Molex Wiring
jonp
Hi everyone,
I've been a computer tech/builder/serviceman for about 5 years now, and I've NEVER even seen a Molex wiring tool or kit. Where do I get one?
Every modded PC I've ever seen still has the off color lame wiring for the 4/3 pin connectors all tucked behind things and zip-tied. I want to avoid the power wiring messes I see everywhere on my new rig.
I really want to use black wiring with colored striping and have the cables routed properly at the proper lengths.
Anyone have some ideas?
I've been a computer tech/builder/serviceman for about 5 years now, and I've NEVER even seen a Molex wiring tool or kit. Where do I get one?
Every modded PC I've ever seen still has the off color lame wiring for the 4/3 pin connectors all tucked behind things and zip-tied. I want to avoid the power wiring messes I see everywhere on my new rig.
I really want to use black wiring with colored striping and have the cables routed properly at the proper lengths.
Anyone have some ideas?
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More about molex wiring
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After alot of research, I finally discovered all there is to know about molex pins and crimping. You can find molex pins and cimpers at www.action2k.com. This is a reputable e-store.
Molex pins are sized based on the distance between the pins on the housing. the female pins on ATX power supply connectors are called 0.96" while the males are 0.62".
The crimper will cost you about $15. I bought a 0.96" molex pin remover in radioshack. -
THANK YOU! I looked around on the net for quite a while and I didn't get any good information about that stuff. I didn't take the effort to go into Radio Shack IRL though ;-)
I just ordered a lot of the new stuff for my next system! Let's see whether or not I get up the courage to cut the Power Supply wiring hehe...I don't think that will be a problem, but spending another $85 to get another would suck. Maybe I'll just take apart an old one first and test out my wiring skills. -
jonp,
I suggest you buy a pack of 0.96 female pins, a pin crimper, and female pin extractor and practice on some wire. Pins come in packs of 100 for ~$8 and the crimper will run ~$15. I suggest female pins because the power supply only has female pins onboard. You will also need to purchase 18 AWG red, black, and yellow stranded wire.
The difficult part is figuring out how to crimp two wires to the same pin. This is necessary to daisy chain 2 or more power connectors to the same line coming out of the power supply.
I paid $200 for my power supply (PSU) and was a bit wary about cutting wires, but everything turned out okay. My PSU originally had 8 hdd power connectors (4 lines each with 2 connectors). I extended my PSU to 12 connectors (4 lines each with 3 connectors). I also crimped 3 fan power connectors. I now have 6 hdds, 2 optical drives, and some other devices -- wiring was becoming quite a mess, so this mod was necessary.
If you are worried about ruining your PSU, here is what I suggest:
(1) practice crimping pins on a single strand of wire
(2) try building a power extension cable for a hdd or fan and then TEST it
(3) practice crimping a pins on two strands of wire
(4) If you successfully complete the above tasks, then working on the PSU shouldn't be a problem. Working on the PSU will require no more skill than the above 3 tasks.
Creating power extension cables will require male and female pins. Crimping fan cables will require a different size pin and crimper. If you have extra extension cables lying around, then don't bother buying the plastic housings, just pull the housings off your other cables and reuse them.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by JavaLawyer on 10/07/03 12:44 PM.</EM></FONT></P> -
Funny thing is, that Molex doesn't make those connectors any more. I called them because I needed some males and females for extensions. A nice lady told me that the mold broke and with competition from Asia it is not worth fixing it any more. They now buy from Asia to fulfill existing contracts. - Green Lee makes approved crimpers, but I don't know the model.
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