Frayed wiring on 9V Track Connectors

[fred67]

 

Any suggestions? I have two - both are around 20 years old.  The plastic is simply dry rotted and cracking.  I could go the traditional route and just wire up a connection (believe it or not, the short PF cable you can still buy will connect to the 9V speed regulator), solder directly to a track, perhaps, but I like the flexibility here.

I'm wondering if anyone's replaced the wiring in theirs, and if the noise suppressor is really all that important.

[Toastie]

The noise suppressor is completely irrelevant - at least on my layout.

I don't use this connector for power supply but rather for power pickup as my layout has 15V on all track segments.

With regard to the rotted cables: What may work (did that): Cut the cable an inch or so from the plastic piece in question (suppressor or pickup), splice the cable into two. Apply heat-shrink tubing to both spliced cables. Find some good cables. Solder. Push heat shrink tubing as close as possible to the plastic piece. Heat shrink.

Worked for me so far.

Best
Thorsten 

 

[freestorm]

Hello,

I took some pictures of the inside of connectors

You can replace the broken cable with "RIBBON CABLE AWG 28 "
The difficult is to to make sure the "Cable grip" is griping the wire  without Bend the grip

You need to be aware that the cable need to be swapped (twisted) between to rails connectors, if not  the same wire  will be gripped in both connectors

PS: This message was translated from French with deepl
-Fred

 

 

 

 

Large image:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/FreeStorm77/Misc/5306c01/5306c01_01_1.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/FreeStorm77/Misc/5306c01/5306c01_03_1.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/FreeStorm77/Misc/5306c01/5306c01_05_1.jpg


 

 

 

[Toastie]

Hi @freestorm

with regard particularly to the latter 2x2 connectors: I did the same on many of them - but with only about 50% success. As you said: The tough part to let the grips as you call them find the corresponding rather tight hole on the other part, particularly when the cable is still not bent in its final form.

In the end I soldered the wires directly to the grips and enlarged the holes with a drill …

Best
Thorsten 

[fred67]

Thanks for the replies.  I had already opened the track connectors and see what I can do (I ordered 22g wire, though, not 28).

For the life of me, though,  I cannot open the power connector.  I will almost certainly break it.  I think I will just buy some of the shorter PF cables (that have compatible 9V connections on one side) so that I don't have to worry about that connector.

 

[Roadmonkeytj]

Search your local hardware store for "liquid electrical tape".  Paint them up once dry they are isolated again. 

[fred67]

On 1/13/2019 at 12:13 AM, Roadmonkeytj said:

Search your local hardware store for "liquid electrical tape".  Paint them up once dry they are isolated again. 

Well... I already took them apart and took the wiring out.  Interesting to try on my own anyway.  I can make a set with white wires for the Christmas display, too.

 

[Unfinished_Projects]

This is the way I fixed mine

 

[Capparezza]

I have added info in this new thread about how I went along to fix that cable: https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/169808-electrical-wire-for-lego-contacts/&do=findComment&comment=3069092

 

If I had seen this thread earlier (was ill quite a long time), I would have posted it here ... Sorry

Edited January 24, 2019 by Capparezza