Decaying old man seeks ideas to help dealing with tight EC5 connectors

[Garcbomber]

KISS guys

Try some dielectric grease on the interference fit, it’ll be like butter.

Side question:
I had a used ESC come with 8mm connectors and those seemed pretty easy to work with. What about that conversion? Obviously less surface area friction increases the likelihood of them bashing loose. It’s a balancing act…

 

[Dan B.]

KISS guys

Try some dielectric grease on the interference fit, it’ll be like butter.

I agree with the approach, but I’ve also heard that with high amperage applications the dielectric grease is frowned upon. I’ve no personal experience and don’t know how big of an issue this potentially is, but I do know that with high energy ignition systems in 1/1 applications many manufacturers say when using it on spark plug connectors that it should be applied to the boot only (to prevent seizing to the plug) and not to the contact. The amp draw is fairly low there compared to our ESC’s, but the voltage is super high, often 40,000 volts or higher.
Any Sparkies out there who could chime in in this?

 

[KnowAir]

I've heard of folks opening up the male side of these connectors to prevent them from coming unplugged during use, perhaps they can be squeezed down a lil tighter with needle nose pliers for the opposite effect?
I guees it depends on where the actual excessive friction is, plastic plug or metal bullets? Maybe both?
No sure, my XT90'S can be a bear sometimes too..
How about a bit of grip tape wrapped around the connectors? Could wrap with electrical tape to give them a little more thickness, then grip tape over that? Ya know, the stuff used on stairs, skateboards, ect.. just thinkin out loud

 

[Tex Koder]

I've heard of folks opening up the male side of these connectors to prevent them from coming unplugged during use, perhaps they can be squeezed down a lil tighter with needle nose pliers for the opposite effect?
I guees it depends on where the actual excessive friction is, plastic plug or metal bullets? Maybe both?
No sure, my XT90'S can be a bear sometimes too..
How about a bit of grip tape wrapped around the connectors? Could wrap with electrical tape to give them a little more thickness, then grip tape over that? Ya know, the stuff used on stairs, skateboards, ect.. just thinkin out loud

The thing with tapes (of any kind)..
If you're using the full width and length of tape, it'll do what you expect majority of the time. However once you trim them to little tiny strips for this application or anything similar...

It may go on well enough and you get them all wrapped correctly. But, once you start pulling on them sideways/shear forces repeatedly because you're using them as a grab-pad, the outer most layer of tape will (eventually) tend to slide over themselves.
Then the exposed adhesives just attract dust, grass and other debris.. which will lead them to eventually fail or have pieces of tape unraveling.

 

[KnowAir]

The thing with tapes (of any kind)..
If you're using the full width and length of tape, it'll do what you expect majority of the time. However once you trim them to little tiny strips for this application or anything similar...

It may go on well enough and you get them all wrapped correctly. But, once you start pulling on them sideways/shear forces repeatedly because you're using them as a grab-pad, the outer most layer of tape will (eventually) tend to slide over themselves.
Then the exposed adhesives just attract dust, grass and other debris.. which will lead them to eventually fail or have pieces of tape unraveling.

Yep..true. Would require being replaced periodically. Sticky no doubt.
As to 3d printed sleeves, how to attach would be my concern. Epoxy or CA glue maybe? Guess that'll depend on the type of plastic used to print?
There's definitely a void to be filled in the market here.. even without any documented physical limitations, I know of many, including myself who struggle with rc connectors in general..

 

[Tex Koder]

ver 0.4h

Direct Easy Slip-on fit..

 

[Senton_Prime]

I was thinking yesterday that @Tex Koder could print you a jig u can mount on a table or on your work area, wherever u sit the car.. pull the lipo out of the rig and pop the connectors into the housing, then just pull on the lipo wires and boom, disconnected!!

Edit: look he's even got safety clips ready so you pull on the connectors and not the brunt of the wires!!

 

[joshludden]

I was thinking maybe a ring-type keychain or even a couple of loops of string in between the two prongs. Just something to grab a hold of. Just pretend those bind plugs are the string

 

[Tex Koder]

VERY Easy to disconnect with the EPS [Easy Pull Sleeve] on the battery side..



Just hold Both ends of the connection between your index finger's 1st joint and pad of your thumbs, then touch your thumbs together and push against each other while keeping slight pressure on the ends. (NOT on the cables/wiring.)

Connectors will separate easily.

NO additional tools needed or necessary.


@chilly81 @Cheez
These are ready for you.
PM me and let me know where to ship them.

>> To whomever has difficulties disconnecting their battery connectors and feel like these EPS would help you..
Just PM me.

NOTE:
EPS Only fits the EC5 connectors at this time. (Will Not fit over iC5)

 

[joshludden]

View attachment 283517

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View attachment 283523

VERY Easy to disconnect with the EPS [Easy Pull Sleeve] on the battery side..



Just hold Both ends of the connection between your index finger's 1st joint and pad of your thumbs, then touch your thumbs together and push against each other while keeping slight pressure on the ends. (NOT on the cables/wiring.)

View attachment 283526

View attachment 283527

View attachment 283528

View attachment 283529

Connectors will separate easily.

NO additional tools needed or necessary.


@chilly81
These are ready for you.
PM me and let me know where to ship them.

>> To whomever has difficulties disconnecting their battery connectors and feel like these EPS would help you..
Just PM me.

Now we just need to figure out a way to get qs8 connectors apart, those things are a bear!!

 

[Tex Koder]

Now we just need to figure out a way to get qs8 connectors apart, those things are a bear!!

That will probably require a fixture of some sort for you to insert those connectors into and with a lever.. that you would pull (like a guillotine) to help separate them.

 

[KnowAir]

ver 0.4h

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Direct Easy Slip-on fit..

Wow, looks great! You da man Tex!! Someone get this man a hospitality badge already!!

 

[ArrmaFreek2022]

About a month ago I got covid and either because of it or just bad luck, I ended up with some back->neck->arm nerve problems and my left hand isn't capable of doing it's part to pull apart an EC5 connector. Hopefully this is temporary but seems like it will at the very least be a while. I can probably do an XT90 if it's not too tight - so not completely paralyzed, but weak and terribly uncoordinated. I've been able to use channel locks in the left hand to hold the connector, but I know I'm going to mangle things doing that more than a couple times, and I hate (suck at) soldering big connectors. I also can somewhat get a wide flat bladed screw driver between the pieces and twist it to start them separating and then finish it manually... but again, will mangle things long term.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone's got any good tricks. I know I had difficulty with them sometimes even before this, so I can't be the only person struggling with it. You can say it was for your girlfriend or grandma if you want I'm thinking if this problem doesn't go away I'll have to put some sort of custom connector that's designed to be easy - I'm sure something exists even if not necessarily intended for RCs.

Also I'm just now graduating into cars that really need EC5 grade (amps) capacity now so probably can't really step back down to deans or something (mmx8s, max6).

Hey @chilly81 I thought about it and will do some more but I don't see how to make it easier to separate the two connectors. Would it be worth your money to have your LHS change them out to 8.0 bullet connector I think those would be the easiest for you to pull apart.

 

[Hammer Down]

Wow, looks great! You da man Tex!! Someone get this man a hospitality badge already!!

Though I’ve never dealt with @Tex Koder personally, I’ve seen him help out lots of members here. He is definitely deserving of an excellence award!! I would most certainly toss my vote in the hat.

 

[KnowAir]

Though I’ve never dealt with @Tex Koder personally, I’ve seen him help out lots of members here. He is definitely deserving of an excellence award!! I would most certainly toss my vote in the hat.

Yep! That too!!

 

[Dan B.]

View attachment 283517

View attachment 283518

View attachment 283520

View attachment 283521

View attachment 283522

View attachment 283523

VERY Easy to disconnect with the EPS [Easy Pull Sleeve] on the battery side..



Just hold Both ends of the connection between your index finger's 1st joint and pad of your thumbs, then touch your thumbs together and push against each other while keeping slight pressure on the ends. (NOT on the cables/wiring.)

View attachment 283526

View attachment 283527

View attachment 283528

View attachment 283529

Connectors will separate easily.

NO additional tools needed or necessary.


@chilly81 @Cheez
These are ready for you.
PM me and let me know where to ship them.

>> To whomever has difficulties disconnecting their battery connectors and feel like these EPS would help you..
Just PM me.

NOTE:
EPS Only fits the EC5 connectors at this time. (Will Not fit over iC5)

Dang, dude! Nice job, I never thought of a flange that would bottom out on the connector. No epoxy necessary!

Wow, looks great! You da man Tex!! Someone get this man a hospitality badge already!!

I’ll second that in a heartbeat. He is well deserving of one!
And seriously, I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s noticed how freakishly quick the finished product is produced after the initial idea. Nice work, Tex!

 

[Rowdyray]

Kudos @Tex Koder. Now to see if it helps him.

My first thought was similar to @joshludden. Make a loop of string to put between the 2 male posts. Hold the female end in the good hand, hook a finger on the bad hand in the loop. Pull.... Good idea, bad idea?

 

[Tex Koder]

Though I’ve never dealt with @Tex Koder personally, I’ve seen him help out lots of members here. He is definitely deserving of an excellence award!! I would most certainly toss my vote in the hat.

Yep! That too!!

Dang, dude! Nice job, I never thought of a flange that would bottom out on the connector. No epoxy necessary!

I’ll second that in a heartbeat. He is well deserving of one!
And seriously, I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s noticed how freakishly quick the finished product is produced after the initial idea. Nice work, Tex!

Thank you gentlemen.
I am humbled.

I'm just glad to be of service and help give back to our Wonderful community.



So Fast..

I'm practically standing still.

 

[chilly81]

@chilly81 @Cheez
These are ready for you.
PM me and let me know where to ship them.

Awesome I'll pm you. Looks like they could really help - especially if I try some of the other suggestions - squishing the pins a bit and lubing the casings a bit - then to have a bigger handle like this on top of it think it might work.

I was thinking maybe a ring-type keychain or even a couple of loops of string in between the two prongs. Just something to grab a hold of. Just pretend those bind plugs are the string

I hadn't even noticed that was a through slot! That could open up a few options like you were showing. Or a tapered piece of flat stock that could act as a log splitter if you shove it into that slot - that probably would wear poorly though.

 

[houtan]

View attachment 283517

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View attachment 283520

View attachment 283521

View attachment 283522

View attachment 283523

VERY Easy to disconnect with the EPS [Easy Pull Sleeve] on the battery side..



Just hold Both ends of the connection between your index finger's 1st joint and pad of your thumbs, then touch your thumbs together and push against each other while keeping slight pressure on the ends. (NOT on the cables/wiring.)

View attachment 283526

View attachment 283527

View attachment 283528

View attachment 283529

Connectors will separate easily.

NO additional tools needed or necessary.


@chilly81 @Cheez
These are ready for you.
PM me and let me know where to ship them.

>> To whomever has difficulties disconnecting their battery connectors and feel like these EPS would help you..
Just PM me.

NOTE:
EPS Only fits the EC5 connectors at this time. (Will Not fit over iC5)

Nice work!

When I left the rc world many years ago, deans connectors were the most popular. Now that I have kids, I get to be a kid again too! Picked up an 8s rig for myself and a brushed rtr for the kids.

Long story short, I have trouble with the ec5s as well. Would you be willing to share the stl file so I can print some at home?

Also, what material did you end up using?