Best way to extract pins from a Star Wars wiring harness?

JC Arcade

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Best way to extract pins from a Star Wars wiring harness?

I have a complete wiring harness with a cracked main connector (see pic). I have another hacked to pieces harness that I want to steal the plastic connector from. I'm having a helluva time removing the pins though. I've tried paper clips with no luck. Any ideas?
 

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There is an extraction took designed for this, Bob calls it a .156 extraction tool.

I have had some luck with a bobby pin. Just make sure you push the wire in while you are inserting the extraction tool so that it fully releases the tang and then pull the wire out.
 
I have a complete wiring harness with a cracked main connector (see pic). I have another hacked to pieces harness that I want to steal the plastic connector from. I'm having a helluva time removing the pins though. I've tried paper clips with no luck. Any ideas?

You need a Molex 11-03-0016 contact extractor for these.
Don't buy the cheaper look-alike Waldom W-HT-1884 (same tool but with white plastic knob). The Waldom is a hair too wide and won't fit properly in many of these old Molex plugs.

Unfortunately, Molex is real proud of their contact extractors so expect to pay $16-$20 for one of these. Sad, considering what they are... and that they used to cost a couple bucks a few years ago.

Ed
 
Ya know, I wonder if I'm just better off gluing that cracked plastic instead of going through the trouble of removing all the pins. :confused:
 
I have a complete wiring harness with a cracked main connector (see pic). I have another hacked to pieces harness that I want to steal the plastic connector from. I'm having a helluva time removing the pins though. I've tried paper clips with no luck. Any ideas?

You shouldn't extract them.

You should take this opportunity as a great excuse to replace all of the crimp pins.
 
Mark, I still need to pop the ones out of the plastic connector from the old hacked harness. By the way, what style/# crimp pins are they? .156?
 
I just snip them off flush with the old pins, no need to remove the pins if your replacing the whole connector. Your loosing what....1/8" of wire, no biggie. No sense just replacing the housing when its a standard connector like that. Order a new one from bob roberts and dont worry about it again.
 
Mark, I still need to pop the ones out of the plastic connector from the old hacked harness. By the way, what style/# crimp pins are they? .156?

Just cut 'em... you're not going to be able to easily remove the old pins anyway if the crimp is good, so you might as well just snip 'em flush with the connector. You're only going to lose ~3/8" off the length of the wire...
 
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