re-assembling a sealed 510 connector?

[MattBott]

Anyone have any tips or tricks to re-assemble a sealed 510 connector? I can't seem to get the grommet back in, and not its starting to tear a little around the circumference of the thin wall in the center

 

[Dougiestyle]

Yeah, those things are a PITA. It's a trial in agility and precision. I try to wedge one adge of the tapered edge through the ridge, then "walk" it in. If it's torn, it's done. Good news is, you can demolish an old carto for anothr seal. They're generally the same insulator.

 

[Lance_Wallen]

this is one of the many reasons I'm making my own connectors I'm so done with the little fiddly chinese parts.

 

[Lance_Wallen]

sorry, I complained without adding any value to this conversation:

When I was still screwing with those things, I'd lube up the ring with some PG to make pushing it in a little easier. I also tend to keep the housings warm by putting them in my pocket and I'll hold the pin against my drink for 20-30 seconds. The thought there is that the pin contracts a little and the grommets/housing are warm and thereby more pliable and slightly expanded respectively. I dunno how much it actually helps but, ya know... we all have our little tricks.

 

[asdaq]

Also using some needle tipped tweezers, pinching it in the middle and folding it against itself while inserting in the hole works pretty well, and lube lube lube.

 

[MattBott]

Thanks for the tips! I ended up getting it in yesterday, before reading these, by making a little tool from a paper clip (shaped like a lower case 't', minus one side) to hold it in place, then manipulated it with some "watch maker pliers" aka small needle nose pliers.

 

[bstedh]

What I do is to fold in one side and pinching it into a C shape and then slide it into position on one side of the connector with a fine nosed needle nose pliers.
Then using a little pick or end of a paper clip just push out the collapsed side.
You can do the same with just a pick by setting one side of the insulator into position and using the pick to collapse the other side into a C shape and rolling it downward and then pushing the side back out. A little more fiddly with the fingers but works good.
Then just pass your wire through and solder it to the center pin.
At this point I will also clean up any residual solder on the outside of the pin with a dremel or razor knife and then push it into place.

 

[bstedh]

Double post ={

 

[asdaq]

Bstedh, that is what I was saying too, but I only thought of saying it the once.