Burned J115 G.I. Connector replacement on WPC (Bop)

There are a lot of opinions on this, but mine is that using the original IDC connectors is fine for home use, and is less likely to produce crappy crimps like the one you see on the pin third from the right in that picture. IDC is much easier to use for newbies.

If using Trifurcon terminals, however, I use a separate piece of wire and don't try to stuff two wires into the same crimp terminal. It's hard to explain in words, and I don't have pictures handy.

1. Put a piece of heat-shrink tubing on the original wire.
2. Crimp one terminal on the original wire.
3. About 2" back on the original wire, use wire strippers to cut into the insulation and spread apart about 1/8" inch, exposing the wire, but not cutting the wire.
4. Using a new piece of wire ~2" long, make a hook to loop around the exposed wire.
5. Solder the two wires together.
6. Slide the heat-shrink into place over the splice and shrink it.
7. Crimp a second terminal onto the new piece of wire.

The best way to fix these, IMO, is with a secondary cable from a later machine, where the pins of J115 are all home-runs to the transformer instead of looped.

Pics that help explain:

Original WPC era secondary transformer connector:

photo 3 (Small).JPG

Later WPC era secondary transformer connector:
photo 1 (Small).JPG

Later WPC era driver board connector:
photo 4 (Small).JPG

Couple ways to accomplish this...

Easiest way, but costs more:

Ask Jim Shird to make you one. Either a complete secondary harness, or just the transformer output to J115.

http://www.jimspinballshop.com/contact/

Cheaper, DIY way:

You could convert the one you have, out of the game, on your workbench, pretty easily.

You'll need some .093 crimp pins, some .156 trifurcons, most likely a new housing for J115, keying pin for the new housing, and some wire.

Remove the entire secondary harness from the machine

Measure the existing wire from xformer to J115, the wires should all be about the same length. Add an inch or two for wiggle room. The parts breakdown for Dirty Harry specifies 47 inches *per run* - but you need 2 runs for some colors

BAA sells the 'right' wire to get the colors original and everything! For this application, you want 18 gauge wire.

HW-30018-49 - Yellow with White Stripe. You need 47 inches
HW-30018-91 - White with Brown Stripe. You need 94 inches (2 pcs, 47 inches each)
HW-30018-1 - Brown wire. You need 94 inches (2 pcs, 47 inches each)
HW-30018-93 - White with Orange Stripe. You need 47 inches.
HW-30018-5 - Green wire. You need 47 inches.
HW-30018-94 - White with Yellow Stripe. You need 94 inches (2 pcs, 47 inches each)
HW-30018-3 - Orange. You need 94 inches (2 pcs, 47 inches each)

It comes in 10 foot lengths for about $3 per color. A 10 foot length is 120 inches, so 10 feet of all 7 colors will suffice. Yeah, it's $21 or so, but that's just a few LEDs, right?

Cut the wire into the 47 inch lengths, and put a .156 trifurcon pin on one end of each cable.

In the case of the 4 wires where you have 2 47 inch lengths (orange, white with yellow stripe, brown, brown with white stripe), strip the ends of those wires, twist them together, and carefully crimp them both into a .093 pin.

In the case of the other 3 wires (yellow w/white stripe, white with orange stripe, and green), crimp the single end into a .093 pin.

If you take your 03-09-2092 molex connector housing and remove all the wires from it (or start with a new one, preferably), you can turn it sideways so the 3 'teeth' are facing to the left. The top left pin is pin 1, bottom left is pin 3, top right is pin 7, bottom right is pin 9.

Pin 1 - White with Brown Stripe (pair)
Pin 2 - No Connection
Pin 3 - Brown (pair)
Pin 4 - White with orange stripe
Pin 5 - Yellow with white stripe wire
Pin 6 - Green wire
Pin 7 - White with yellow stripe (pair)
Pin 8 - No Connection
Pin 9 - Orange wire (pair)

Then, take a new 12 pin .156 housing. Insert a keying pin at pin 9. Insert the wires as follows:

Pin 1 - Yellow wire, white stripe
Pin 2 - White wire, brown stripe
Pin 3 - White wire, brown stripe
Pin 4 - White wire, orange stripe
Pin 5 - White wire, yellow stripe
Pin 6 - White wire, yellow stripe
Pin 7 - Orange wire
Pin 8 - Orange wire
Pin 9 - Key
Pin 10 - Green wire
Pin 11 - Brown Wire
Pin 12 - Brown wire

I would be willing to wager that it was crimped at one time, it came loose, then it got jammed back in there. As you know, the crimp terminals are not designed for more than one wire, so you almost always end up with a poor job when you try to do it.

Yeah, that describes my thoughts on it. Whether you use an IDC with loops or a crimped housing with a splice, avoid two wires in one terminal. Others will have different opinions, but it's way easier to screw it up than it is to get a good result.

Finally, John's suggestion is definitely a great way to handle it, but obviously, it is more work.

Waste .25 cents and practice your crimping on some same gauge wire.

Don't make your first crimps on the actual machine.

Read this before you start:

http://www.pinrepair.com/connect/

I have been able to accomplish this by removing several strands from each wire to make the over all diameter of the two wires smaller. Then, without twisting them together, just sandwiched together, crimp as usual. I've only done this once or twice but it worked for me.

The factory harness has both insulations in the crimp.

I'd make a few test crimps on scrap wire of the same gauge with some of the pins. Hopefully you ordered more than the 7 it takes

http://www.pinrepair.com/connect/

Nice job on the harness!! that should last basically forever.

I've fixed these using the "factory" original harness both by crimping two wires, and splicing in a wire split (1 wire to 2 wires, then each crimped individually) ... both have lasted w/out failing.

I'm a little confused, though, on the comment about don't solder crimps because soldering allows oxidation into the wire. What do you think happens on the other end of all the wires going to the playfield?

Soldering the crimps should be fine. Yeah, it's overkill, but it should be fine. You need to make sure you don't let any solder flow into the connector part, and you need to watch the heat, to make sure you don't affect the plating ... but there shouldn't be anything to prevent you soldering the crimps, if you desire to.

What I've always heard about trifurcons is, when properly crimped (and that's a key phrase right there), the current carrying capacity of the crimp should easily handle the load presented. Therefore solder is not required.

I've always soldered them, though ... not necessarily for added current carrying capacity, but for mechanical reasons : it's a stiffer, sturdier connection when you do that.

If you solder a crimped connection, it takes a flexible wire and makes it solid. Brittle. A place where the wire will fracture or break.

Nice work!

I'd also take some 4 inch cable ties, and tie your new GI input harness every 4-6 inches.

Well, maybe ... any worse/better than the stiff edge of the crimp itself? I bet it's a wash, one against the other.

I've seen many, many crimped connectors where the copper's cracked and broken right at the crimp.

Every single solder point under the playfield has the same issue with stiff solder, after all.

J115 (obviously) and J120 and J121 are the usual suspects for burning. I had some trouble with J101 on my board but I don't know if that's a common problem spot.

With the age of these games, J101 is going to increasingly be an issue ...

It doesn't draw enough to burn as quickly as the GI circuits, but that's logic and lamp power, so time is catching up.

Look at J115 also, that's the secondary input to the GI circuits.

The coin door GI, and solenoid headers probably are OK and don't need replacing, even if a bit tarnished.

They're not "always on" like the secondary plugs, and the GI output.

It won't hurt anything to replace them, but it's just more work for you.

On the J115, J120/121, and J101 make sure you replace the plug too, with new Trifurcon connections.

Cool ... pics when it's all done!

Nice work!

That should go a long way to not only fixing the GI issues, but also preventing future game reset issues.

Wanted to revive an old thread.

Discovered J115 was burnt on my T2 this week, and figured I'd follow my own advice, and update the harness properly. So, I ordered the wire from Planetary, made a couple harnesses, and installed one, figuring the 2nd one could be a spare.

Fixed the problem right up - but I realized the harness seemed a little short when compared to original.

Then, it hit me

Dirty Harry is a WPC-S game, where the xformer mounts to the rear of the cabinet.

Games made before WPC-S had the transformer mid way in the cabinet - behind the cashbox. So, 47 inches per run is too short!

Referencing the Twilight Zone parts list on IPDB, it appears each wire needs to be 79 inches, not 47. So, 47 inches is almost 3 feet too short!

I'd recommend if you were making your own harness, you might want to measure the harness that's in your game, and add an inch or two. The wire is inexpensive, so it won't break the bank...

At 47 inches, it still reached but the wire isn't properly routed through all the clips. I'll get more wire with my next planetary order and try again

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IMG_5396.JPG

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At what point do you know if your header pins are stuffed, needing replacing

If the female connector is browned or burnt, replace the male header

If the male connector is tarnished, charred or burnt, replace it.

A small flashlight in your toolkit is very valuable. Shine it on the headers. How do they look?

So how much did making your own harness cost? I'm debating making my own or purchasing one from Jimspinballshop.com. It looks like he sells them for $50.

This could work also i suppose and would be much easier.
I used this method in the 90's on the always burned system 11 interconnect boards.
Only needs single trifurcon crimped wires.
Can also be made undone very easily.

20150927_111150.jpg

VERY CLEVER!!!!!

Just found this post John. Helpful for what I am about to do with my j115 conversion.

did anyone make an extra cable
i could use one

Just found this thread. I'm new to pinball. I have Demo Man, T2, and World Poker Tour. T2 being the one that needed the most work. The T2 driver board is hacked up at J115. I am going to order a new Rottendog board for it, then see about having the original fixed if possible. Does anyone know a place where I can buy a plug and play ready wiring harness for the J115 plug? I think it would be easier for me then try and fix the old one. V/R

Fix the original board and pass on the Rottendog, which has been having spotty quality problems and some people have had issues getting the driver board working correctly in TZ.

No replacement P/P ready wiring harness available. Replace the J115 wired connector with crimped .156" triforicon molex pins/housing and the .156" male header PCB strip.

I don't have the skills to fix the board myself. Are there any reputable places I can send the board to get fixed?

Could you post a picture of the J115 area? chrishibler will be happy to repair it for you. Much cheaper than buying a new board.

FYI. The wiring from J115 goes to one of the back connector on the backside of the transformer.

Here is a pic as it is now.

20180104_195459 (resized).jpg

If you send out the driver board, send the MPU with it to install NVRAM. You will be happy to be battery free. http://www.pinitech.com/products/6264_nvram.php

NVRAM is def in the plans. I doo have a remote battery holder for the T2 and Demo man. I have new ICD connectors and wire coming in. I think Ill try and put together a new wire set for the J115 once I have the board fixed. I looked wire connector for J115 at the transformer it has two slight burn marks. This machine has all LEDs. So hopefully that helps with heat. Thank for all the info