TheSamba.com :: View topic - Large Quick Disconnect Terminals to Fit Voltage Regulator 'B+'

Fri Jun 23, 2017 5:35 am

Does anyone know where the female connectors to fit the 'B+' terminal can be sourced so that unspliced wires can be fabricated? The voltage regulator has been relocated so longer wires are needed. Auto parts stores don't have them here and online electronics stores have info that is difficult to decipher regarding sizes. Thanks for any help!

Fri Jun 23, 2017 6:19 am

If you are talking about the huge female spade connectors with the yellow crimp sleeve for 10-12 gauge wire, NAPA carries them. Most of their stores are independently owned, so what is in stock on the shelves will vary based on what the owner/manager wants to carry. I worked the parts counter at one for four years and remember being surprised that they were stocked. They come in those little "blister packs" of 5. Honestly, I never sold a single package of them to a customer so they are not big sellers. I actually bought some just for my stash knowing they are not easy to find when you need. Ask the counter man to look at the big accessory catalog and they should be in the electrical section. Most of the stuff in that big book is at the warehouse and they should be able to get on their night delivery next morning.If you still can't find them send me a PM.

Fri Jun 23, 2017 7:48 am

Possibly Ace Hardware, little drawers in the electrical section; ask an employee there who has gray hair.

Fri Jun 23, 2017 11:27 am

You're looking for .375" female spade connector.
Picture shown here but out of stock...
http://www.repairconnector.com/375-wide-female-spade-vw-connector-12-10-awg-yellow-25-pack/

Fri Jun 23, 2017 11:44 am

I had the same problem when I switched to an electronic voltage regulator so I had to buy a package of them in order to get one. Let me know your address and I will drop a couple in the mail for you. You will need some good uninsulated terminal crimpers to put them on with unless you want to just smash it with a pair of pliers. Use heat shrink to insulate around the crimp.

Fri Jun 23, 2017 5:36 pm

Everyone, thanks so much for the info and offers! bluebug66, how about I send you a SASE (PM send your snail mail addy to me) and a few bucks so you can have your favorite beverage on me! I just need one of those connectors. My buddy has the crimping pliers. Just getting the dual Kadron 1776 engine and Rancho tranny in the '58 Bug has been a bit of a chore so I can't even imagine the effort roachdub58 and you others have been through!

Fri Jun 23, 2017 6:37 pm

Not as good as bluebug66's offer, but a source for future reference......
http://www.riwire.com.

Sat Jun 24, 2017 12:14 am

Heck, I've run across them, not even looking for them, as a surprise, more than once while rooting around various connectors at FLAPS locations, and I bought some of them "just to have around". Still, I also have a few factory cables with that ginormous spade crimped on the ends, and I think I'd rather cut one of those off a couple inches back from the connector, and do an in-line crimp to the wire, rather than just slap on a new end connector... but that's ONLY because I happen to have that option. In years past I've crimped the end connector on and it worked fine.

Sat Jun 24, 2017 5:38 am

rcroane- thanks for posting that resource! I'll bookmark it for future.

glutamodo- thanks, I have my wire spliced presently but what I'm after is to NOT have a splice show. I'm after a 'Holy Grail' kind of look with my '59 that satisfies me, myself and I and to heck with everybody else... right? lol And... my '57 is reaching a level of restoration no mere mortal will be able to endure! I can 'take it' because I've been working on it for over 20 years off and on.

Sat Jun 24, 2017 8:08 am

Take care with crimping. less than good crimps can lead to failure, melted wires and such, this wire on the regulator is NOT fused.

a poor crimp can cause excess heat, which increases resistance, generating more heat, insulation melts, wire shorts to ground, yuck!!!

use of proper crimp tool and technique is important. the more current flow, the bigger the issue becomes. also be sure to use fine strand wire, house wire, applience wire is not fine strand, and is much more likely to fail at the crimp than fine strand wire

an excelelnt source of quality connectors and fine strand wire is West Marine, they have nation wide stores and a very good online catolog. Marine use wires must be fine strand as fine wires resist vibration pull out, unlike course wires. both boats and autos suffer from vibration.

cheap poorly made crimp tools should be avoided. a quailty well designed tool will give mush better results

so fine wire strands, quality crimp tool and quality connectors (some brands are very poorly made) and quality technique and youll be golden!

good luck

LINK....
https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Marine-Wire-Terminal-Tech-Specs

Sun Jun 25, 2017 2:09 am

boxkiteflyer wrote:
glutamodo- thanks, I have my wire spliced presently but what I'm after is to NOT have a splice show..

Understood. Still, you could always just cut the plastic sleeve off of an inline butt splice, or even just solder the wires together, then use a layer (or two even) of heat shrink tubing over it and it will be hardly noticeable. That's why I've held onto this short wire with a big'un spade on each end, intending to do some line of inline-butt-splice at what time I should need to replace one of VR connections on my bugs.

My 62 has to have spliced on big spades, since the original VR used soldered-end wires clamped on, and I use a 12V SSVR. I've never totally liked the plastic-covered terminal I ended up using, thus my plan I mentioned above. And you can see how I totally hid the other crimp connector under heat shrink. Oh, and in this photo, you can see where I used heat shrink tubing over crimp-on ring terminals for D+, where I had cut off the plastic sleeves prior to heat shrinking them. Looks fairly clean, if not totally stock.

Sun Jun 25, 2017 9:32 am

Those splices look very good! I tried to solder the connectors but there is some kind of coating on the original wire strands that just won't allow it. I even used a small flame on a torch (the 'blue wrench'!) but no go. I have built electronic projects (RC airplanes, diagnostic instruments, etc.) in the past and use hard (non-electrical use) solder for mechanical projects but danged if I could get that flux and solder to flow properly onto that stock wire! Oh well... After much fussing and cussing my buddy and I got the 1776 engine into the '59. It was one thing after another that turned a relatively simple job into a ten hour ordeal! All that's left is to keep trimming the rear tin to fit, mounts carbs and other 'small' stuff.

Sun Jun 25, 2017 9:53 am

boxkiteflyer wrote: Those splices look very good! I tried to solder the connectors but there is some kind of coating on the original wire strands that just won't allow it. I even used a small flame on a torch (the 'blue wrench'!) but no go. I have built electronic projects (RC airplanes, diagnostic instruments, etc.) in the past and use hard (non-electrical use) solder for mechanical projects but danged if I could get that flux and solder to flow properly onto that stock wire! Oh well... After much fussing and cussing my buddy and I got the 1776 engine into the '59. It was one thing after another that turned a relatively simple job into a ten hour ordeal! All that's left is to keep trimming the rear tin to fit, mounts carbs and other 'small' stuff.

soldering can make the situation worse with crimp connectors, use care. cold solder joints are an issue (ie that coating you discribed) also once solder has wicked into the strands, wire flexibility is lost, making strand breakage more likely in situation of vibration. Solder done prior to crimping can also lead to probelms of the crimp lossening as solder creeps over time. This is not an issue when individual stands are tinned, some wire is sold with tinned strands, much more corrosion resistant than plain copper.

good luck

Sun Jun 25, 2017 4:41 pm

Here is the proper open barrel connectors.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1222186