Crimping Kit. What's nice about this tool is that it has multiple dies including ones for the Weather-Packs. It's available a number of places, including Amazon (where I got it) and it gets good reviews. I used it to wire my Mk4, and found a use for most of the included dies. All the crimps turned out great. Since it's a ratcheting type crimper (same as the one suggested by Bob) you tend to get better more reliable crimps than the cheaper type that don't have the ratcheting mechanism.

One other hint for Weather-Pack's. Buy an extractor tool. They're just a couple bucks. I guarantee at some point you will click one of the pins into the wrong hole, and you will find they are not easy to get out. (Ask me how I know.) The extractor tool is just a handle with a piece of tubing that fits over the pin to depress the little tab and you pull it out. You could probably make one. But they're so cheap, why bother. And you'll be able to remove the pins without doing any damage. (Ask me how I know that too.)

[Tocoti]

Thanks! I started getting the exterior lighting working before the body goes on. And I did have a few wires under the dash that I fixed. It could be that one of the switches actually vibrated 180 during the go Kart! Ha! Hey, on the rear lights, I was going to put the brake lights on the top and the turn on the bottom. Any thoughts on this?

[edwardb]

The typical rear light configuration is brakes on top high elements, turns on bottom high elements, running lights all 4 low elements.

[bansheekev]

Michael Everson at replicaparts.com has a great tool loaner program for the proper crimp tool. You can purchase the weather packs from him as well. You can keep the tool as long as you want. It's a great bargain to not dump a big chunk of change for a tool you will probably never use again...

Kevin

[carlewms]

I installed weatherpacks today. The right tool is really important and speeds up the process considerably. They are also much faster to use than conventional connectors and I am going to use them through tout the car, even where weather tight is not needed.

Carl

[Tocoti]

Thanks! Brakes up, turn down. I used needle nose pliers to bend the little tabs over on the molex then soldered. I checked and rechecked to make sure I wouldn't need a pin pusher. Well, I forgot to solder one connection and when I pulled on it the wire came out. Hmm, now I need a pin pusher. Measured it. About 1/8 inch. I actually found something I never use and I'm not sure where I got it. It's a pencil that has 1/8 lead in it, like a mechanical pencil. The tube that holds the lead was perfect. I'm a lucky sob.

[VdubJoe]

I have the one Bob mentioned too works great. Does both crimps at once. Actually bought a whole connector kit from them .

Joe