Bad bullet connectors

I have noticed that double bullet connectors tends to loose. Considering that the entire current flows to the bike through two of them, I would really like to improve that connection. I don't want soldering because that would make disconnections impossible.


I thought about multiple faston connectors, but being a 2 to 1 connection I would have to jumper the input (crappy).


I wonder if anyone else had this happen to them and got a reasonable solution.

I would try to re-crimp for a tighter fit. Or you could install a new double bullet terminal. CycleTerminal or VintageConnections. maybe Z1Enterprises. Tinned terminals are probably preferable. My neutral switch was glitchy, so I cleaned up the connection & re-crimped. Silicone spray is handy for cleaning the wire insulation & for sliding the terminal cover up the wire. 

www.cycleterminal.com/bullet-terminals.html

We generally squeeze bullet sockets gently to close the split a little, making them grip the bullet plug more firmly.  A wipe of No-Oxid on the plug will ease insertion/extraction, and make for a better connection & heat dissipation.  We've never seen a crimp fail where the conductor is crimped to the connector unless it's been obviously abused.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

slmjim+Z1BEBE wrote:

We generally squeeze bullet sockets gently to close the split a little, making them grip the bullet plug more firmly.  A wipe of No-Oxid on the plug will ease insertion/extraction, and make for a better connection & heat dissipation.  We've never seen a crimp fail where the conductor is crimped to the connector unless it's been obviously abused.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Dependant on the climate where you live oxidisation between the conductor and the connector can occur (don't discount it as a possible cause of voltage drop) if the conductors are blackened then oxidisation is present

Squeezing bullet sockets is what I have been doing, but from time to time, as soon as I move a little, the cables slip out of their place again.
For some reason, simple bullet connectors (1 to 1) work much better.

Maybe I have to look for better quality double bullet connectors.

I know it's not the right thing to do, but I cut them out and solder, without hesitation. I do it all over the place. Snip, skin the ends, slip a heatshrink tube over one, twist them together, solder, heatshrink and done. I just don't like crimps because they will come undone unless they're done just right. Connectors are a good system, except you're invariably dealing with an old bike, and they corrode, and over time they build up resistance, and occasionally fail. Sometimes they get oily gunk inside them as well. Could be anything, from WD40 to just engine oil that got splashed in there. I just can't be bothered with contact cleaner and scrubbing them out, or replacing them. Soldering always works for me. Like I said, I know this is the wrong thing to do and it will attract a lot of scorn whenever a proper mechanic sees it. However, it's 3 or 4 minutes max, if you're working slowly, to solder. If you need to disconnect, snip again. A length of heavy duty automotive gauge at hand if you need to put in a longer section. It's just less prone to failure than ancient connectors. My opinion only, and it's not proper restoration, by any means. It's a way to reduce the number of possible failure points though.

By Feanor_twh: ... Maybe I have to look for better quality double bullet connectors.

FWIW. the CycleTerminal guy says on the page I linked that his terminals are good quality & that he doesn't care for some other brands. Not that I've bought very much, but I've been very pleased w everything I've gotten from him. the waterproof bullet sets at the bottom are nice. 
VintageConnections & Z1Ent may have some of the exact same stuff.

I finally got this:

Large faston plug, with lock.


I could not avoid it haha

You may already know this, but be sure to use an open barrel crimper.
I already had a HF ratcheting crimper but the dies were wrong, so I got the correct dies from Aircraft Tool Supply on amzn.
CycleTerminal has wiring tools & one of his crimpers cost the same as what I ended up spending in total for my open barrel crimper.
His terminal extractor set w white handles is nice & work a lot better than a paper clip. hee.

I use an electrician's pliers with a support to crimp terminals (Knipex, it's not cheap).

I think it does its job well, I haven't had any of the wires come loose from their crimp. But in critical connections I usually, after crimping, solder the connection so that by capillarity the entire hollow space is filled with tin.

Feanor_twh wrote:

I use an electrician's pliers with a support to crimp terminals (Knipex, it's not cheap).

I think it does its job well, I haven't had any of the wires come loose from their crimp. But in critical connections I usually, after crimping, solder the connection so that by capillarity the entire hollow space is filled with tin.

I also like to solder, just don't keep the heat on too long, if the solder capillaries past the point the cable exits the crimp you create a weak point which can fracture due to vibration