'74 eldo wiring connectors

[Viator Trudeau]

The four spade wiring connector at the end of the starter pig tail W/ two red & a black# 10 gauge wires, the connectors get pushed back in the plastic socket, making minimum engagement or none after a while W/ no starter engagement.  The terminals back out then no starter operation, which is happening to me now.  The retainers inside the plug flake off and W/  stiff # 10 wires tend to back out.
Does any one have a quick positive method to keep the terminals from backing out with out total replacement.  Thanks.

V. Trudeau

[76eldo]

There should be a little barb that holds the copper contact into the plastic.  Sometimes you can bent it out a bit and it will stay in better.

Brian

[Scot Minesinger]

Have suffered this same problem on 74 thru 76 Cadillacs, wires backing out of black connector.  I grab the wire with needle nose pliers as close to connector as possible and push them on the spade.  Pain, but works.

[Viator Trudeau]

Hi, thanks for the responce.  I think my problem is two fold,  the spades back out, looks like plastic got hot and melted, wont engage in the plastic, holes in plastic.  The metal barb might engage its other half if I work with it???  Does an automotive elect shop have these old connectors.  I have had poor connections in that 2" wide connector on the body wiring btwn. engine and fire wall.  On the starter pig tail I could reposition spades and J-B weld them in.

V. Trudeau

[bcroe]

If that is a harness near the starter, can it get wet?  I find much of this old
wiring needs to be upgraded with newer weatherproof electrical connectors. 
I get mine from DEL CITY, Milwaukee       delcity.net      Bruce Roe

[Viator Trudeau]

Hello all;  In 1998 when I bought my "68 eldo in so. Florida I test drove it apx. 20 miles and started it at least 10-15 times W/ the starter engaging every time. no problems there,  Got it home to Chesapeake,VA and the starter started to " zing," bad engagement.  the drive looked new,  ring gear showed wear,  what to do, a fix W/O replacing the ring gear.  As it turns out the spring on the drive was weak and would collaph under the sudden jerk when the solenoid engaged, not meshing the gears before the motor starter rotated.    I examined  new drives , and when comparing the stiffness of the springs of the new. one was much stiffer, allowing engagement. installed that one and problem solved 12 years ago.

V. Trudeau

[TJ Hopland]

I believe one of the other things the connector in question serves as is the junction between the regular harness wire and the fusible link wires.     I don't remember if it was on one of mine or another car but I do remember eliminating that connector.   I used solder and shrink tube on mine but I think you can buy a connector made for that purpose.   Seems like Ford used them in the 70's and 80's, they look like a plastic bullet. 

Like someone else said I think its pretty easy to remove the terminals for cleaning and adjusting.   You can release them with a small screwdriver then bend the little tab back up and snap em back in.   They used to be fairly easy to find if you had to replace them but I have not seen them lately. 

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Viator,
Waytex wire has a full line of connectors.  http://www.waytekwire.com/products?pSearch=delphi

You probably have 4 or 5 wires in the starter harness, and there are connectors available up to 6 connectors that are very similar to what you have.  You have to buy the male and female connectors as well as male and female terminals of the proper guage, but when finished you will have a workmanship connection.
Greg Surfas

[TJ Hopland]

So those are the 'packard 56'?

[Viator Trudeau]

I must tell you all why 90 percent of the time that the starter on my "74 ELDO would not work, thought it was poor connectors, might still be.  A few weeks ago another no start occurred, and having the car for a year and a half I  pulled the starter, should have done it right away.  Two of the brushes were worn down to the plastic holders with the brushes not touching the commutator very well.  I had the starter rebuilt.  O K now. ??

V. Trudeau