• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Electical Connections

Barrman

Well-known member
5,229
1,712
113
Location
Giddings, Texas
My M715 and every M35A2 I have ever seen have the Packard type rubber connectors for all electrical plugs. My M35 has the older style connectors that have the metal cups that twist to hold the plugs together. What is this style called? I have no gauge panel or most other wires connected to anything on the truck. So, changing over is no big deal if the old style is hard to find. I have litterally 50-100 of the Packard fittings ready to use. But, if the old style is easy to get and about the same price, I might as well try to keep it proper for the period.

Thanks.
 

Recovry4x4

LLM/Member 785
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
34,012
1,806
113
Location
GA Mountains
The older ones are called Douglas connectors. Packards are most prevalent these days but the Douglas ones can be found. Your call on that one. I stripped every wire off my 1953 M108 and went with the Packards.
 

clinto

Moderator, wonderful human being & practicing Deuc
Staff member
Administrator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
12,596
1,127
113
Location
Athens, Ga.
I need a crimper for the packard style-the cheapest I have seen one was $50 on ebay.... Can I expect to do any better (cheaper) and of so, where?

Thanks
 

Recovry4x4

LLM/Member 785
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
34,012
1,806
113
Location
GA Mountains
They seem to be a buck each wherever you go. Used to be able to get them from DP Equipemnts Ebay store as well. Clinto, there are a few different ones. I paid a little more for mine, it's a Daniels Machine (DMC) AF-8. Franks Surpus has been offereing one that does the connections but its not a DMC one. Be advised,, they are not the fastest thing to crimp with. On the female connectors, there is a tension ring of sorts over the acutal connector. This needs to be removed to slide the crimper over and once crimped, needs to be re-installed.
 

ARMYMAN30YearsPlus

In Memorial
In Memorial
3,585
7
0
Location
Parkville, MD
Clint:
I think you can use a standard electic crip strip pliers to crimp the ones I sent you. I do and just solder the joint after crimping and have never had a problem
 

rmgill

Active member
2,479
14
38
Location
Decatur, Ga
I'd like to see about doing a group buy for connectors so we could make up assortments for our own use. The manufacturer's sell them in lots of 100 min.
 

emmado22

Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
7,055
143
63
Location
Mid Hudson Valley NY
get me a Point of Contact at a company that will sell them in bulk to a contractor... I'll take it from there, being how Im a contractor.... :)

Basically, we want 12 and 14 GA males and females, correct?
 

rmgill

Active member
2,479
14
38
Location
Decatur, Ga
Amerline is the company :
http://www.amerline.com/singlewire.htm

Bruce Beattie and I were talking about a group by but as typical, things like this fall by the wayside for bigger issues.

From the e-mail he forwarded...
Dear Bruce
P/N MS27142-1 min order 100pcs $1.07/Ea 2 weeks
P/N MS27143-1 min order 100pcs .63/Ea 6 weeks

If you submit a list of other items you would like quoted, we'll do our
best to return your quote promptly.

Best Regards,

Thomas P. Krepelka
Amerline Enterprises
Of course now that I look at that e-mail, it was 2 years ago. :roll: The price may have changed but I doubt it was much.
 

emmado22

Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
7,055
143
63
Location
Mid Hudson Valley NY
I called today:

12 GA male: $0.86 each female $1.07 each
14 GA male: $0.56 each female $0.67 each


min order 100 each, no mixing within the 100..
1 each comes with everything you need for a complete connection.

Mark
 

Barrman

Well-known member
5,229
1,712
113
Location
Giddings, Texas
I got my crimp tool from Kevin at Star Ordanance. I will find his info and post it in the next day or so. I paid $1.00 each for the connectors and twenty something for the tool.

I also took all the connectors off a M25A2 that was being scrapped a few months ago. That is how I got so many.
 

houdel

Active member
1,563
9
36
Location
Chase, MI
RE: Blake

Here is what I bought. I ended up with something like 8 male connectors, 8 female connectors, and 8 "Y" connectors for $14.99. Of course, I had to cut, strip, solder and heat shrink wrap the solder joints, but it worked well for me. The vendor is actually a subsidiary of Memphis Equipment, located in PA. I don't know if they still have them on Ebay but you could call/email to see.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...DME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&viewitem=&item=8076271184

If you are not worried about a waterproof seal, you can purchase "bullet" connectors in male and female variants which mate perfectly with Packard connectors at most any auto parts store and they are pretty cheap to boot. They come in two sizes, you need the smaller size, 0.167 diameter if my memory is correct.
 

rmgill

Active member
2,479
14
38
Location
Decatur, Ga
RE: Blake

I've used bullet connectors when I had to, but I prefer using the packard connectors to keep it all Milspec on the truck. What's the point of having a milspec truck when you mix non-milspec parts on it that won't hold up as well when you take it in the water or what not?
 

houdel

Active member
1,563
9
36
Location
Chase, MI
RE: Blake

What you say is true Ryan, but when you need to connect something up and don't have the right Packard connector on hand, the bullet connectors make a good field expedient. Besides, many of the female boots on my deuce have cracked to the point I doubt they are still watertight anyhow!
 
Top