Tricks for getting harness plugs back in the tub

[techweenie]

I couldn't find anyone mentioning this in a prior post, so apologies if I missed it.

I have a couple of harness plugs (turnsignal harnesses) that I need to put back in the chassis holes -- front tub and engine compartment.

Any tricks to this? The plugs are 33 years old and not terribly flexible.

[Superman]

Multi-conductor plugs usually have a method of disassembly that will facilitate this. Those 14-pin connectors snap apart, in half. The wires just lay in there. Sounds easier than it is, but they can be disassembled and reassembled.

But the more typical plugs have a different method. The conductors in the plugs can be various shapes. Round, flat, whatever. There is a tab on each of the connectors that are in that plug. The tab faces backwards and sticks out slightly from the body of the connector. Again, here we are talking about the little things inside the plug that wires are connected to, and that slide onto the connectors at the 'female' plug (or vice versa). The tab that pokes backward that sticks out a little from the body of the connector engage a tab inside the plastic plug. So, they 'snap' in and the reason they don't pull out is because this tab is engaged on the tab in the plastic plug.

For each shape of connector, there is a special tool (there are many special tools that are round, small and have several different sized tools sticking out like a 2-D porkupine). These tools slip in between the connector and the plug, and they depress the tab on the connector so it can slip back out of the plug. Very useful tool, if you have to pass wires through a hole that is too small for the plastic plug.

[1982911SCTarga]

Superman's correct -- the plugs can be disassembled to allow the individual bullet connectors to go through the grommets and then be reassembled. It's deceptive -- some of the plugs don't "look" like they come apart, but they do.

As for the non-flexible part (after 25 to 30 or more years of age), I use a throwaway paint brush to apply a 50-50 mix of dishwashing detergent and water to the harness/wires/grommets to slick things up and allow the harness to more easily be pulled through to its proper destination.

Think ahead, too, about the order of your pulling-through of various items.

Brian

[techweenie]

Are you sure these disassemble?

These are the specific type of plugs I'm referring to -- though they are for the turnsignal harnesses.

[TimT]

Those dont disassemble. Well they do but they are ruined if you do so.

Use some glycerin or some sort of lube on the plug, apply pressure and kind of screw it in.

[1982911SCTarga]

Bill, you could clean the outer wrap and those rubber plug-in grommet connectors before you re-install. For stuff like that, I use a mild Simple Green solution and then treat with Adam's VRT. It helps get rid of those musty, dusty old-car smells.

Like Tim says, just lube those fittings with dishwashing liquid and press them home.

Brian

[Crachian]

What they said. Getting all the crud off, particularly in the groove makes it easier. And then I lubed them up with Vinylex (or vaseline works well too--I don't like soap because it's that much harder to get them out) and worked them in, pushing all the way to one side and using a small, dull, flat screwdriver to persuade the outer lip to come through hole.

[Dennis Kalma]

Soak them in hot water for a minute and they slip right in....the warmed rubber is far more compliant...

Dennis

[Shaun @ Tru6]

as some others have said, and I use a combination of:
hair dryer
dull screwdriver with a shop rag over the end
light grease

works pretty well.

I've also heard of covering with plastic wrap which is lower friction and then just tearing away, but never done it.

[Superman]

When I want to make something as absolutely slippery as possible, I use silicon grease. That's the stuff you would use to insert a telephone pole into a gnat's ear.

[RWebb]

if you use grease then it will stay slippery - and maybe sliiiippp back out

I use soapy water.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

heeeeeeey, that picture looks familiar! haven't done a thing to the car since.