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Garbage boomslang connectors

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Old 12-21-2008, 11:03 PM
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Default Garbage boomslang connectors

It's just not working. Those little connectors aren't fitting in the housing and I'm apparently missing the slightly larger outer connectors. I'm a little pissed and I'm just wondering if I can just tap into the wires going into the ecu. For anyone familiar with the voodoo box kind of like that. The little clamp goes on the wire and I just plug my MS connections into that. Could this work? It would be just as reversible as the boomslang just a little more time consuming since it's not in a convenient little one push harness clip.

And..

Is the shielding from the white wire on pin 24 supposed to be soldered to pin 2 on the DB37 connector?

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Old 12-22-2008, 09:24 AM
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Originally Posted by rccote
Those little connectors aren't fitting in the housing

crimp them better.
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Old 12-22-2008, 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by Braineack
crimp them better.
Indeed. What are you (the OP) using for a crimp tool? This type of terminal does not respond well to brute force and pliers.


Originally Posted by rccote
I'm a little pissed and I'm just wondering if I can just tap into the wires going into the ecu. For anyone familiar with the voodoo box kind of like that. The little clamp goes on the wire and I just plug my MS connections into that.
Vampire Taps.

They'll work reasonably well for most of the signals so long as they're properly sized- red for 18 to 22 gauge, blue for 14 to 16. I don't like them as they create a focused stress point upon the underlying cable (promoting breakage), but I do admit to using them from time to time.

The one area where I'd not use them is for the grounds. You've got some serious current flow here, you need to ensure as little voltage drop as possible, and you want a serious connection. Cut the factory wires and use solder or butt-splices to insert a pigtail to which the MS can be connected, by way of insulated disconnects or barrel connectors if you absolutely require removability.


Is the shielding from the white wire on pin 24 supposed to be soldered to pin 2 on the DB37 connector?
Unless you are using a VR sensor, remove that silly shielded cable and throw it away. There's no point having 12" of shielded wire at the end of the line, when there's six feet of nonshielded wire (in the car's own harness) between it and the CAS. The center conductor is too thin to reliably crimp onto, and it's too fragile.

Just use a piece of regular ole' wire for the crank sensor signal.
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Old 12-22-2008, 10:01 AM
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I use this: D-Sub Pin Crimper - RadioShack.com

for the .040" contacts. Needle Nose pliers for the .070" contacts.


When you squeeze them, you have to make sure the crimp doesn't extended out, else it wont fit in the hole....it will fit if you shape any overhang vertically.
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Old 12-22-2008, 10:42 AM
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If you cant get them into the plugs then you are probably using wire thats too thick.

20 gauge is ideal.
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Old 12-22-2008, 11:21 AM
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I'll admit my crimping is pretty shitty so I'll quit dicking around and pick up the proper tool. Hopefully radioshack carries those contacts too since two are pretty much toast. It also looks like they screwed up my order and only sent me the 0.040" contacts and not the 0.070" ones. That explains some of my frustration. I'll just use the vampire taps as a plan B I guess. Thanks guys.
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Old 12-22-2008, 01:39 PM
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fwiw I used to run that yellow plug, but maybe mine was manufactured shitty but i had all kinds of problems with pins breaking off of it (and my car subsequently spontaneously not running anymore) so I cut the whole business out and cut pieces of insulation off of the wires on the harness I needed and soldered each wire into my harness like that, leaving the stock harness plugs intact.

You might not have this problem though, cause I relocated a lot of wire and put everything in the footwell. I had a girl press down on it with her foot once and my car died. Not great for a date.
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Old 12-22-2008, 02:39 PM
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Dont tap the factory wiring, wait for more clips or buy them somewhere.
I am warning you, its not worth fubaring the factory wiring.
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Old 12-22-2008, 07:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Saml01
Dont tap the factory wiring, wait for more clips or buy them somewhere.
I am warning you, its not worth fubaring the factory wiring.
its like 15 wires. I could cut my MS harness off and electrical tape up the stock harness where it would perform exactly like stock in a half hour.

Edit: I will say though that in my experience any of those plastic splicer things, really any and all of them, when you use more than three of them on the same project it quickly becomes a nightmare. solder is your friend.
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Old 12-22-2008, 11:19 PM
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Got all the 0.040" contacts in nice and neat. I now realize they need to be crimped a lot smaller than what I had to go in smoothly. Just need to put in the 0.070" contacts and this boomslang is almost done. Does anyone know if a local radioshack would carry the 0.070"s or do I need to reorder them.
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Old 12-23-2008, 12:03 AM
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Radio Shack carries virtually nothing in terms of crimp terminals other than Molex 062 and DB-style pins. You'll have to get them elsewhere.
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Old 12-23-2008, 12:14 PM
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