Connector question

[lordbah]

Is it possible to replace a wire in this kind of connector? How do you extract it?
Sorry if this is a basic question, but I don't even know what the thing is called.

[CheffoJeffo]

I have, but it took me a while to fish the remnants out before I reamed the new wire in.

[Ken Layton]

Those are called "Insulation Displacement Connectors" (IDC).  A good strong jerk will pull the wire out of the terminal. Then a new wire of the same diameter can be inserted by the special "punch down" tool sold by Molex and GC/Waldom. For those on a budget, you can insert the wire by forcing it down in there with a small straight slot screwdriver. Be careful that way though because if you slip you're gonna scream because you jabbed yourself.

[Kevin Mullins]

For those on a budget, you can insert the wire by forcing it down in there with a small straight slot screwdriver. Be careful that way though because if you slip you're gonna scream because you jabbed yourself.

OMG .... I can't count the number of times I've done that one.     

[Level42]

For those on a budget, you can insert the wire by forcing it down in there with a small straight slot screwdriver. Be careful that way though because if you slip you're gonna scream because you jabbed yourself.

OMG .... I can't count the number of times I've done that one.     

Ditto here, that's why I use the one's with pins instead (also because we use them at my work )

[ChadTower]

Be careful that way though because if you slip you're gonna scream because you jabbed yourself.

That's just solid life advice in general.   

Is that punch down tool the same type you get with any rj45 jack install kit? 

[SirPeale]

Is that punch down tool the same type you get with any rj45 jack install kit? 

Nope.  And it's an expensive tool, too.

[lordbah]

Thanks Ken, that's what I needed to know. I was able to tug it out as you suggested. I'm not going to have any more time to mess with it until the weekend though.

[2600]

Is that punch down tool the same type you get with any rj45 jack install kit? 

Nope.  And it's an expensive tool, too.

Are you sure?  I seem to recall running by them earlier this year and it was fairly inexpensive, but I don't know for sure.  It's just that little plastic fork thing, right? Or am I thinking about something else?

[Kevin Mullins]

There are many varieties of "Insulation Displacement Connectors" , some of which do require the more expensive specialty tools. Like the kind for ribbon cables and such.

The particular version shown in question does not.
Williams arcade and pinball machines are notorious for these types.

[ChadTower]

That is the tool that comes with rj45 jack kits I was describing.  It's just a plastic slot thing that pushes the wire down into that particular width slot.  It's like a $0.25 piece of plastic.

Consumer grade RJ45 jacks are IDC too.

[SirPeale]

Ah, that's not the tool I was thinking of.  When I was doing this full-time, we had a tool that had a pistol grip.  Cost nearly $100 I was told. 

[Kevin Mullins]

Yeah, I have one of the "cheaper" $30.00 versions. (cut, strip, crimp jobbies)
I've never seen the plastic punch type tool come with any of the RJ45 packs I've picked up. But I could totally see it.... really just needs to push/punch down that single locking tab once you've fed the wire in place inside the connector.
Makes sense to me...... 

[ChadTower]

Yeah, I have one of the "cheaper" $30.00 versions. (cut, strip, crimp jobbies)
I've never seen the plastic punch type tool come with any of the RJ45 packs I've picked up. But I could totally see it.... really just needs to push/punch down that single locking tab once you've fed the wire in place inside the connector.
Makes sense to me...... 

Not the plugs... the receptacles.  The receptacles use that style of plastic key to push each wire down into an IDC type slot individually.

[Kevin Mullins]

Ah ..... I gotcha now.
I've never had to do up any of the receptacles. Only made up the cables themselves.

[Level42]

There are many varieties of "Insulation Displacement Connectors" , some of which do require the more expensive specialty tools. Like the kind for ribbon cables and such.

The particular version shown in question does not.
Williams arcade and pinball machines are notorious for these types.

Yeah, I've used the tool Peale mentioned about 15 years ago while working with ADT. All their alarm systems used these connectors. We were also told it was an expensive tool (the one with the pistol grip).

That plastic thing looks great for home/incidental use though. At least a lot better than a screwdriver. Where to get it ?

[ChadTower]

I would imagine that it could be easily ordered when ordering new connectors... honestly, if I had to work on an IDC connector, I'd swap the whole thing out with a pinned connector anyway.  Those IDC are terrible.