Help plz, picture posted...
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Joined: May 2003
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From: Rural Catoosa Oklahoma
Help plz, picture posted...
Heres my dilema I ran into while tearing down the engine to replace head gaskets on my 302 MFI 5.0L.
This is the wire harness that connects to all the fuel injectors. The big circle on the left are two broken wires I discovered which lead to the fuel injector at front/right of engine. The big circle on the right is a broken wire that leads to the engine temperature sending unit. This explains the reason I haven't had a working guage for 6 years. Problem is, these stubs barely protrude from the main harness. I've never had deal with a harness this thick and taped. What is the best course of action to reconnect these broken ends? Peel and cut back, but then, probably more importantly, what kind of connectors should I use for these?
Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Chad
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Virginia
The best way to repair these wires is to peel it back like you mentioned, and then solder and use heat shrink tubing. When you are done, you will have an excellent connection and you will be pleased with how it looks.
You can find all this stuff at radio shack. Buy a small cheap soldering iron and some flux core solder. They also have the heat shrink tubing.
Strip the insulation back on the wires. You will probably want to add a small piece of wire in the middle if the repair looks to be under a little strain from ending up too short.
After you strip the wires back, slide a long piece of shrink tubing over one of the wires. Then twist the wires together. Try to make the twisted section as low a profile as possible, so the shrink tube can slide over it during the last step. Everyone has their different method for twisting the wires. I also sometimes form each wire into a hook, hook them together and then pinch the hooks together with needle nose pliers.
Then take your soldering iron and heat the twisted joint. Don't get the shrink tube hot, or it will shrink. While holding the soldering iron on the wires, touch the solder to the wires(not the iron itself). It may take a while for the solder to melt, especially if it's cool outside and the wind is blowing. Once the solder starts melting, let it flow into the twisted joint.
When it looks well joined with solder, and it's cooled off, slide the shrink tubing over the bare section of wire. Then heat the shrink tubing to shrink it to the wire. You can hold the soldering iron under and around the tubing without touching it, and it will shrink some, but a heat gun is best, and hair dryer may work, and if you are careful with the flame, a cigarette lighter will work if you don't melt the tubing.
You can find all this stuff at radio shack. Buy a small cheap soldering iron and some flux core solder. They also have the heat shrink tubing.
Strip the insulation back on the wires. You will probably want to add a small piece of wire in the middle if the repair looks to be under a little strain from ending up too short.
After you strip the wires back, slide a long piece of shrink tubing over one of the wires. Then twist the wires together. Try to make the twisted section as low a profile as possible, so the shrink tube can slide over it during the last step. Everyone has their different method for twisting the wires. I also sometimes form each wire into a hook, hook them together and then pinch the hooks together with needle nose pliers.
Then take your soldering iron and heat the twisted joint. Don't get the shrink tube hot, or it will shrink. While holding the soldering iron on the wires, touch the solder to the wires(not the iron itself). It may take a while for the solder to melt, especially if it's cool outside and the wind is blowing. Once the solder starts melting, let it flow into the twisted joint.
When it looks well joined with solder, and it's cooled off, slide the shrink tubing over the bare section of wire. Then heat the shrink tubing to shrink it to the wire. You can hold the soldering iron under and around the tubing without touching it, and it will shrink some, but a heat gun is best, and hair dryer may work, and if you are careful with the flame, a cigarette lighter will work if you don't melt the tubing.
