Thinking about doing some heat sleeving, a little nervous

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Punkrulz

[H]ard|Gawd
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Nov 11, 2001
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Hey guys,

I'm thinking about doing some heat sleeving on all of my components, maybe tidying them up a bit more. I have a few questions, I've seen some answers here and there in tidbits around the forums, but I was looking to have a centralized post to get these answered to the fullest extent.

1) Removing the Wires
One of the thing that really worries me is removing the wires from the molex connectors... and worse yet, getting them back on. I have seen some pin extractors online, are they really necessary, or are there other ways to do it? Hell, my current tool kit I think already has a pin extractor... how exactly do you do it, just poke it in, hit the button and remove the pin, thus freeing the wire? How do you get it back on?

2) Heating up the sleeve
I do not have a heat dryer, would a hair dryer work? Or would any other components work, such as holding a lighter or something [I would use a candle instead of wasting someone's lighter] a few inches away careful not to burn it?

3) Is it flexible?
Well, since I can't build a new computer on the current funds I am running on, I can sure as hell make mine work nicer and look nicer too, so that's always a plus. One of the things I was thinking of doing was what someone did with their case, basically cut a bunch of holes in the back of their mother board try and ran wires through there... would heat sleeved wires still be able to manuveur their way around?

I think that's about it so far, I may have some more questions though...
 
go to Radio shack and get a pin extractor, it only costs $7 and it will make the process ALOT easier. Also tape the pins to the wire with some tape before trying to feed thru the sleeving, trust me, it will help alot

I used a lighter for the heat shrink.

the sleeving is very flexable, so no worries there.
 
accully it wasnt so bad though after reading the whole thread. he only fubar'd his burner, so far, lucky for him...
Originally posted by NotSoSimple
Luckily nothing! Just the burner was fried. So far it hasnt affected anything.
Click to expand...
but still, pay attention. ;)
 
Depending on the heatshrink you are using, sometimes a blow dryer isn't hot enough to shrink it all the way, or it will take a really long time. A $20-$30 heat gun will really help you out if you plan on using it enough to justify the purchase.
 
i just finished a guide detailing psu sleeving, just need to get it cleaned up/posted on www.ocmodshop.com

its actually easy once you take the plunge
i would not reccomend a pin extractor, unless you plan on doing up more than one or two psu's (i've sleeved 3, and still havent gotten one haha, dont plan on it either)

you can use a paperclip or push pin, and the trick is to look down the hole of the molex, and find the little pins that are on the edges, push them both in and slide the pin out

to put it back in, all you have to do is bend the pins back out, and slide the wire back in

heatshrinking: i use a lighter usually, but its easy to accidentally burn it a little if you dont be careful - i tried with a hair dryer, but it didnt get hot enough

flexability:
i'd say that the wires are quite flexable still, easy to keep clean
 
Get the pin extractor. Better tools mean a better job at the end.

Dont use a common cigarette lighter, go to the minute mart and buy one of the ones that are like a butane torch. Regular lighters will cause the wrapping to burn, torches will cause it so melt. Dont put the flame on the wrapping, just do it nearby until you see the wrapping melting. once you learn just how to do it, its a snap.

A heat gun would be recommended. I used something else, but I wish I had used a heat gun.
 
I used a blow dryer and it sorta worked but didn't get as hot as the lighters direct flame but be careful with the lighter, I melted a bit of my sleeving by not being careful with the lighter.

edit: sleeve a psu that wont die in a couple months either, I just sleeved my PSU and its looking like it's gonna die soon :rolleyes: what a coincidence :p
 
I just did mine yesterday. I was very nervous about it, but it was much easier than I expected. Removing the molex connectors was difficult for the first two or three, after that it only took a few seconds for each one. Replacing them was even easier. I used a paperclip to remove the connectors. I used a hairdryer to melt the heatshrink, but the hairdryer I used gets _very_ hot (my mom managed to get it to melt itself).
 
I remove molex connectors, with a really crappy pair of tweezers. all you have to do is bend in the 2 little fins that hold it in place, and pull the wire out, just bend them back out before you reinsert them after you are done.

Also I just use a lighter on my heat shrink tubing, that works fine.
 
Originally posted by Comte
Get the pin extractor. Better tools mean a better job at the end.
Click to expand...

bullshit on that.
its a waste of money unless you plan to commercially sleeve, the results will be no different if you use anything else.
 
As was iterated earlier...Be sure you dont get the 12v and 5v wires mixed..It blows things up..Like CD-RW. Trust me I know...

You already have a link to the thread though, so I dont have to tell you!
 
Originally posted by NotSoSimple
As was iterated earlier...Be sure you dont get the 12v and 5v wires mixed..It blows things up..Like CD-RW. Trust me I know...

You already have a link to the thread though, so I dont have to tell you!
Click to expand...

Heh, your thread made me so paranoid when I was soind my sleeving. I must've checked 15 times!

p.s I agree with DRxAndy, tool is a waste of money unless you plan to do this repeatedly or commercialy.
 
Ok, well what can I use in place of the "pin extractor"? I see that someone used a paper clip, anything else?
 
adamfelker has the idea. I just use a very small flathead screwdriver. Works awesome. After the first couple times pulling off Molex, it becomes way easy.
 
Be careful on the molex pins. I managed to snap my connector in half on accident. I had to cut it off and solder on a new connector. That was back when i was a shitty solderer too. So I probably should go in and redo it but... Meh.
 
A lighter works great. Try to use the blue flame more. That way you wont char anything. Most of the wire sleaving can take quite a bit of heat and so can the wire insulation.
 
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