Installing SRI Gold kit today - little help?

Don't get too discouraged. I did mine when I had the engine out and the first few plugs were tough. All my plugs came out but some of them were quite difficult. Many times I found you just had to tinker with them. I myself would not like to tackle it with the engine in because many connector can take an hour or two to get the car apart to do it. I spent about 5 days about 6 hours per day 3 in morning 3 in afternoon. If you are going to do it without getting to frustrated find the easiest access ones and take your time it does get easier. Also atleast when in car you can start afterward and check everything is ok. If your eyes are not very good I would also suggest some magnifiers this also helped me. I found pushing on wires wrong did nothing but aggravate. Good luck and it is worth it in the end.

 

Not that I could afford it but how much would it cost to get Dave Helms to fly over here with an SRI gold kit and a hose kit in his luggage and do it himself...........

Now that would be cool!!!!!!!!!!!

Has anyone done that? He probably wouldn't do it.....too busy tinkering his projects.

At my next major I'm getting his connectors and hoses.....that's for sure!

 

No disrespect to the op but this is not a tough job. He must be doing something wrong with the tool. Maybe hes not pushing the removal tool all the way in first. You cannot pull on the wires until the tool is inserted all the way in.

 

+355 to this.

It is all in the technique, not in the force. It took me a few plugs to really figure it out, but once I did it was seconds per plug to remove the wires. You do not do this job on a time crunch. I spent hours preping to start the job. Just researching where the plugs are, what the best order is to go at them, practicing with the crimper, setting up my small garage so everything in the kit was organized and nothing could be lost or missed.

I did mine over the winter and the car was down for around a month as I worked on it when I could.

 

Ahhhh.... Go ahead ---- he loves that **** !

It is tedious work ----- requires a "touch" and a precision to be efficient at it. And, some folks have a better aptitude for that than others.

Also, try working it in process steps --- saves time and increases proficiency. Remove all pins from housings at a time, snip / strip all wires at a time, crimp all new pins at a time, etc.

Rather than fully completing all the steps involved start to finish on a single connector, then moving to the next connector, etc. At the very least you waste a lot of time that way just changing tools, mindset, and fiddling with parts each time.

 

I did it one connector at a time. I think if I removed all the wires first, I would be more worried about making sure that I put the right wires in the right holes than any distraction I would have saved by doing each step all at once.

If the wire doesn't pull out when you insert the connector removal tool, then you didn't hit the tabs on the pin. You need to pull the tool out and insert it again. Once it hits the tabs, the wire will slide out easily.

 

Ouch, I've been burned by FBB... not something to be proud of.
For what it's worth , my discussion of the problem is at about 2min, 30 seconds into this video:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc8mGzcWiq0]Ferrari 348 gold kit part IV - YouTube[/ame]

I don't think I was being a caveman. Certainly no wooden clubs were used.
My only other comment to Ketel, is to consider (if you continue, and get the hang of it) doing a video for fellow 355 owners. The reason I did my videos was because there was a bit of a treasure hunt aspect in figuring out the process and the locations of sensors, so I was trying to make it a little easier for the next person. I'm sure other 355 owners would like the same thing if possible.

 

What are the boots?

I guess the good thing about the kit is that all the parts are supplied. Having experience in electronics though, I suspect yuo could find the parts at the typical suppliers. For example, I found the 2 pin connector used in an number of places on my F355 at Mouser: 12129142 Delphi Connection Systems | Mouser
and the gold pins: 12110158-L Delphi Connection Systems | Mouser

Of course, when it come to electronics, I'm not the have age Ferrari owner. By the way, anyone have an old CAT ECU that failed? I'd love to cut one open and see what the circuit is. It's got to be pretty simple. Probably $10 worth of parts retail.

 

Totally agree. This and the 360 pump upgrade are both things that have appeal, but the apparent lack of any decent instructions with either is hard to fathom.
How hard would it be to include some detailed instructions with the kit, rather than assuming everyone is a mechanic / auto electrician and will just "work it out"?
Especially given what these things cost.
In the case of the pump upgrade, apparently even seasoned mechanics struggle with it, which is ridiculous.
These upgrades - which run the risk of damaging a perfectly good car if not done properly - should have straight forward step by step instructions which even an idiot like me could follow.

Until then, I wouldn't buy this kit, no matter how good the end result may be.

 

The plugs are reused because all those that proceeded you demanded "it be as inexpensive as possible"... that's it. If given the choice, I would do a number of things differently BUT there is sound reason why I do years of testing with many folks doing installs outside of my shop..... these folks are who defines what and how a kit is, and then I deal with how to accomplish the end results with the least amount of difficulty and in the most cost conscious manner

Early versions had plugs supplied with the kit but all were black in color but with colored banding that showed the original plug color. Folks didn't like this so it was dropped. Getting all of the colored plugs requires a large order from Europe, thus increasing my costs a good deal in what parts are inventoried..... and we all know where parts costs get passed to.

When FBB had a lot of trouble early on with the same issue of terminal release, we redesigned the tool to address the problem and made them ourselves. Once the installer gets the hang of it.... they come apart quite easily and quickly. Most having the problem never read the tips book nor practiced as were suggested in the instructions. These tips and the books are a culmination of hundreds of emails, tips and suggestions from those that have successfully done what you are embarking on... there is method to the madness.

The CD was replaced with printed information books because folks wanted something they could take to the car with them. This change was a Result of requests from the many that proceeded you. There is yet to be a case where a suggestion that had merit was not acted upon with a change to the structure of the kit, its a constantly evolving animal and improves by the day. It is one of the reasons I wanted every kit to have its own tools, there have been 19 updates to the kit since we first started this and with the tools in hand, we can just supply the consumables..... once again, method and planning resulting from feedback

The very first page of the WSM section on engine management has an incredibly good schematic showing all of the locations of all of the sensors..... I cant understand how this part could be the least bit confusing.

John, it is reasonable to 'suspect' but you would be wrong. Much testing went into what is supplied and you are wrong, it isn't available at PepBoys. I too followed your thoughts for the first few years of testing this but had my backside handed to me from that assumption.

Dave

PS.... there isnt a day I Don't check my emails, its hard not to get ahold of me. Stick with it, when one technique doesnt work, they another... force isnt the answer and then requires dealing with those results

 

I did mine and I found a couple of things:

1. Dave is your resource, I probably called him 6 times.
2. If you have the wrong tool or the wrong application, it will not work and you will cuss a storm. If you have the correct pin removal tool the pins should simply come out of the plug - there just shouldn't be anything to hold them in. But if you don't, there will be a tab on the pin that will NEVER let go. I mean I cannot believe how tight a sub-1mm piece of old tin can hold on in a 15 year old plastic bit.
3. I took pictures of everything, every wire, every connector. That way I had a record in case I screwed it up that Dave could (possibly) help fix.

The plug I had the most trouble with was actually the mass air flow sensor plug, the big round one. All of the wires and insulation were so degraded that when you released the pin and pulled on the wire you would strip the insulation from the wire in your hand and/or yank the wire out of the pin leaving the jammed pin in the plug. It was the last one I did and the hardest. Even harder than the ECU head unit which is daunting and tedious but actually pretty simple (one at a time...).

Also, it doesn't matter the order or anything so I went down the list he had, checking them off as I went. Use the owners manual or the Ricambi parts list to find the plugs (or call Dave). I was sure the car would burst into flames when I started her up but she purrs like a kitten!

 

Dave, I am not referring to PEP Boys. I'm talking about industrial electronics suppliers like Mouser, DiGi Key etc. These are industry suppliers of electronics components from el'cheapo parts to mill spec. (I spent 25 doing DOD research in electronics.)

As I said, I find the value of you kit, for those who choose to use it, is that you have done the research and supply all the components in a kit. It would day me days, maybe weeks, to page through a parts catalog to find all the required pins, connectors, etc. And that's assuming I had a parts list to start with. Before I got to that point I would have to catalog all the connectors and the pin types on an F355 just to get started. Not something I'm interested in doing since you have already done it.

 

sorry Paul...not my intention to throw anyone under the bus. I respect both who best battle with clubs and others who battle with a fine sword. The enemy is dispatched just the same. My point was that finesse is the order of the day with "this" job and it can easily by learned by anyone willing to put in the time and effort. There is also nothing wrong will paying someone else to do it too. Everyone enjoys the hobby in their own way. Sometimes it is just fiddling with it, or seeing someone else do it, or practicing on a table before being a contortionist under the hood. Hopefully the OP will not loose faith. "Loser" is close to him and offered to help him bridge the gap. That is a nice offer.

 

Whew, I feel a little better now. Guess I won't need that Zoloft Rx afterall.
I will add that anyone doing the kit, DO be a partial caveman when it's time to test your crimps. Give them a pretty good tug. Better to come apart in your hand then falling apart 5000 miles down the road. I found after doing the crimp in the recommended middle slot, a partial squeeze in the small slot really did the trick

 

With respect to the pin removal tool, I too strugled on the first one but once you have the knack and have made a slight adjustment to the pin shape to suite your technique then all the rest come out fine.

I found this shape of the tool worked best for me.
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Ketel,
Hang in there and take your time. You will get it done and you will be amazed at the difference.

 

I applaud all that have installed the SRI Gold Connector kit with the engine in the car! I installed mine with the engine out during my major.
I completed a few connectors a night. As Fatbillybob says, be methodical. Enjoy the process.
Found the instruction book comprehensive. Connector location easy with the engine in front of your face.
I understand the frustration. The 1st few connectors were slow. Once the technique is mastered, the process flows well to completion.
Component and tool quality is amazing! Well designed an researched.
Patience/wine/beer are your friend.

 

Sorry, I live on a lake.

 

I ended up doing the exact same thing.

I did the whole kit with the engine in the car also. Some clips were more trouble than others and there was one pin on the side engine harness that gave me all kinds of trouble. I ended up haveing to make my own tool to remove it. In the end it was my fault on that pin because my initial attempt to get it out was half assed and ended up making it worse.

The end result is amazing though. Random slow down lights from the previous 1.5 years of ownership.... GONE!

 

It should. It's got fatbillybob's name on it.

 

P0113 Intake Air Temperature Circuit
P0154 02 Sensor Circuit (Upstream Catalyst) (Bank 2, Sensor 1)
P1115 02 Sensor Heater Circuit (Upstream Catalyst) (Bank 1, Sensor 1)
P1119 02 Sensor Heater Circuit (Upstream Catalyst) (Bank 2, Sensor 1)
P1449 Catalyst Temperature (Bank 2)
P1448 Catalyst Bypass Flap Circuit

If you end up needing to replace your O2 sensors, look up the part numbers for a 99 F355. The 97 part numbers are incorrect.

For P1449 and P1448, clean the contacts on the CAT ECUs and vacuum control solenoids on the panel behind the passenger side rear wheel well. When I see these codes come up, I just clean the contacts and it's fine for another 6 months to a year. Contacts for some of these plugs were not included in the kit back when I bought it.

Tom

 

wait, are you saying you did not get these errors before you did the gold kit? that means you messed up a lot of connectors !!!