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Trailer wiring help

Oldfart

Active member
1,063
26
38
Location
Centennial,CO
I have determined my M105 trailer has a bad pigtail. I pulled another pigtail off a parts M105 we have. The continuity is good on all wires, but the plug shell is toast and I want to replace it with the shell off my bad pigtail. My question is how does one remove the shell? It would seem to be a press fit of some sort, but I hate to start pulling and pushing without knowing how it goes together. I can find the shell new, so it is clear it should be a replaceable item.
Thanks for any help!
 

Nonotagain

New member
1,444
41
0
Location
Parkville, MD
All of the shells on my connectors have been molded in place.

I have one last NOS trailer cable if you need it for $30 plus the ride. It will fit in a large USPS priority mail box.
 

Oldfart

Active member
1,063
26
38
Location
Centennial,CO
I just got back from the farm where I checked on all of our trailer pigtails. They all have clamps to hold the shell on the wire just behind the plug. Thats 4 M101's, 6 M105's, 2 M332's and one M1061 that all have the plug shells clamped to the pigtail wire. 8724316/MS75020-1 is the part number for the replaceable shell. Saturn even made the statment. "no special tools required" to install.
 

runk

Active member
542
65
28
Location
Houston, TX
I work a lot with mil spec connectors, the shells are all replaceable if you have the tools to release the pins (or plugs) from the insert. But (!), spend enough years in in the heat and sun, and just about any rubber insert will bond to a metal shell. So, typical rubber to corroded metal drill, soak it in your favorite penetrating oil and work it loose over a few days. (Or be impatient and cut it off and replace...) The clamps behind the plug are more to keep the wires from pulling on the inserts (strain relief), but also help hold the whole assembly together.
 

number9

Member
455
0
18
Location
Lexington, KY
I've recently took two of these apart. After popping the insert out of the plug (sliding the plug back on the cable exposing the insert and pins) you'd have to melt the solder to remove the pins from the wires so you could remove the plug body from the cable. Then you'd put the new plug on and solder the pins back on the wires and slide the plug body back over the pins. The two I took apart did not have the same pin locations on the same color wires - ie pin K was not soldered to the same color wire on both cables.

I'd just spend the $30 for the one mentioned above, that's a good price and a LOT less headache.

...
 

Oldfart

Active member
1,063
26
38
Location
Centennial,CO
Number 9, thanks for the info. I did find a partial cut away engineering drawing for the plug that indicates it should pop out. It looks like the interior metal sleeve will pop out as well. There is an outer metal sleeve that has moulded rubber all around with what looks like pockets for the inner metal sleeve to index into. ~~ I may install a new pigtail, but I also may rewire the plug. I haven't decided yet. My truck and trailer have different wiring patterns. It looks like the plug pins press fit into the center rubber plug. I have a functioning pigtail except the rubber covering on the plug has gotten sun rotted and cracked and peeled. ~~ again, thanks for the info.
 
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