Anyone successfully repair the 84 and earlier 240 turn signal wiring?

The situation... early 240 (pre-85) turn signal wiring. The wiring deteriorates and eventually pulls out of the factory crimp.

1. It's very difficult to uncrimp the factory wiring and crimp new wiring to it.


2. Solder doesn't stick well to the factory crimp. If you do try to solder, the plastic housing melts.

3. I tried crimping new spade terminals to the factory crimp but it's a poor connection.


Has anyone found a way to repair these units?

Did you try abrading it a bit and applying a large amount of flux?

Im dealing with similar issues fixing wiring on a 76 240. Solder just won’t stick to this old stuff. I ended up making all new wiring for the taillights. I also want to replace the connections for the headlights/turn signal and I’m sure I’ll end up replacing most of the wiring for those as well. Your best bet is probably to get as far up the wire as you can and just cut it off and splice a new one on using a butt connector. Then you’ve got a good clean end for crimping/soldering new terminals.

I cut off and leave 2" of bare copper wire, then solder on new wire. I use a long piece of heat shrink to cover up the bare copper near the bulb socket, marine type with hot glue in it if I'm feeling saucy. Just keep burning solder on to it until it sticks, or use some good flux. I have melted them before but an extra inch of wire between the iron and socket seems to help. Milwaukee 12v Soldering iron is also the **** FYI.

We'll glad it's not just me, we talking rear turn signals?

Solder fatigues/breaks/doesn't flex. Have largely abandoned soldering wire-wire, but used to.
That said, not much vibration likely in that location.

Soldered is a sealed/gas-tight-joint, but it makes the wire brittle inflexible thing likely to break where the "free" wire joins the solder-saturated wire.

Suppose you could mitigate this with the special heat-wicking aluminum pliers at each end, but that's time consuming/intricate to get right/takes real time/skill.

Solder-less bare high quality crimps (like the factory uses to join wires), gooey heat shrink as needed. Pliers used to be expensive, but buy once, cry once.

Failing that, decent marine crimps/pliers?