Crimping and replacing connectors
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
| Guide details | |
|---|---|
| Topic | Skill |
| Applies to | Both |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| How often | — |
| Tools needed | Ratcheting crimp tool Wire strippers Replacement housings and pins Pin extraction tool Multimeter |
Burnt, loose, and corroded connectors cause a huge share of arcade and pinball problems: resets, dim lights, dead coils, and melted plugs.
Spotting a bad connector
- Brown or black discoloration, melted plastic, or a burnt smell
- Pins that are dull, dark, or loose in the housing
- Problems that come and go when you wiggle the connector
A burnt connector usually needs both halves replaced: the plug and the header pins on the board.
Know your connector
Many machines use Molex-style connectors with pins spaced 0.100" or 0.156" apart. Measure the pin spacing and count the positions so you buy the right housings and pins. Check whether the original uses crimp pins or "IDC" (press-on) pins.
Crimping a pin
- Take a photo of the connector and note which wire goes in which position.
- Use the right wire size for the pin (check the pin's specs).
- Strip the wire to the length the pin needs, usually a few millimeters. Don't nick the strands.
- Put the pin in a ratcheting crimp tool made for that pin type. Pliers make weak crimps that fail later.
- Insert the wire and squeeze until the ratchet releases.
- Pull test: tug the wire firmly. It shouldn't move.
- Push the pin into the housing until it clicks.
Replacing one wire at a time
Move wires from the old housing to the new one one at a time so you can't mix up positions.
Check your work
Use a multimeter on continuity to confirm each wire connects from end to end, and that no wire is shorted to its neighbor.