I want to get a proper crimping tool that is able to reproduce the factory crimp on socket terminals when doing electrical repair. Does anyone know what tool I need for that?

This was my attempt with using a general house wiring crimping tool. Left is the original part from an Air/Fuel connector such as this one.

 

Hello,

Those are what's called Open Barrel Crimp Terminals, and to crimp them properly, you need an Open Barrel Crimping Tool. Considering that you probably won't be doing a ton of those on regular basics, I would suggest to get a basic version, which will get the job done, while being pretty affordable and universal. Below is the link to one that seems to perform pretty decently (at least for its price), though I am yet to get one for my own project, which I will probably end up doing a writeup for when I am actually done.

Should you decide to get a different style one, you need to be wary of the jaw design - there is what I would call a "regular" and a combined style of jaws. The combined style allows you to crimp the terminal both around the exposed copper and isolation all in one go. It can be quite convenient if you are doing more than a few of them, but with that comes the drawback of not being able to crimp waterproof terminals like the ones you have. The tool linked below is actually capable of crimping around seals as well, which is why I consider it to be more universal.


Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

I don't think there is a crimp tool that does what came out of the factory. I crimp them down then solder the very end to make sure. If there is a tool that duplicates the OEM terminal crimp I'd buy one.

I stand corrected Toyota does make one. Don't think I can justify the price, if I did harness repair all day then sure.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/324413319495

 

Thank you for explaining the difference in tools. I found the IWISS tools but got overwhelmed by the different varieties.

So the technical name is an Open Barrel Crimp Terminal? Is that a general category term for these style of connectors? I’ve seen names like WeatherPack, Delphi, Metri-Pack, is there a brand name for the style of connector Toyota uses?

I found this Amazon listing for a IWISS IWC-1424B. It seems like that’s exactly what I need based on their photos. There is also an IWS-1424B with a locking mechanism. Not sure if there is other differences. What are your thoughts on those two tools?

IWISS Sealed Waterproof Terminals Crimping Tool Wire Crimper for Delphi Metri-Pack 150, 280 & Weather-Pack Terminals AWG24-14 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B1LCCN4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_K7KKW9N9TVGT17JAVTPM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

IWISS Weather Pack Sealed Connector Crimping Tool - Wire Crimper for Delphi Metri-Pack 150, 280 & Weather-Pack Terminals AWG24-14 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0732W6HQR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_6HBHJB0CKKM9TB7525NS?psc=1

 

I have a crimp tool similar if not the same as above it fails to duplicate the factory job which is extremely strong.

 

Yes, the technical name for this type of crimp is an Open Barrel, at least from how I understand it, since everyone keeps calling them different names. At least that name seems to produce the most results for me from all other searches.

They are not only designed for automotive applications, those kinds of crimps are used all over the industry because of how effective they are, just look at the Arduino terminals on sale. As for the rest of names listed (like Delphi or WeatherPack), those are names of leading companies that make those terminals, and being leading companies, they can also create their own standards. With that, I would assume it's more of a marketing, the same as interior clips that are being marketed in the listing for some specific brands like Toyota or Honda, just to lure people who are looking for specific keywords.

The difference between A and B variant is that B is capable of crimping watertight seals, like the one you have. As for IWC and IWS variants - I contacted the company, and they said that IWC is just an improved design, the kind of crimps both tools produce is the same.

Found a TSB that shows that tool, it is not designed for open barrel connectors, but rather for regular splice connectors (P/Ns: 82999–12010 (Red); 82999–12020 (Blue); 82999–12030 (Yellow)). Here is a list of all OEM terminals Toyota sells, though all of them are already crimped onto the wire, which is where Toyota crimp tool comes in.

EDIT: Seems like Lobtex AK15A is what Toyota sells as OEM tool.

That probably is the case, but you need to remember that those are budget, entry level tools, they are not the be-all and end-all. More digging can reveal quite a bit more tools that do the same job, but the prices also go up accordingly. Some people say a Japanese Engineer PA-21 works well, but I never tried it myself. Could it be the reason why Toyota sells those terminals already attached to a wire..?

Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

They are crimped via automation on a machine worth probably more than an entire Lexus.

This looks promising. Crimping then soldering takes a lot of time and not easy to do when not on the bench.

 

When you say it failed to duplicate the factory job, what does it look like? Does it hold the wire and weather seal securely? I want to make sure I can perform the B style crimp on the wire and a clean crimp around the weather seal.

 

I don't like the way it crimps down the metal* so I do it with a small pair of needle nose pliers, then solder the very end. Never had an issue with this method but a proper crimp tool would be great. I wouldn't rely on the crimp alone to hold the wire securely it is not anywhere near as secure as the factory job.

* I have to tweak it manually so I don't bother with the crimp tool.

 

To produce factory like crimps you will need this crimp frame
https://racespeconline.com/collectio...39967921307841

And about a $300-$500 crimp die for the specific terminal you wish to crimp. In the link I provided I'm not sure if they list the correct die but I'm sure they can get it for you.

Other wise use a generic 'W' plier type crimper like in post #3 and make sure to add a bit of solder.

Slide on your water seal, strip the wire, crimp, apply solder, slide the seal back up and then crimp the seal. Done, if you crimp the wire and seal, then try to solder it you could deform the seal with the heat applied for soldering.

I don't recommend the first option as its very expensive lol. Unless you are very picky about your wire terminations(like me) or you plan to start up a business making custom Toyota/Lexus Harnesses.

 

Oh interesting. I found a similar shop to that website that also makes custom looms for racing teams, they’re called KSVLooms and their equipment looked very serious just like this. I wouldn’t mind paying $120 for a quality tool but the fact that just one die is $200-500 that’s outrageous! I guess I’ll stick to cheap Chinese tools with some extra solder.

 

Got the IWISS tool today, impressed by its crimping ability. It’s not as tight as OE but definitely close enough and holds the wire securely. I went through all the crimping stages starting with largest size and ending with the smallest size. That seemed to produce the cleanest outcome. My wire was too big for the weather seal so I tried to crimp the terminal without it and it came out very clean. I’ll try to get more terminals and thinner wire to practice that as well.

Also upgraded my soldering iron, got a better wire stripper, and got flux to make the solder flow faster. Also picked up a nice solder sucker from Engineer. Super impressed by how much more professional the results came out.

 

That turned out great.