'Loom of Doom' repair question

[John_B]

I know this is probably a really stupid question, but please bear with me...

I've got this Loom of Doom repair kit, but no instructions.

Is there an equivalent male connector that I can crimp onto the existing wires and insert into these, or am I just supposed to crimp the open end of these connectors onto the existing wires?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Stevo7682]

Cut and piece in im afraid original loom has no joints over its length.
Stephen.

 

[John_B]

Cut and piece in im afraid original loom has no joints over its length.
Stephen.

Oh yeah I know that, I mean joining the existing wires to the new section. Do you know if it's just a simple crimp or are there some other connectors that mate with the ends of the new section. I've not had anything with these style of connectors before in my admittedly limited wiring experience!

 

[Duncodin]

I've never seen that repair kit in the flesh but it looks like you push your existing wire inside and crimp it.

But if it was me I'd cut the crimps off and solder the joins instead and cover the joint with shrink tube.

 

[Stevo7682]

Right get what you mean now .
Potentially yes.
Old mgb gt had wiring connectors similar looking to that .
So the bits ( metal bits not insulation) you have are like little tubes and the bits that go in are like little bullet shape so i imagine if they are the female fitting there mest be a corresponding male fitting.
Stephen.

 

[John_B]

I've never seen that repair kit in the flesh but it looks like you push your existing wire inside and crimp it.

But if it was me I'd cut the crimps off and solder the joins instead and cover the joint with shrink tube.

Good shout!

 

[t-tony]

They look like the uncrimped end. By far better to cut them off and solder the joins and use heat shrink tubing to insulate them.
The "bullet" type connectors from 1960s car would be too big to fit those tubes anyway.

Tony.

 

[Stevo7682]

This is what you have in the car cut this out a face-lift model breaker i was helping dismantle.

Cut your loom as long as you possibly can as you will find Bmw dont mess about with their wiring literally no extra to play with.
So the longer you can keep it the better.
The loom above is still in good condition that's why i cut it out so it left me with a spare rubber boot and a decent length of loom.
Stephen.

 

[Dxbolton]

I just crimped the connectors.
worked ok

 

[Stevo7682]

They look like the uncrimped end. By far better to cut them off and solder the joins and use heat shrink tubing to insulate them.
The "bullet" type connectors from 1960s car would be too big to fit those tubes anyway.

Tony.

Tony I just meant that they looked similar to that old design.
I was thinking of this comes various diameter thats the type of fit i was thinking of.
Stephen.

 

[Duncodin]

Looking at the pictures again it look like the blue and red female 'sockets' do expect you to have corresponding 'male' bullets. They should have been supplied.

But the clear ones look like where you push your existing bared wire in and crimp it.

No idea why some wires are socketed while others are crimps

Tony I just meant that they looked similar to that old design.
I was thinking of this comes various diameter thats the type of fit i was thinking of.
Stephen.View attachment 307095

I might use the bullets if I was connecting something that I might need to disconnect in future such as a radio. But for permanent loom I just prefer to solder and shrink tube.

Crimps do work if done right. I'm just useless cack handed at crimping and they often come undone. So I solder and it aint coming undone.

 

[John_B]

Crimps do work if done right. I'm just useless cack handed at crimping and they often come undone. So I solder and it aint coming undone.

I'm the same, don't know why I didn't think to just chop and solder in the first place!

thanks everyone for the suggestions and advice

 

[t-tony]

The guys who came to work at Tanvic, from Halfords, said they were banned (at Lincoln) from using crimps because they caused no end of problems. They had to solder all joints.

Tony.

 

[t-tony]

Tony I just meant that they looked similar to that old design.
I was thinking of this comes various diameter thats the type of fit i was thinking of.
Stephen.View attachment 307095

They are similar, although there are only 2 types of the insulated crimp variety, blue and red, the blue ones (larger of the two) are the only ones which would fit (the brass tube in a rubber outer) that all vehicles of the 60s and 70s used back then. The "red" ones (smaller) started to be introduced with wiring for stereos, 8 track and cassette decks etc.

Tony.

ps. Yes, I know, showing my age.

 

[Pond]

Just for info:
Red connectors are for 1.5mm2 cables
Blue are for 2.5mm2 cables.
Yellow are for 4mm2
etc

One of the main reasons crimped connectors are unreliable is that people use the wrong size cables for the connectors, especially in cars. The vast majority of car wiring is 1mm2 or less. Red connectors are fine as long as you 'double-over' smaller cables once stripped and twist together.

Crimped connectors are actually far better than soldering, as long as the crimp is good. Soldered joints can easily 'crack' with the constant vibrations of a car. The flux in the solder is also very acidic and remains so for years on the joint. This can damage the solder over time, ending in poor conductivity.

 

[ExMX5owner]

These things are a winner, various sizes, stick em on heat em up. job done...

 

[Oddly Godly]

The wires are very thin if you are not confident soldering it might be best to get someone else to do it.

 

[t-tony]

Soldering thin wires is not a problem, or shouldn’t be. However, removing the insulation can be as it is easy to takes a few strands of the wire off with the insulation.

Tony.

 

[John_B]

I'm fine with soldering, but thanks for the advice