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240 Chrysler ICU updated pin sleeve help

mschultz373

mschultz373

Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Location
dirty coast
i'm trying to install the Volvo updated part for Chrysler ICU harness terminal pins. they look like this:

<a href="https://ibb.co/3NP0jzT"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/cFsNZLy/volvo-sleeves.jpg" alt="volvo-sleeves" border="0"></a>

i'm wondering 1) the orientation on the pins should the open, wider portion towards the control unit?
2) if anyone has done this before and if so, what technique to use? It was already a huge PITA getting the old conductive sleeves off, and now these ones don't seem to want to fit onto the pins short of using a drift and a hammer.

thanks for any advice.
 
Are you sure you have the right part? Those look like female crimp-on sockets a la Molex. Can you show a picture of what you're trying to replace?

Normally you'd install those with a crimp tool. The result would look something like this.

Good_Crimp_Molex.jpg


Then you'd insert them from the back of the connector and the tabs would lock them into place.

Old ones can be removed by using two small, stiff wires (like flattened staples or paperclips) to press back the locking tabs, then pulling on the wire until the old pin or socket comes out.
 
Aha. They are indeed not new pin sleeves. They are new female terminals for the harness side of the connection.

If you want to install them, you'd need to depin the connector, cut off the old terminals, strip a little bit of wire (see diagram above) crimp on the new and re-insert into the connector. It's fairly straightforward but you may kill a couple terminals before you get the hang of it. Hopefully you have spares.
 
is this repair ultimately a durable one? or not?

I am really tired of the problems with the Chrysler ICU; I am tempted to just throw it away and go EZK. but then that's an expensive endeavor, one that I'm unsure I want to do to my car at this point....
 
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That I cannot tell you - I'm one of the lucky ones who has never had an issue with the ICU. I haven't done that particular update either; I just recognized crimp terminals when I saw them.
 
shot in the dark, but what about going to some sort of aftermarket config, like microsquirt or something with a different ignition? this car is NA and I don't have performance goals with it, but I'm just thinking of ways to resolve this problem permanently beyond dropping ~$500 on EZK box and conversion harness.
 
mschultz373 said:
I am really tired of the problems with the Chrysler ICU; I am tempted to just throw it away and go EZK. but then that's an expensive endeavor, one that I'm unsure I want to do to my car at this point....
Click to expand...

I am right there with you. The Chrysler system is one of the things I wouldn't mind being without. I was reading on EZK swaps, and I think I saw it's a fairly inexpensive deal if done with used parts found at the local pick n pull.

Microsquirt isnt too bad for a far more modern approach at EFI control IMO. It's a really neat little system. It's what I'm looking at using, and just getting rid of both my LH ECM, as well as the ICU. PLUS, you end up getting a waterproof ECM to replace the not waterproof and aged electronic control boxes.
 
philski o'flood said:
No most likely not. What's the matter with your car?
Click to expand...

The terminal connector at the ICU is having intermittent connections, causing random dying/no start conditions. It seems the fault is in the design of the harness connector/terminal at the ICU. I put these sleeves (see: https://www.ipdusa.com/products/125...n-Control-Module-Genuine-Volvo-1324909-234345) on several of the ICU pins and still get the condition. Maybe I need to do every pin.... but then it seems like the harness connector still gets loose from road vibration and the condition comes back.
 
Is the ICU end of the connector soldered to the board? 30+ year old solder may be cracking and causing intermittent connections.

Pins clean?
 
soldering is fine. the board is in 1/2" of clear rubber... dont think that'd be the issue, tho others say they have found that.

i'll try hitting the pins with a wire brush maybe.

could be the ignition harness itself, I suppose. I haven't replaced it.
 
mschultz373 said:
soldering is fine. the board is in 1/2" of clear rubber... dont think that'd be the issue, tho others say they have found that.

i'll try hitting the pins with a wire brush maybe.

could be the ignition harness itself, I suppose. I haven't replaced it.
Click to expand...

one thing you can try is flexing the connecting area vs. further down the harness. see what area makes the engine stop running.

conformal coating doesn't necessarily keep the solder from cracking. but by the time you're digging in there might as well be time to replace the whole thing.
 
MS2 = megasquirt?

I am sort of at a loss with this car. It's an 85 NA, 143k miles, good running condition with lots of work but has some pretty bad rust in the trunk wheel wells, plus the frame got bent from hitting a pothole so it can't be totally aligned. it's cheap to drive and insure, but i find it hard to consider justifying several hundred dollars to fix this faulty ignition issue.
 
If you don't want to spend $$$, I'd stick with the setup you have, but maybe get a couple spare parts and replace any wiring that needs it. MS is expensive for an NA setup. I'm in the same predicament, but LH II, instead.

I have some rust in one of the spare holders in the trunk as well. I'm just going to cut the damage and weld in a patch. You could always do same, and even just rivet in a patch. I don't reccomend fiberglass, but it can be done, as well.

As for bent frame, as long as they can match specs side to side and get it as close as possible, and it actually drives straight, it's not a huge deal IMO. I had an S10 ZR2 that had a twisted frame and dog tracked like nothing else, but it still drove straight post alignment.
 
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