Disconnecting fender wiring?

[morgant]

I'm taking the left fender (passenger side on my RHD) off my Series III to get required access for the main repair. All the nuts and bolts are off (or sheared off, as most seem to go) and I got the one set of electrical connectors disconnected (see the first attached image), but the 2nd (other attached image) don't seem to just pull out or anything.

There's plenty of extra wire on them so I can clip them out and add new connectors, but was hoping that there was some trick to them. Do our hosts carry replacement connectors (I couldn't find them easily in the electrical section)?

[SafeAirOne]

Those things in the 2nd photo are the connectors. There are bullet connectors on each of the wire ends that go into the rubber piece. The rubber piece houses a metal tube that the bullets slide into. Sometimes these can be hard to get apart, but pulling the wires out of the rubber connector is the way to do it.

Our hosts sell the connectors, but that's not the part you have to worry about--it's the bullets. They require an expensive crimper to properly install, also sold by our hosts.

[LaneRover]

The ones on the right are 'bullet connectors' and should pull apart on the left they may be too. I would recommend a drop of breakfree or WD to help ease them apart if they haven't been apart for some time. Also if you can get in there with some needle nose pliers and grab the connector itself if possible to avoid ripping wires out.

[morgant]

Thanks guys, that was what I needed to know! The ones on the left were the ones I had already popped apart as they obviously were supposed to.

Some tugging & pulling later and they're all disconnected.

More shearing off of bolts and one I had to grind off (I totally missed the mud/splash guard bolts that go through the footwell) and the fender is off!

[SafeAirOne]

I encourage you to switch over to stainless steel hardware when you reassemble. I did 6 years ago and haven't had an issue removing those bolts/nuts since (and I've done it several times). The difference in galvanic corrosion between the steel hardware and the stainless hardware is negligible and you'll never have to grind a nut off again.

[4flattires]

Crimper shrimper. I solder. Done.

If you need bullets, connectors, proper British colour (yeah...I spelt it wrongo) and gauge wire.....and if... our hosts don't have it, PM me for a great source on the net.

[SafeAirOne]

Crimper shrimper. I solder. Done.

If you need bullets, connectors, proper British colour (yeah...I spelt it wrongo) and gauge wire.....and if... our hosts don't have it, PM me for a great source on the net.

I can tell you first hand that our hosts don't sell proper wire by the foot. I had to get mine from www.BritishWiring.com

[morgant]

I was going to ask about replacing the hardware when I go to reassemble it. I know there's been much discussion in the copper grease thread regarding what's best. Stainless certainly seems fine for a wing and I like your solution of SS hardware + nylon washers behind the SS washers. It may not directly protect against galvanic corrosion, but there seem to many indirect advantages (less wear on paint & aluminum should mean less exposed aluminum to corrode, being able to remove the wing easily means I'm more likely to keep the surfaces clean, and the likes). Plus, being able to take the wing off easily and in a reasonable amount of time would be a nice change!

My splash guard is shot so I'd pick up one of the splash guards from our hosts, but it seems the aluminum L where the splash guard mounts to the wing top is mostly gone (there aren't actually any holes left). Any suggestions there?

Also, as I have a bunch of corrosion on the aluminum, what's the best way to stop it where it is but only as a temporary fix? I know the correct answer is to get the entire wing painted, but I'll have to rattle-can it. Should I just clean the dust off with very fine grit sandpaper (like 600+), etch prime, and apply rattle-can? I'll be under my shade tree, so can I get etch primer in rattle-can or paint-on form?

[bkreutz]

I use U-Pol Acid 8 for a rattle can etch primer. You can get it at auto paint supply houses, but I've found that I can get it online for about half the price. Google "UPol Acid 8" and you'll find a bunch of places that sell it. One thing I've found out (the hard way) about UPol is that it wants to be sprayed on bare metal, if you spray it over paint it will wrinkle up the paint underneath. This varies with the quality of the paint it goes over so I've come to the point of removing all paint before priming since I can't seem to predict what it will do to paint. HTH

[scott]

https://www.riwire.com

connectors and all colors w/ tracers

[SafeAirOne]

...I like your solution of SS hardware + nylon washers behind the SS washers.

That's not my solution. I don't bother. After 6 years, there's no more corrosion down there using stainless hardware than there was with the original, impossible-to-remove fasteners. Wear is non-existent in fasteners that are properly tightened.

BTW, my splash guard tabs on the bottom of the wingtop are both rusted out too. Instead of holes, they now have 3 large slots. I just tuck the splash guards so they rest on top of the tab, feed the bolts down through the holes in the inner wing, through the holes in the splash guard and through the "slots" in the tab, then fasten each with a large fender washer, a lock washer and and nut from the wheelwell side.

[pisten-bully]

My splash guard is shot so I'd pick up one of the splash guards from our hosts, but it seems the aluminum L where the splash guard mounts to the wing top is mostly gone (there aren't actually any holes left). Any suggestions there?

Same thing, we through bolted some alu angle underneath to replace it. We've now got two carriage bolt heads showing on the wing tops... I just tell anyone who asks that they're "factory"... meaning my factory.

[morgant]

That's not my solution. I don't bother. [...] Wear is non-existent in fasteners that are properly tightened.

Oops, that was amcordo's solution. I guess I was thinking less about vibration wear and more about the washer biting through the paint.

BTW, my splash guard tabs on the bottom of the wingtop are both rusted out too. Instead of holes, they now have 3 large slots. I just tuck the splash guards so they rest on top of the tab, feed the bolts down through the holes in the inner wing, through the holes in the splash guard and through the "slots" in the tab, then fasten each with a large fender washer, a lock washer and and nut from the wheelwell side.

Mine doesn't even particularly have slots left. I was thinking of putting an aluminum plate/bar on each side to sort of sandwich around the tab. Sounds like that's pretty much what pisten-bully's doing as well.

I use U-Pol Acid 8 for a rattle can etch primer.

Perfect. I'll give that a shot.

One thing I've found out (the hard way) about UPol is that it wants to be sprayed on bare metal, if you spray it over paint it will wrinkle up the paint underneath. This varies with the quality of the paint it goes over so I've come to the point of removing all paint before priming since I can't seem to predict what it will do to paint. HTH

Hmm, I was hoping to avoid a chem strip & repainting of the entire wing as I have more pressing issues to deal with. I'll experiment and see what I can make happen with U-Pol Acid 8, but I greatly appreciate the warning.