I need to repin a connector for GI burn on a Data East machine. That connector is located in the lower left side of the backbox. Rather than leaning over the machine awkwardly while rebuilding the connector, I was thinking there must be a better way. If I separate the harness connectors that connect the backbox light panel, then I could remove the light panel entirely and set it aside, which would enable me to stand on the left side of the machine when doing the connector rebuild = a much more comfortable stance.

Does anyone else do this?

If not restoring the machine, does anyone remove the appropriate wiring harness from the machine to make it easier to work on the connectors?

Or, perhaps you do something else?

I'm envious. I just don't work as fast as you, and its worse if I'm contorted into an odd position. I'm the slow and steady type. Take pictures of existing connector, make sure wire color is clearly shown for each wire. Cut wires. Strip wires. Crimp on new pin. Make sure get good crimps on the Trifurcon pins (my crimper requires me to crimp the wire and jacket separately, so 2 crimps for each pin). Repeat for each wire. Test each crimp, just to be sure nothing is loose. Carefully insert wires into new connector in correct order. Insert keying plug. Compare connector one last time to the picture I took before starting. Consider that connector done.

I like this idea. Depending on what that harness is bundled with in the cabinet, I could choose to leave it still in the machine and just the fact that it was dropped into the cabinet would give me relatively easy access to the connector by standing next to the machine with the playfield up.

Yep, I too get my supplies at GPE, just can't go wrong dealing with Ed.

I have been using a crimper I bought from Ed at GPE years ago. Was known then as the BCT-1, looks like this: https://www.greatplainselectronics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=1026-CT. Certainly makes far better crimps than what I had before that. Takes 2 crimps to do the wire and then the insulation. How does this compare to the IWISS SN-28B?

Heh, just noticed on the Amazon listing: Free shipping, but Arrives June 5 - 26!

Interesting, is that the experience of others too?

A good crimp is the most important thing. Of course, all my crimps go slowly since I don't do them very often, which means I don't get much practice = slow!

I also see this on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Glarks-Crimper-Connector-Crimping-AWG28-18/dp/B07VQ6YNSC/ref=sr_1_8 is it a "knock off" on the Iwiss SN-28B? Looking at the picture, unlike the Iwiss there doesn't appear to be any stamped markings on the jaws.

Will the Iwiss SN-28B handle all the standard connector pins found in a pinball machine??? If so, I think I'll order one.

Also, what do you like for wire strippers? I'm using a much older version of something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Capri-Tools-20010-Precision-Stripper/dp/B01018CVM0/ref=sr_1_6 Strips ok, but you have to be sure to insert the wire into the correct groove in the jaws (not self adjusting), and there is no wire length guide.

The IWISS SN-28B has arrived. I watched various videos and think I understand the proper use of the tool, including spotting the errors in the various videos. Reviewed Clay's guide on connectors too which has a nice illustration of a connector pin that shows the various parts of the pin and where the insulated part of the wire should be, where the bare part of the wire should be, and where the wire should not go!

Question - for crimping .156" pins, which of the jaw cavities should be used? Same question for .100" pins. Is it the pin size that determines which cavity to use, or is it the wire size?

While I think about it, what wire size is typically used in a pinball machine with .100" connectors, and what size with .156" connectors?