PCB wiring harness connector seperation

There’s no special tool that I know of, ….I took a cheesy tiny pocket screwdriver and put a very tiny 90 bend on the very edge …….using it as a picker, I use a second tiny flat head to hold the connector body on the PCB …….this later legacy stuff loves to pull the connector bodies off with the connector,……got to mind your P&Q’s when unplugging this latest stuff,…..also word of caution, invest in multiple colors of sharpie markers, …..Lionel loves to use the same pin # connectors for multiple slots,….& they’re not always color coated ….that’ll make ya more bizerk than simply just trying to unplug the darn things,…….I can’t tell you how many times the connector body tries to come off with the plug on the Legacy radio boards….

Pat

Actually, there is a tool that is close to a custom tool, they are Non-Slotted Locking Pennington Forceps.  I bought these on Amazon specifically to address that very problem.

I never knew something like that existed, …….I’m calling Jeff Besos as we speak,….

Pat

@harmonyards posted:

I never knew something like that existed, …….I’m calling Jeff Besos as we speak,….

Pat

I saw it on a medical website so I went looking for it.   It works great.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I saw it on a medical website so I went looking for it.   It works great.

Naturally, Jeff has them for small money ……I got some on the way!…..thanks John!..

Pat

I bought one from a small tools guy at a train show. I use it for holding small wires for soldering.

How does that tool get a PS-3 wire out of the connector?

I use a pin to lift the tab on PS-2 and 3 connectors and then gently pull the wire/connector out.  PS-2 are no issue.  Some PS-3 are stuck in the connector and the wire does break out of connector.  Have to get connector out and then I rewire it.

For Molex there are tool that are flat the push into the connector to release the tab so that connector come out easier.  G

@GGG posted:

How does that tool get a PS-3 wire out of the connector?

George, look at the topic starter's query.  We were discussing how to pull the plugs without pulling the individual wires out of the contacts.

@otww posted:

What is the best way  to seperate  wiring harness connectors without pulling on the wires?  Some of the connections can be tightly seated.  There must be a small tool which can be safely used in tight locations to pull the connections straight up or out to disconnect.

Obviously, to pull individual wires out of the connector, these are not useful.  I personally typically use an X-acto knife.

OOps, I interpreted it wrong.  I just use a small flat tip screwdriver for that. G

@GGG posted:

OOps, I interpreted it wrong.  I just use a small flat tip screwdriver for that. G

If that's what's handy, I may use the tiny screwdriver as well, I just fine the X-Acto knife frequently does it a bit easier.

For the Molex Mini-SPOX connectors that MTH uses for Lights/smoke/couplers, the "approved removal technique is to simply crush the tab and replace the contact.  I do sometimes carefully compress the tab to remove them and then pick it back up with an X-Acto knife, but many times I just crunch it and put a now contact on.

For the 3mm Molex Micro-Fit connectors that Lionel uses for power frequently, there is a removal tool that I have to remove those contacts.

@John H posted:

I bought one from a small tools guy at a train show. I use it for holding small wires for soldering.

I use them the same way for holding wires together for soldering, and small parts for gluing together or painting. I've been a guest in enough operating rooms in my lifetime and always saw them on the surgurial trays, I had to ask about them and one of the surgeons showed me how they worked. I found a set at a fairly local to me train & hobby shop and got it. They work great. Better than gluing your fingers together!😁