Circular Panel Connectors, On topic...wiring for my car... Options

[Britain Smith]

I am in the process on getting all the EFI wiring together and I want it to something that can be easily unhooked so that I can plug it in on the dyno and stuff. Anyway, I want to use the circular panel type connectors on the firewall similar to what was used on that excessive 914 V8 as shown here....see the ones mounted in the lower right side of the picture...

(IMG:http://www.v8914.com/Images/Big/Wiring2.jpg)

I have found a supplier of plastic versions, but I want metal ones. Does anyone know where they can be found?

-Britain

[lapuwali]

Digi-Key has them in small quantities. Mouser might, too. Bring money. The metal ones are all MIL-SPEC, and are $40-50 for ONE side of a shell (need two) for a typical connector of 12-15 pins. The pins are separate, and also pretty damned expensive. This stuff oozes quality, and I'm very happy Boeing uses them to keep several tons of airliner in the air, but I don't need to throw $500 at electrical connectors for a car. IMHO, the plastic ones work just as well, and are 1/10th the price, as they're not MIL-SPEC. Spend the money instead on a good crimper.

[dmenche914]

Do a search for Mil Spec connectors, or try Amphinol (spelling???) as the brand, 'used to use them in industry 20 years ago, and that's what we called them. They were light metal with a green chromate coating. Might also look at aviation suppliers, but expect a premimium price, they are very good connectors

[Mueller]

yep...big bucks....Jason has a bunch of used ones....mabey he'd be willing to let them go at a reasonable rate....you could always try eBay........

[TimT]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/agree.gif) werd.

Clewett sells a 26 pin weatherpack connector, which is what I used. The mil spec connectors may be available at an aircraft surplus place? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif)


http://www.amphenol-aerospace.com/front.asp

just found the link, but where can you buy just one?



This post has been edited by TimT: Mar 15 2005, 05:53 PM

[TonyAKAVW]

The plastic ones work well. I have used them in the past for some outdoor electronics equipment that gets a lot of abuse and they work fine. They defintiely don't have the bling factor, but the price is right and electrically they work well. If you are concered about EMI/noise shielding you can still use metallic braid around the harness but you'll need to ground it with something else, like amybe one of the pins of the connector. With the metal ones you of course get the benefit of the shielded case.

-Tony

[Demick]

We used to use those at a previous company I used to work at. We bought them from AMP (not to be confused with Amphenol). Actually, AMP is now Tyco. They make plastic versions which may be less expensive than the metal housed ones.

Demick

[SpecialK]

You're referring to "cannon plugs". Very expensive for the metal ones (mil spec), never seen the plastic type.

I remember seeing the web page on that car (some crazy twin super-charged V-8 (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif) ), and noticed that the owner was an engineer for an aircraft company in the UK (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/idea.gif) . Since "everything" I've seen on that car has mil spec written all over it (Tefzel wiring $$), is aircraft related, and would have cost at least 20k for the parts alone, I'm thinking he has some "inside connections" (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ph34r.gif) in the parts department of the company he works for. We had two huge boxes of them (cannon plugs), in various sizes laying around here when they scrapped a couple of flight simulators......man, that was tempting (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/unsure.gif) . Problem is with used ones that you could get from an aircraft boneyard, even if you do have the male and female connectors, you still need the pins (male and female/gold-plated), and the pin installation tools, unless you planned on splicing onto the old existing wires that most likely aren't correct gauge for your application.

Granted, they look cool, and it would be nice to just undo one connector for an engine drop, and know that reconnection would be quick and idiot proof (they're keyed)! But it could turn out to be an expensive hassle. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/headbang.gif)