Speed/ Ref sensor harness connectors
 

What trick do you guys use to disconnect the open barrel terminals from the connectors? All the picks I have are too large to fit in the sides of the connector I’m changing. Thanks all.

I use a small pick tool and remove the metal spring clip from the female end of the connector. Once the metal clip is removed, the male end of the speed or reference sensor will slide out of the harness side or female connector.

Yeah, I use an awl to get those metal clips off the sensor connectors, and also the injectors.

I use a very small screwdriver on the end of the metal retainer on the long side of the connector. Once you have pushed the retainer away stick anything in there to hold it off, piece of wire, paperclip, toothpick. Do the same for the other side and the connector should pull apart very easily. This type of fitting is all over these engines.

Jon

Thanks for the advice guys, but I’m actually talking about the open barrel terminals that are connected to the wires inside of the plastic connector. My female connectors were broken and epoxied together (bad shape). I’ve changed my speed and reference sensors which give me new male connectors, but I am changing the female side and would like to disconnect the terminals and wires as one piece because the third black wire is actually a braided shield wire that protects the others and keeps vibration and signal normal. My work would be much easier if I could just change a little bit of the existing wire. I’m already going to shrink wrap the wire, but disconnecting the terminals would be ideal. If anyone knows an almost easy way, that would be supper. Thanks again for all advice given and anyone who has done this I appreciate the help.

I spliced in a new female connector from a spare harness,the one with the braided shield wire,it's possible to do a nice job with correct butt connectors and some heat shrink.
So far so good as i was having some intermittent starting problems before and i traced it down to that particular connector ...

Cheers
Phil

Thanks for the information guys. I think that is the route I will be taking wildcat, a few butt connectors and wires.

Texas Blake has a thorough write up on that.

Someone told me Lindsey Racing has replacement connectors

You will find everything you need right here including the correct insertion/extraction tool to do the job correctly: Eagleday.com

I replaced the whole (speed and reference sensor) wiring harness back to the DME with the Lindsey Racing parts. It is pretty straight forward. I tried to replace just the connectors for the speed and reference sensors but the existing wiring was too brittle. I also found it very hard to make a new connector for the shielded ground wire after I cut the old connector off. This is on my 87 NA with 264K on it!

Mytunes:

"Yundar" is on point.
Just did this for a customer on an 87 Auto about 6 weeks ago. A little back breaking but worth replacing the two older wiring back to the DME. Once done, car no longer was intermittent in starting, missing or having higher idle above 840 rpm. Starts up, runs strong and powers through to redline.

No other way around this one fella's. Later.

I replaced this harness on my 87 auto a couple of months ago, it made a vast improvement in the way the car runs. When I replaced mine I was troubleshooting a no-start / no spark condition and kept getting different readings from the speed/reference sensors.

EagleDay has the proper terminal-extraction tool:
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/eagleday_2267_85014825

Stick one of the small flat tools into the tiny rectangular hole from the mating end of the connector next to the terminal. You can also use a small precision flat-tip screwdriver. It will bend back the catch-tang and you can pull on the wire to remove from the plastic connector housing.

R & R the terminal with a new one and slide back into the housing.
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/eagleday_2267_94193456

Personally I hate the stock connector with its finicky spring-clip. Whenever I encounter a bad speed/ref/ISV connector, I just clip it 6" from the end and butt-splice in a new connector. The spring can be finger-operated for easy disconnect. And this has a rectangular seal that mates up to the male end of the sensor-connector to keep moisture and corrosion out.
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...32827808#Full0
http://s7d9.scene7.com/is/image/Genu...Company/103064
Napa - ECH EC173 3-terminal connector