Depinning & Repinning FC, FD & other connectors
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,067
Likes: 309
From: St Louis, MO
Depinning & Repinning FC, FD & other connectors
As the proud owner of a hand-built 20B RX-7, everyone here can appreciate the hard work that goes into a conversion. Not just in fabrication or tuning, but all of the little stuff like harness building and routing.
I'm on the verge of redoing my Haltech PS2K harness and need some suggestions on what wiring tools to purchase in order to make a clean, organized install. As this applies mostly to engine swaps such as a 20B conversion, I've opened this thread in the 20B section as it is most relevant in that manner.
The Haltech Platinum series ECU connectors, made by Tyco Electronics as part of their SuperSeal 1.0 line, are easy to de-pin. Push the white locking tab untill it clicks, tug on the wire to get it past the two 'bumps' and it comes right out. Takes a little more force than you'd expect, but isn't too hard. Getting them back in can be annoying since the locking tab won't lock back into place unless every single pin is perfectly in place. What I've found to work best on those stubborn pins is to push them with a sewing pin.
Delphi tools are easy enough to find. Jegs has a set for $10 that covers Metripack and Weatherpack up to 6.3mm wide (1/4") along with their unsealed versions, GT150 and GT280. This solves the LS1, LS2 and LS2 Truck (D585) coil connectors, along with the LS2 Corvette Coolant Temperature Sensor connector.
Tyco Electronics' AMP connectors can apparently be de-pinned with eyeglass screwdrivers. On my own personal S4, what I used on FEM-01 & FEM-02 was the tweezers on a Leatherman Micra pocketknife. It worked sufficiently in a pinch, but I think there has to be a better way. I would imagine the ECU connectors are depinned the same way.
This leaves a lot of connectors with no information on how to depin them correctly. A notable example is FE-04, the connector between the Front and Engine Harness that the CAS's signals are routed through to the ECU. The exact same connectors are used on the Trailing Coil and the CAS itself. These are all sealed connectors, using the same pins as the Leading Coil's connector.
Tyco's Faston series, and their japanese counterparts from Yazaki and Korea Electric Terminal (KET), are another series of connectors that seemingly lack de-pin information. While they commonly mate to 0.250" Quick Disconnect (QD) terminals, the community is still lacking in proper de-pin information. An example of these is the Starter Switch connector and the S4's horn connectors. I am fairly certain 0.187" and 0.110" versions exist as well.
Sumitomo is the manufacturer of quite a few S5 and FD device connectors, but there doesn't seem to be any information on depinning them either. Notable example is the S5 and FD Oil Metering Pumps.
One more area of question on the FC is the Logicon connectors. These are made by KET. These are the same style as the Turn Signal, Cruise Control and Wiper switch connectors, using 0.118" pins.
And last on the query list is Volkswagen's relay and fuse socket terminals. I am not sure who the manufacturer is, but the MkIV Jetta's main relay panel's bottom-side connectors are made by FCI in France using unsealed 0.110" and 0.187" QD-style terminals. It would stand to reason that the modular fuse and relay socket terminals would be manufactured by the same company, but I have not been able to confirm this. Those use 0.110", 0.250" and 0.375" QD-style terminals.
What I am asking for is information on these connectors regarding their manufacturers (if currently unknown), product line or series and terminal extraction method and tools that are known to work well.
I'm on the verge of redoing my Haltech PS2K harness and need some suggestions on what wiring tools to purchase in order to make a clean, organized install. As this applies mostly to engine swaps such as a 20B conversion, I've opened this thread in the 20B section as it is most relevant in that manner.
The Haltech Platinum series ECU connectors, made by Tyco Electronics as part of their SuperSeal 1.0 line, are easy to de-pin. Push the white locking tab untill it clicks, tug on the wire to get it past the two 'bumps' and it comes right out. Takes a little more force than you'd expect, but isn't too hard. Getting them back in can be annoying since the locking tab won't lock back into place unless every single pin is perfectly in place. What I've found to work best on those stubborn pins is to push them with a sewing pin.
Delphi tools are easy enough to find. Jegs has a set for $10 that covers Metripack and Weatherpack up to 6.3mm wide (1/4") along with their unsealed versions, GT150 and GT280. This solves the LS1, LS2 and LS2 Truck (D585) coil connectors, along with the LS2 Corvette Coolant Temperature Sensor connector.
Tyco Electronics' AMP connectors can apparently be de-pinned with eyeglass screwdrivers. On my own personal S4, what I used on FEM-01 & FEM-02 was the tweezers on a Leatherman Micra pocketknife. It worked sufficiently in a pinch, but I think there has to be a better way. I would imagine the ECU connectors are depinned the same way.
This leaves a lot of connectors with no information on how to depin them correctly. A notable example is FE-04, the connector between the Front and Engine Harness that the CAS's signals are routed through to the ECU. The exact same connectors are used on the Trailing Coil and the CAS itself. These are all sealed connectors, using the same pins as the Leading Coil's connector.
Tyco's Faston series, and their japanese counterparts from Yazaki and Korea Electric Terminal (KET), are another series of connectors that seemingly lack de-pin information. While they commonly mate to 0.250" Quick Disconnect (QD) terminals, the community is still lacking in proper de-pin information. An example of these is the Starter Switch connector and the S4's horn connectors. I am fairly certain 0.187" and 0.110" versions exist as well.
Sumitomo is the manufacturer of quite a few S5 and FD device connectors, but there doesn't seem to be any information on depinning them either. Notable example is the S5 and FD Oil Metering Pumps.
One more area of question on the FC is the Logicon connectors. These are made by KET. These are the same style as the Turn Signal, Cruise Control and Wiper switch connectors, using 0.118" pins.
And last on the query list is Volkswagen's relay and fuse socket terminals. I am not sure who the manufacturer is, but the MkIV Jetta's main relay panel's bottom-side connectors are made by FCI in France using unsealed 0.110" and 0.187" QD-style terminals. It would stand to reason that the modular fuse and relay socket terminals would be manufactured by the same company, but I have not been able to confirm this. Those use 0.110", 0.250" and 0.375" QD-style terminals.
What I am asking for is information on these connectors regarding their manufacturers (if currently unknown), product line or series and terminal extraction method and tools that are known to work well.
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,067
Likes: 309
From: St Louis, MO
Trust me on this one, I have a unique way of making nearly anything not work correctly. Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool, like ME 
It is well known in the VW clubs that a lot of their connectors from FCI Connector are a pain to de-pin. While the common hexagon-shaped de-pin tool will fit the 0.187" terminals, the prongs on it are too short to work. There's a demonstration of this on youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rlXZ...ure=plpp_video
What I was looking for was information along the lines of this, but tailored to our cars and their connectors from a variety of manufacturers. Just to be on the safe side, I bought a set of terminal tools on ebay, which includes the aforementioned Delphi ones and a boatload of others, including a couple for modern VW's. Normally, such a set sells for around $100. Mine retails for $130, but I snagged it for $35 shipped. Will post a review upon its arrival.
It is well known in the VW clubs that a lot of their connectors from FCI Connector are a pain to de-pin. While the common hexagon-shaped de-pin tool will fit the 0.187" terminals, the prongs on it are too short to work. There's a demonstration of this on youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rlXZ...ure=plpp_video
What I was looking for was information along the lines of this, but tailored to our cars and their connectors from a variety of manufacturers. Just to be on the safe side, I bought a set of terminal tools on ebay, which includes the aforementioned Delphi ones and a boatload of others, including a couple for modern VW's. Normally, such a set sells for around $100. Mine retails for $130, but I snagged it for $35 shipped. Will post a review upon its arrival.
I work with different OE connectors everyday and the one's in the RX-7 are childs play comparatively. My advice is to not rely on a set of standard picks from any tool supplier. Some of THE tools for a give connector don't work worth a damn. We make our own picks all the time. My favorite started life as a Ford diesel dipstick! Some work with a file and I now have a stout little pick that has a sharp enough edge to get under any retainer. Anything that is made of high quality spring steel can be cut down to make a good pick.
Again, I've never seen a connector in an RX-7 that was tough. I've broken some 20 year old retainers trying to pop them out, but that's to be expected. You shouldn't struggle with any of these. Some of the current Ford and GM stuff are like Chinese puzzles by comparison.
Again, I've never seen a connector in an RX-7 that was tough. I've broken some 20 year old retainers trying to pop them out, but that's to be expected. You shouldn't struggle with any of these. Some of the current Ford and GM stuff are like Chinese puzzles by comparison.
