General illumination connector question

[rcb5588]

I'm finally getting around to fixing a few things on my pinball machine (it's the only one I own, so not as familiar as I am with arcades). One of the issues was the general illumination in the backbox, which has been out for a while (the playfield is fine). I tested all the fuses and they're all good. I followed the wires to connector at J120 and realized that they're heavily burnt. I move the wires a bit, and the general illumination came on in the backbox. However they ended up tuning off a few minutes later, as I knew it wouldn't be a permanent solution, but was happy to know what the issue was.

Okay, so a few questions...

I read someone online that a cheap fix would be to switch the wires from one of the burnt up pins to a non-burnt one, since they are not all in use, but still all part of the same connector. Would this work in this situation?

I know for the long run I would be better off just replacing the connector. I skimmed through the manual quickly, but didn't find the part number. What is the exact name of that connector? Is it this? https://www.twistywristarcade.com/156-kk-series/800-connector-housing-11-pos-156-.html

And would these be the pins to get for it? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Qty-of-4-Mo...676747?hash=item1c5dda5fcb:g:J8AAAOSwd4tUGE33

By the way the machine is a Bally Party Zone.

Thanks in advance!

Ross

 

[Oryk Zinyo]

Those are not the correct pins.


Ed at Great Plains Electronics has everything you need. You are looking for the .156 Molex housings and pins. He does carry a cheaper brand that will work, but I usually stick with the Molex. Also, if you do not replace the header then your new connector will fail more quickly.

https://www.greatplainselectronics.com/

 

[Sprout]

Do not take shortcuts on this (ie solder the wires to the header pins). Replace the header pins on the board as noted, and replace the molex housing *and* all the pins on each wire. If you don't have a suitable crimper get one - it's a must-have, and will come in handy in the future. Expect to spend ~$25 for a good one. Get some .156 pins (trifurcon) to put on each of the wires. Practice crimping on some scrap wire to get the hang of it; it's not a big deal to learn to do.

If you replace the header pins, get a new housing, and replace *all* of the pins on the GI connector, it'll be solid for years to come, esp. in a home-use environment.

A good place to start if you've never done this is Clay's guide.

 

[ArcadeTechGW]

I agree with what everyone has provided.

If you solder the wires on, you'll just have problems later.

Fix it once, fix it right.

 

[rcb5588]

Thanks guys. I would never solder anything directly to a board. And I've re-built a few edge connectors before, so crimping is not a problem.

I was really just looking to make sure I buy the correct connector and pins for this. Switching the wires to a different pin on the already burnt connector wasn't something I was really considering, just more curious if that was logistically possible.

 

[scoots]

Regular .156 pins will work, but spend a little more and get the .156 Trifurcons. They will give you a more positive connection.