Squirrels Got Me Good

[LorenS]

Drove the truck last Tuesday, then proceeded to get awfully sick so truck sat and became a nest.  Wanted to move my trailer, no start, and found this.

 

No idea how to take the pins out of the plugs so I can attempt repair. Guess I'll research this over the weekend. Sweatshirt weather today, and Winter begins tonight with sleet and snow, and 4 degrees by Sunday! Late start this year.

[IBMobile]

I feel your pain.  I have an S60 Volvo in my back yard That I'm saving for my granddaughter that the rabbits were munching on.  They've taken out an O2 sensor, cam position sensor, and a transmission speed sensor.  Now I try to keep them at bay with a spray I get from Home Depot called  Havahart Critter Ridder 3145.   I spray the wires about once every two weeks.

 

You may want to invest in a terminal removal tool set.  They are less than $20 and will make the job quick and easy.  There are also a few how to videos on YouTube.

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+depin+a+connector

[LorenS]

Somewhere around here I have a couple sets of removal tools. They are not where they should be!  However, I still don't know how to take apart this connector - or even if I need to, but it sure appears I do. So far none of the videos I've watched has been of use.

 

Sounds like you and I need to eat more rodent/vermin.

Edited December 31, 2021 by LorenS

[IBMobile]

5 minutes ago, LorenS said:

I still don't know how to take apart the connector - or even if I need to, but it sure appears I do.

The top connector has a tab you push down as you pull them apart.  The bottom connector has the white lever that you pull up on; this will sperate the connector.

 

10 minutes ago, LorenS said:

Sounds like you and I need to eat more rodent/vermin.

I did a lot of rabbit hunting when I live in Rhode Island.

[JAG1]

We need electrical tape that has arsenic. 

[Great work!]

That's going to be a real mess to repair. You can try to find new pins and then try to crimp them without a special tool and still the wires will be shorter. You may have to resort to soldering the wires together and using heat shrink tubes. I have the same rodent problems at my house. I have some new kittens that are getting bigger now so that should help. The rats ate every thing in my jet ski, even metal parts.

[LorenS]

Amazingly, nothing has touched the BHAF.... Yet.  This is making me consider reinstalling the old air box - though some rodent took a bite out of it, too!

 

I have every intention of putting in some lengths of wire for the repairs, not trying to only use the factory wire - there are pieces that are nearly chewed through in 2-3 places.

 

I have used Critter Ridder in the past, just never under the hood. And, the squirrels in that situation continued to eat my house where applied.

[Mopar1973Man]

Leave the hood open. Most mice and rats won't hang around typically.

 

[Doubletrouble]

 I dont know if they work or not but they make those sonic pest repellants. Plugs into an a/c outlet. Maybe put them outside? 

[JAG1]

I noticed during cold weather if I plug in the block heater for extended days/nights that I start getting mice in there making a nest. No wires chewed yet just the sound deadening was torn away on the firewall. Extended parking without the block heater and there is no evidence of rodent activity.

[IBMobile]

7 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Leave the hood open.

I do that too along with the Critter Ridder.  I use a piece of 2X4 to keep the hood open about 4".

 

11 hours ago, LorenS said:

This is making me consider reinstalling the old air box -

An air filter box is a critter condo.  Mice and rats just love them.  Over the years I've found numerus nests in them.  They also use them for food storage; I even found one filled with green poison bait pellets.  

[Mopar1973Man]

Even AFe with the airbox is a mouse condo. BHAF is pretty good choice and I've not seen and had any problems. 

Edited January 1, 2022 by Mopar1973Man

[JAG1]

2 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Even AFe with the airbox is a mouse condo. BHAF is pretty good choice and I've not seen and had any problems. 

I cut and bend 1/4 x 1/4 inch hardware screen to go in the inlet side. Seems to have helped.

[Mopar1973Man]

@JAG1Sorry to say I can't use a stock air box too restrictive for Beast. I'm sure not going to dust a good engine with washable filters so BHAF is the solution. Filter in a wire mesh cage. 

[Silverwolf2691]

I know a large amount of plugs on our trucks are from Delphi, sold as Metri-pack or Weatherpack connectors.

 

I looked into a full race wire conversion on my truck, "hiding"/routing wires better and to better incorporate some of the electrical add ins. Race spec stuff gets expensive really really fast however. 

 

But the two connectors there I don't know.. especially because it seems each plug manufacturer has their own way of crimping terminal ends.. 

 

Best bet might be to find someone parting out a Cummins and either straight replace or de-pin, cut and solder to the original harness..  

[Mopar1973Man]

Another you could do is pull the entire engine harness and send to @Auto Computer Specialist they do harness repairs of this type.

[LorenS]

23 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

pull the entire engine harness

[wil440]

Check out Deutz connectors, Caterpillar use them and they are infinitely rebuildable/fixable, local Cat dealer will stock them in all sizes from 2 terminal upwards

 

They are also on Amazon and Ebay, very common here not sure where you are

 

The terminals are crimped onto the wires but the down side of that is at least here in the UK the crimp tool is expensive as it has 4 pieces that push into the terminal to crimp it, locks just pull out with a simple hook tool which is easily made.

 

Thing is you wouldn't really need to get Deutz connectors that 100% mirror what you need, say you have a 20 wire connector you could use any to get you there may mean more than one but you can use blanks for the ones you don't need

ONE TIP that you should not disregard.... buy gold plated terminals and this is not some bling this means the actual surface area between the 2 pieces is greatly increased, here gold plated are over a £1 each but well worth it.

I would take pictures of each connector, chop them out and replace with deutz and I'll bet you can get the crimp tool for $20 at home depot or sears or the like

Or I'll post you mine and you post them back

Every connector that I have to fix on my truck gets replaced by a Deutz

 

and here is another tip, if you look into a connector both male and female and it has either a green or orange piece in the centre try and hook it out if it comes out and what it's connected to are junk cut it off and keep both, disassemble and all you need are pins and sockets

[LorenS]

Thanks, @wil440.  I just pulled the trigger a bit ago on a weather-pack set, supposedly genuine Delphi (for the cost I sure hope it is...)

Perhaps I should cancel it and buy this even more expensive set- but I may have to do something different for the 12-gauge wires:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00724M7SK/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1p13NParams&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzUEZJN0ZHRzZIUkZZJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTM4ODg1MlFPUjY2VU9FNDJVNiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzQxOTk0Mjk3WjVFUThGNU0wMCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbDImYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

Edited January 3, 2022 by LorenS

[IBMobile]

13 minutes ago, wil440 said:

Check out Deutz connectors,

Someone else here used these years ago.

 

https://www.deutschconnector.com/products/deutsch_connectors/deutsch_dt_series_connectors/

 

https://www.deutschconnector.com/products/deutsch_pins_and_sockets/deutsch_dt_pins_and_sockets/

 

https://www.deutschconnector.com/products/deutsch_connector_tools/deutsch_connector_crimp_tools/HDT-48-00/