Any suggestions on fixing this amp?

[kyle3194 10+ year member]

Ok, well i have a JL E2150 amp that uses hex screws for the terminal posts. Needless to say I dont like hex screws, and they do not like me. Yesterday, I was messing with my remote wire and completely stripped the screw. I tried everything to get it out... pliers, pressure on the side wall, the drill bit trick, and even those easy outs as a last ditch effort. The easy out pulled out the head, and an eighth of an inch of the threading, which still leaves me with about 3/4 of an inch in the post. No way that I saw to get it out, sooooo I tried so solder a wire into the terminal, but i couldn't get the terminal hot enough to stick! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rage.gif.0ad8a6e5565b5fddce406566fdd05149.gif Then last night in frustration, I ended up soldering it as best I could, then i put some JB Weld over the top to keep it in place. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif I think it will work now, but I was just posting this in case anyone came across the same problem. (Oh, and thanks JL for recessing the screw a good 1/4 inch into the housing). Pics to come.

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[BnGRacing 10+ year member]

You stripped the screw and you're blaming the amp? Chances are, you really didn't strip it so much as you cross threaded it...that's a no-no.

Live & learn...

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

i prefer recessed hex screws. allen wrenches are plentiful and they don't get lost as easy as the old screw terminals. also, less wire is exposed for a safer installation.

one thing with those set screws is not that they strip but that they bottom out and lose contact. the remote wire is so small, sometimes it won't provide enough thickness to prevent this. all you probably had to do was get a small screwdriver head under the screw and push up while turning the screw. that will usually get it to come back out.

 

[kyle3194 10+ year member]

keep_hope_alive
Re: Any suggestions on fixing this amp?

i prefer recessed hex screws. allen wrenches are plentiful and they don't get lost as easy as the old screw terminals. also, less wire is exposed for a safer installation.

one thing with those set screws is not that they strip but that they bottom out and lose contact. the remote wire is so small, sometimes it won't provide enough thickness to prevent this. all you probably had to do was get a small screwdriver head under the screw and push up while turning the screw. that will usually get it to come back out.

Well, I mean its all working now, but i honestly saw no way to get the hex screw out. I seriously tried for 3 hours until i decided to go with the ol' solder and JB method. But after doing that, I just have a little pig tail that comes out of the remote slot, and i can just nut it onto the remote wire coming from the hu. Granted its a little rigged, but hey it works. Thanks for the info though on the hex screws, i do like the fact that they go deeper into the amp.

BnGRacing
Re: Any suggestions on fixing this amp?

You stripped the screw and you're blaming the amp? Chances are, you really didn't strip it so much as you cross threaded it...that's a no-no.

Live & learn...

I in no way blame the amp, I blame my self for not using the right tools for too long to mess with the terminal. I did not cross thead it... i stripped the head of the screw... sound better?

 

[bubbagumper6 5,000+ posts]

The reason it wouldn't solder easily is because there's a lot of metal in that terminal and it's going to act as a heatsink...

In the future just take your time. Stripping those screws is ALWAYS user error. If it was tight enough for you to strip the head then you either cross threaded it or bottomed it out. In either case, I would wager the threads in there are pretty mangled at this point so if your solder method is working I wouldn't touch it. You're lucky it's only the remote wire and not a higher current carrying terminal.

 

[kyle3194 10+ year member]

You're lucky it's only the remote wire and not a higher current carrying terminal.

Exactly what I was thinking!

 

[kyle3194 10+ year member]

Well, i know the camera quality isnt great, but here it is, fixed.

View attachment 26527553