strain relief for snap connectors

I'm working through all the little issues to get this bike ready for spring (8" wet snow Friday night...). Has anyone come up with a good way to provide strain relief for the snap (bullet) connectors in the wiring harness ?

All the electrical failures I can think of have been a wire broken off next to a connector.

Careful routing and careful use of cable ties.

Correct cable tie use means supporting the harness around connectors whilst avoiding putting them under any strain.

I‘ve seen people recommending using a length of heavy duty cable tie as a ‘splint’ to protect wires that have been spliced and soldered, but have never used this method,

Use a short section of shrink tubing to bridge the the transition from wire to bullet connector.

Heat shrink? Not only lessens strain but protects from the elements. Only downside is it is more difficult to undo any connections when you have the need to do so.

Snortin Vache said:

Heat shrink? Not only lessens strain but protects from the elements. Only downside is it is more difficult to undo any connections when you have the need to do so.

Click to expand...

Only use the heat shrink on the wire/male connector.

I have never had any broken wires adjacent to a lucas bullet connector. I wonder if your problem is related to how the harness was run.
The careful installation/run of the wiring will usually take the strain off the connection.
You could wrap the connector and wire in self amalgamating tape. I would avoid using standard issue electrical tape for strain relief as it degrades with heat and oil.
Don't do what the previous owner did to my 1972 Combat: install a new harness and glue every lucas connector together with great smears of a hard rubbery sealant. It provided great strain relief, but I couldn't undue any connectors without using an x-acto knife, while trying to avoid slicing the insulation and my fingers.

On a side subject, I recently purchased some 3m self adhesive plastic clips that are made for securing electrical wiring.
I used them inside the headlight shell to isolate the wire groupings from one another, also to reduce strain on connectors and to tidy up wiring.
The clips turned the big bowl of spaghetti into an organized space with room for a headlight.

Glen

Here is the problem with shrink tubing on the end of the male connector.


By the time the connector snaps together the shrink tubing would either get pushed back by the plastic sleeve or prevent the complete connection.