sloppy solenoid connection

[19_again]

'67 MGB roadster
I am replacing my harness and when connecting to the solenoid I find the male connector spade on the solenoid to be very "loose". I can wiggle it, can't pull it completely loose but it's sloppy to be sure. This is where the line coming in from the harness plugs in, not any of the heavy connections. Plugs into the spade. I have replaced "bad" parts before only to find they were built that way, so I'm thinking this may be correct. Before the harness, she started just like a B should, instantly. Any hints?
Thanks,
Mike
PS As you can see this is keeping me awake.

 

[Deleted member 3577]

Did you try crimping the little curved portion of the spade fingers?

I've found that giving them a little needle nose pliers squeeze helps a lot.

 

[19_again]

No it's not the female connector on the wire, it's the male post on the solenoid. With the wire disconnected, you can wiggle the post itself. The best analogy I can think of is the amount of movement you would feel when moving the shifter around in gear, it's not coming out but you can certainly move it around a bit. On the connector I can actually see a sort of small black rod leading into the solenoid itself when I pull it away from the body of the solenoid.

 

[vping]

Is it in the car or outta the car? Can you diagnose it on the bench. I've a spare we can look at on Tuesday.

 

[Jeff_Sigrist]

I had this on my midget. A little epoxy putty applied around the terminal secured it. I would source a replacement if it cannot be secured.

Jeff

 

[19_again]

Thanks Guys,
i'm picking up some parts at Vince's on Tuesday and if his sample is different than mine, I'll try the epoxy putty. C-U Then
Mike

 

[DrEntropy]

The same "wiggle" problem can sometimes be found on Lucas coils. The rivet holding the terminal becomes somewhat loose from vibration and a lifetime of removing/reinstalling the wire(s). Sometimes corrosion can impact the operation of the device by introducing resistance. Best to secure it in some manner and keep it in good contact with the rest of the devices circuit.