Wire is this so hard
May 28, 2020 6:58 PM Subscribe
What’s the right way to disconnect this wire? I don’t want to break anything I shouldn’t. This connection is behind the power switch of a shop vac. (photo of wire)
There is a little spring tab in the female terminal that locks in the hole in the middle of the male tab. If you can, try to push it in while you pull.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:06 PM on May 28, 2020
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:06 PM on May 28, 2020
They're called spade terminals, if you're curious what they're called.
posted by suedehead at 7:43 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by suedehead at 7:43 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
Depending on how difficult it is to access, pliers, needlenose pliers, or bent-needlenose pliers. Grab on to the folded metal crimp just below the crimp on the wire sheathing. (One crimp is on the plastic sheathing, the next crimp is on the wire strands themselves. The second one is the one you want to hold onto if possible.)
Pull straight up.
The female tab mentioned by Huffy Puffy is more to hold the terminal in place than to lock it. I wouldn't try to dick with that unless you have really small tools and really good coordination.
posted by notsnot at 7:58 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
Pull straight up.
The female tab mentioned by Huffy Puffy is more to hold the terminal in place than to lock it. I wouldn't try to dick with that unless you have really small tools and really good coordination.
posted by notsnot at 7:58 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
When these are tough to just pull off I like to get a small screw driver between the part attached to the wire and the switch and pry it up.
But generally you can just grab the spade connector and tug. Watch you aren't positioned in such away that when the connector releases you smack yourself in the face with a sudden movement of your hand. Especially important if using pliers.
posted by Mitheral at 8:13 PM on May 28, 2020
But generally you can just grab the spade connector and tug. Watch you aren't positioned in such away that when the connector releases you smack yourself in the face with a sudden movement of your hand. Especially important if using pliers.
posted by Mitheral at 8:13 PM on May 28, 2020
The female tab mentioned by Huffy Puffy is more to hold the terminal in place than to lock it.
With particular applications the spade terminals will indeed have a locking tab sticking into the lug hole, and no amount of 'just pulling', then 'pulling harder' will get the terminal off until something breaks. It looks like the terminal here has such a barb-type locking tab, and you will need to push the barb out of the lug hole before any further pulling. Fortunately, with nearly all these barb-type locking spades, if you push the barb a fair bit through to the outside of the spade it doesn't spring back. After that you can resume pulling.
posted by Stoneshop at 12:45 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]
With particular applications the spade terminals will indeed have a locking tab sticking into the lug hole, and no amount of 'just pulling', then 'pulling harder' will get the terminal off until something breaks. It looks like the terminal here has such a barb-type locking tab, and you will need to push the barb out of the lug hole before any further pulling. Fortunately, with nearly all these barb-type locking spades, if you push the barb a fair bit through to the outside of the spade it doesn't spring back. After that you can resume pulling.
posted by Stoneshop at 12:45 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]
You can also unbend the curvy bits of the spade connector by sticking a small screwdriver between the lug and each end of the curvy bit, then slowly forcing the screwdriver further in, with a bit of wiggling, until the spade is sufficiently loose to let the barb clear the lug hole. Afterwards, using pliers, or better, a bench vice, you can press the spade back into (roughly) its original shape.
posted by Stoneshop at 1:45 AM on May 29, 2020
posted by Stoneshop at 1:45 AM on May 29, 2020
There can be corrosion that makes pulling hard. Very gently tapping with a small screwdriver can loosen. Also check for locking tab.
posted by sammyo at 6:06 AM on May 29, 2020
posted by sammyo at 6:06 AM on May 29, 2020
I have taken apart a number of shop vacs and none have used the locking tab some have referred to. I'm not able to make out from the photo if this switch connection does. I'm assuming not.
The installation of the female (wire) end is just straight down onto the lug sticking out of the switch. Removal should be straight up.
Often the best way to apply force is by a lever (very small flat screwdriver which others have mentioned) prying against the edge of the female connector. Gently rocking the connector side to side (2 o'clock to 8 o'clock in the photo) can also help it work loose.
_______________
In order to see more clearly and have room to operate, I will sometimes remove the switch from the housing. This is done by removing any switch toggle mechanism (on the top side), then using a small flat screwdriver (or two) press in on the two springy shiny black tabs on either side of the switch while gently pushing the switch up from below.
Once the switch is clear of the rectangular hole, it is more easily accessed.
Good luck!
posted by tronec at 12:24 PM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]
The installation of the female (wire) end is just straight down onto the lug sticking out of the switch. Removal should be straight up.
Often the best way to apply force is by a lever (very small flat screwdriver which others have mentioned) prying against the edge of the female connector. Gently rocking the connector side to side (2 o'clock to 8 o'clock in the photo) can also help it work loose.
_______________
In order to see more clearly and have room to operate, I will sometimes remove the switch from the housing. This is done by removing any switch toggle mechanism (on the top side), then using a small flat screwdriver (or two) press in on the two springy shiny black tabs on either side of the switch while gently pushing the switch up from below.
Once the switch is clear of the rectangular hole, it is more easily accessed.
Good luck!
posted by tronec at 12:24 PM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I would totally pop that switch through its housing. The two angled black levers on the side of the switch in your photo? There's a matching pair on the other side of the switch. Squeeze the bottom (WRT the orientation of your photo) of those towards the center. A small flat screwdriver will help. Sometimes it's easier to get one side of the switch started, and it will drop down just a touch, then go to the other side and squeeze those levers, keep working back and forth between sides and the whole switch should pop through.
That should give you much easier access, and probably allow you to slip a small screwdriver into that gap between the connector and the body of the switch, to gently pry the connectors loose.
If you happen to damage one of the spade connectors, it's not the end of the world. Most hardware stores will carry small packs of these connectors and the tool to crimp them and strip the wire. So would most auto parts stores.
posted by xedrik at 6:10 AM on May 30, 2020
That should give you much easier access, and probably allow you to slip a small screwdriver into that gap between the connector and the body of the switch, to gently pry the connectors loose.
If you happen to damage one of the spade connectors, it's not the end of the world. Most hardware stores will carry small packs of these connectors and the tool to crimp them and strip the wire. So would most auto parts stores.
posted by xedrik at 6:10 AM on May 30, 2020
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posted by wotsac at 7:05 PM on May 28, 2020