fiskarflugen

Did a search and have an issue on the Beru wire replacement process. Ordered the replacment wires from Pelican and in the process of unscrewing the old wire, one of the brass tips separated from the wire and is stuck down in the old plug connector.

It seems impossible to be able to extract that tip. Has anyone encountered this and have a trick before I have to order a new connnector??

elbeee964

umm... jambing a skinny needle-nosed pliers down the boot hole (to grab onto that brass tip) would be my first instinct.

As you're looking down the hole, the brass tip turns CCW to unscrew.

DWS964

I have an old set of wires that I am "donating" to needy RL members as they need connectors, etc. I can unscrew a plug connector from one of my wires and send to you if you wish. I have already sent out a few of the connectors for the distributor cap end.
The secret to removal that I found was using Armoral to lube down into a gap made with a wooden toothpick in between the wire and the outer connector rubber. A little bit of careful poking and lubrication and gentle twisting, and a little pop, and it unscrews easily.

DWS964

This also works well in the bedroom.

elbeee964

...yeah, but cost a lot more.

fiskarflugen

I did use the Armorall technique (on the wires) and just had bad luck on two. Will try the Needle nose approach then may have to resort to begging for extra connectors Darrell.....Thanks for the offer.

jimq

By the way thanks for the ends! I finally got a chance to replace them and they worked out perfect

altarchsa

I have two new connectors that I never used (one each type - number 3 cylinder is different from the rest). I bought them and then decided to buy a new wire set, so they have been sitting on the shelf. Will make you a good deal if you find that you need a new one. PM me if you do.

elbeee964

The end terminal ("tip") in question is a Beru M3 threaded sleeve (p/n 0.901.300.003) and both Mercedes and Porsches used them.
(Apparently they stock them at merc suppliers, and go for about $2-3 apiece.)

Now, cutting & crimping new wires is something I've done in the past and has me a bit curious.

Anyone crimped these Beru terminals, new, onto wire?
Beru's crimping tool goes for a cool $325. (YOW !!)
I hear tell the "0.901.300.003" is a two-crimp terminal: one cinches down on the wire's center core, the other cinches down on the wire insulation's outer diameter.
That outer diameter cinch I hear can be done with a cable tv coax crimper.

Anyone have 'shadetree mechanic' experience they'd wish to impart on installing these terminals, on the cheap?
Thanks!

ilko

Similar thread going on across the street. Steve Weiner chimed in:

https://rennlist.com/forums/7665146-post7.html

DWS964

I disassembled and sent out some of the connectors and wires recently, and noted an (odd) combination of the plug wire connectors. There were 4 different style connectors in my original set of wires from my '92 C4. Skinny, fat w/ vertical ribs, angled up, angled down. I had already disassembled a few before I realized the differences (and the RLer who needed connectors called me...), so I don't have a complete list of which ones went where. The pattern in which they were installed is not totally obvious or consistent. Here is what I found out of the twelve connectors:
Small/Down - 2, Small/Up - 6 , Large/Down - 2 ,Large/Up - 2
And by position:
I-1 ? II-1 S/D
I-2 S/U II-2 L/D
I-3 S/U II-3 S/D
I-4 S/U II-4 ?
I-5 ? II-5 ?
I-6 S/U II-6 L/U

And a pic of 3 of the 4 types (I already sent out the only two of the Small/Down types)

Probably not worth losing sleep over, but I thought you might be interested, especially if you were to install new wires into original connectors, or if you need a new connector.

AND, something else I noted when disassembling the spark plug connectors - they were only screwed in by approx 1 turn/thread. Not sure why they were installed so loosely. I wonder if this has ever been a source of an apparent "bad" wire or connector?

tgage

I did the beru wire replacement earlier this year, but still had three lower plugs not behaving. I also ran into the issue with the old wire caps getting stuck in the boot. What I found challenging was getting the correct replacement boot. When I ordered them from P..., they sent a set that had the top part of the boot pointing downwards (the middle picture above). Also, the part number had been rubbed off the boot. I was in a hurry, so used them, and in the end, these were some of the boots that were "behaving badly" when running on one distributor. I then ordered a set from V..., and again a different boot, so I sent those back (looks like the boot on the left). I finally ordered the boot from auto..., but instead used the 993 version (think the end part number is 914). This boot was perfect and appears like the boot on the far right.