• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

Tail lamp wire connectors?

Share this page

K

Ken_McGuire

Freshman Member
Offline
Hello all. Have a question for my TR3A tail lamp connectors. I bought new lamp housings and they require the "bullet" type connectors. Just found out that the prior owner soldered the wires directly to the female joints on the old housing. I cannot find the Moss (or any other company!) part number for the correct bullet connectors. Anybody out there know what to order?

Thank you!
Ken
 
I figured Moss had them, but I cannot find a part number. Perhaps I should just give them a call? Don't know even what to ask for except for "bullet connectors."
 
FWIW, in case you don't have an example to go by... I think the bullets you want for tailamps are the sort made from stamped metal, you feed the stripped wire thru them then fold back the strands of the wire before inserting the bullet into the lamp connector. Makes it easy to feed the bare wire thru the small holes in the grommet/boot for the lamp then add the bullet after the wires are in place.
 
Yep, that is exactly the kind that I am looking for. I had never heard of British Wiring, so that will be a huge help going forward. Thanks again - amazing how quickly one can get answers from this forum.

Ken
 
Sadly, knowing of British Wiring -- or anyone else -- isn't going to be much aid in finding those bullets. They are currently out of production. They are simple things, and you'd think <span style="font-style: italic">someone</span> would make them but, at present, no one does.

(I need a few too. Dang!)
 
Yea I figured, after I posted that I thought to my self."He did say TR3,didn't he?"
 
Moseso said:
Sadly, knowing of British Wiring -- or anyone else -- isn't going to be much aid in finding those bullets. They are currently out of production. They are simple things, and you'd think <span style="font-style: italic">someone</span> would make them but, at present, no one does.

(I need a few too. Dang!)
Click to expand...

Aren't these the connectors in question??
 
Carquest carries a crimp on bullet connector that should work for your needs.
 
The ones I've found at CarQuest (and everywhere else that doesn't specialize in LBCs) are the wrong diameter and will not fit snugly.

I also try to avoid the type that Art linked to above; as they are designed to have the wire simply folded over, the logical equivalent of twisting wires together. IMO the crimp-type bullets (which AFAIK are readily available from the usual suspects https://www.zeni.net/trf/TR6greenbook/38.php?s_wt=1680&s_ht=1050 ) make for much more reliable connections (when either crimped, soldered or both).

BTW, if you have an assortment of drill bits on hand, the "small" crimp bullets can easily be drilled out for larger wire. I keep a stock of them on hand, and modify to suit what I need at the moment.
 
OKAY, we're on the topic, so a few more questions:

a) Is it best to push the wire thru the end of the bullet and then solder it, or just hold it to the end and solder it?

b) How far into, or close to, the bullet, do you allow the plastic wire coating to remain?

c)Once you feel the bullet is properly soldered, how do you get a "grip" on it to push it into the female connector?

d) Once in, how do you remove it without yanking the wire and weakening what you just accomplished?
 
KVH said:
OKAY, we're on the topic, so a few more questions:

a) Is it best to push the wire thru the end of the bullet and then solder it, or just hold it to the end and solder it?
Click to expand...

That's how I do it, then clip the end of the wire after soldering. Dress with a file if need be to assure smooth action in the connector.

That makes a really firm connection.

As for the female connectors, when I get a new one I ream it out a bit with a small phillps screwdriver as the new ones seem way too tight. Snug is good but way too tight will be a problem later (you end up yanking the inside metal bit right out of the black tube).
 
I push the stripped wire through the bullet as far as it will go (insulation inside the bullet) then solder the exposed end. Try to balance soldering quickly (so the insulation doesn't melt too far) with taking enough time to ensure the solder joint is not 'cold'.

To insert the bullet into the sleeve the first time, I use small needle-nose pliers to grip the wire just behind the bullet, so the tip of the pliers pushes against the lip of the bullet. With new sleeves, the metal bit does want to slide sometimes, so you may need to use a finger (or another pair of pliers) to stop it. However I've never had that problem with original sleeves, as the vinyl seems to shrink over time and grab the metal bit firmly.

The metal bit is a spring, so my feeling is that "too tight" is impossible, as long as you can get the bullet in initially. But I have occasionally had to spread new ones a bit, to get the bullet in. I use the small needle-nose as a spreading tool (since that's generally what I've got in my hand at the moment
grin.gif
)

Removal is pretty much the opposite, grip the wire with needle nose pliers and pull firmly. It should not take enough force to separate the bullet from the wire. In fact, if the bullet/wire joint is done properly, the wire should break first! (Had that happen to me a few months ago, trying to pull wires through a rusty stator tube.)
 
Moseso said:
Sadly, knowing of British Wiring -- or anyone else -- isn't going to be much aid in finding those bullets. They are currently out of production.
Click to expand...

Moss #157-107. I get them from Holden (UK) in quantities of 100. If moss can't supply them, lemme know.

Soldering has its merits, and I don't want to start a debate - but I personally don't solder these. I use Kopr-shield or silicone grease to deter corrosion.
 
Super, thank you very much. I was pretty sure Moss had them, but it is interesting that they don't show up in the Triumph sections. I found 3 of them in my box of goodies, so for now I am good. However, I think it would be prudent to have a bunch on hand. I'll call Moss tomorrow and appreciate all the help.

Ken
 
Back
Top