Exactly.

If you are replacing the contact, just press the locking tab in with an Awl and it slides out with no resistance at all.

Do this with the connector pulled off of the board/male pins.

I only use the tool if I'm keeping the crimped connector end (like someone installed them in the incorrect order).

Scratch Awl is much faster.

Poke all the tabs down at once, and slide all the connectors smoothly out.

Take a pic before you begin just for a sanity check. You can chew up a lot of time having to go back to the schematics.

image_17946_(resized).jpg

Order a bag of keys whenever you order the housings, because some brands don't fit other brands.

But if you are totally stuck on location, use your mini diags to cut the old housing down each side, and reuse the old key.

I've always had terrible luck getting epoxy to stick to Nylon anything.

If the old nylon housing is still dimensionally good (it can have a scorch mark, but not deformed), I'll reuse it and simply put the date of rebuilding on the face. Color is a better match than new bright white anyway.

The longer ones (like the 20s).

Sometimes a hoard of them will pop up, but it's iffy.

Reusing the old nylon housing is sometimes the only solution.

Remember to date it after you rebuild it, so the next owner does not assume it's 40 years old.....

You have to sometimes "do a little circle" with the tool to get it to release.

No doubt, lol.

=

But remember, you can simply reuse the old housing.

No need to throw out a bunch of rare housings when only the contacts need replacing.....