What is this tool called?
 

I want to purchase the crimp tool designed to crimp these pins to wire for the purpose of building my own PCM subharnesses.

http://www.onlinecomponents.com/prod...9_pr173630.jpg
http://www.onlinecomponents.com/prod...0_pr174514.jpg

Yes I know I can smash them with a plier, that's not what I'm looking for.

The official uber tool costs a sweet bit of coin. I'm pretty sure its like above $300.

I think they are just called pin crimpers, or pin crimping tools.

i use a needle nose for the large .070" ones

and for the .040" ones, this:

http://rsk.imageg.net/graphics/produ...266272w345.jpg
D-Sub Pin Crimper - RadioShack.com

Know what it's called? There's gotta be a low cost version intended for limited use.

I'm sure the version of the tool designed for high volume, mil-spec connections is extremely expensive. I want the "home" version of that tool.

Fail.

The crimping part is easy. I like how the fancy tool (whatever its called) loops the part of the terminal that holds it to teh wire perfectly.

I can replicate with pliers, just thought it would be cool to have the real tool, as often as I find myself workign with these types of terminals.

the crimping tool I use does that....I'll do a pictorial tonight.

The fancy tool is like $500+

http://tooling.tycoelectronics.com/pdf/65780.pdf

http://www.onlinecomponents.com/buy/AMP-TYCO/91506-1/

Fuck...

I had a huge and thoroughly detailed response written, and it somehow went away.

Short version:

In my arsenal, I have over a half-dozen different crimping tools for all the different pins I encounter in the pro audio world. Average price (for the name-brand ones) is usually in the $200-$300 range, though a couple of 'em, such as the insulated barrel tool and the D-sub tool, were much less.

At the high-end, there is usually a unique tool or die for every single different family of pins out there. Molex, for instance, probably sells 50 different hand-tools for all their different connector families. I have three different Molex tools; one for the 062 series, one for the MiniFit-Jr series, and one for a tiny-ass little terminal that I can't remember the name of which we don't use anymore. I have one tool specifically for AMP Mod-IV pins, one for EDAC fork terminals, one for Hirose Euro-style pins, etc.

If you can find out who manufactured those terminals, you can find the right tool for them.

Failing that, generic crimp tools are available that have a bunch of different dies, and you can usually find some combination of them that will work for the wire-side and insulation-side of any given terminal. Example: Parts-Express.com:*Crimp Tool For .093" Pins 24-14 Gauge | molex tool crimp tool pin connector Electronic tool pin molex multipin electrical connector

On the down-side, you'll never get a professional-looking termination with one of these, even in professional hands. But they're often "good enough" to at least get the terminal formed into a shape that'll fit into the housing. Worst-case, you can draw a tiny bit of solder into the wire end after crimping, to firm up the connection.

Just search for "pin crimper" on ebay. There's a bunch around $20, and one store even has a Rat Shack d-sub one for $8.99 BIN w/ free shipping, if that will work for you.

I did the pliers & solder thing when I built my MS harness and it was a bit tedious. I recently placed an order for some Weatherpack connectors and decided to buy the cheap $20 crimper for those. It works fine, and there was no way I was paying for the "official" $100+ version of the same tool.

I'd like to know how such a hand tool can be so goddamn expensive.

Because they don't sell >1 million units per year. Quantity or competition are what drive down price.

A D-sub crimper will not work. Those pins are a hell of a lot smaller than a typical ECU terminal- if it doesn't break the tool, you'll just smash the bejeezus out of the terminal. If you were to get any RadioShack tool, you'd want the one they don't sell any more to go with the knockoff Molex connectors that they do still carry.

Short of buying the "right" tool, the non-ratcheting one from Parts Express that I linked to above is about as close as you're going to get. It's possible that you may find something similar at an auto parts store, such as one intended for use with weatherpak terminals.


Same reason Rosenthal charges $5.95 for a single exhaust manifold nut.

Because they can.

The problem is that pro-grade crimping tools are a relatively esoteric commodity. Because they're fairly specialized, they're also fairly low volume on a per-design basis. Every single terminal family requires a different tool to crimp it with, so the sales-per-year on any one single tool design is low.

Good crimp tools for insulated barrel connectors (butt splices, spade lugs, etc) used to be the same way. The really awesome ones from Panduit still fetch $300-$350 when purchased from somebody like DigiKey, for the few industrial customers who still buy them. Eventually, the Asian manufacturers wised up and started making knockoffs that are 99% as awesome, but can be had in the US for under $50. I bought a new one a couple of months ago to replace my >10 year old one that got killed when my garage flooded, and honestly, you can't tell the difference between it and one of the $300 units, either in terms of the quality of the connections it makes or the hand-feel and ease of use.

Think of it another way- there are a hell of a lot of Toyota Corollas in the world. As a result, it's pretty lucrative for a Chinese manufacturer to open a production line to make replacement clutch slave cylinders for them, and therefore, you can buy them pretty cheaply. On the other hand, the number of Lamborghini Miuras out there is pretty low, so there's no incentive to build aftermarket parts for them. If you need a new timing gear for one, well, you'd better get out the ---- lube.

I'm so going to prove Joe wrong tonight when I get home. The $8 D-sub crimper is great for the .040" contacts.

I'd be happy to be proven wrong here.

It'll probably work on 22-24ga wire on a terminal intended for something like a PCB header. Not so much for 14-16ga wire on the outer pins of the ECU connector.

But I can't say I've ever tried it. I use my Molex 062 tool on that sort of pin.

I use 18awg wire on those pins, and 16awg on the .070 contacts.

I just use the crimp tools at work. we've got half a dozen different ones.

and yes, they are all like $400. digikey sells them...

Probably your best bet is a Paladin 1306. It might be generic enough to do what you need.

dayum son. I didn't think anything larger than 20ga would work on the .040 pins.

maybes it 20awg and 18awg. i cant remember.

I have a similar looking crimper in my tool box already. I just tried it, and it probably works for the mechanical connection fine. No, not pro looking, but it appears that the crimp has been made compactly enough to slide the terminal into the connector. I could probably use it for mechanical and a plier for the electrical connection, or simply get a little solder in there.

That's what I'm looking for, simultaneous mechanical and electrical crimps and $50. Wonder if it works.

buy one from somewhere with a return/exchange policy.

one thing you wont find cheap that the real deal crimpers have is stuff like end stops and holding clips. you can spring clip the pin in place all lined up with the dies and then hold it all in one hand while you stick the stripped wire in. very nice when shit is so tiny.