DB37 without screws

[briansexsmith]

Hi All

A friend's race car that just ran a 16 hour endurance race with a MS3X is having a bit of trouble keeping the screws from backing out on the DB37 resulting in a misfire and a pit stop to push back in and tighten the little screws. I have never had this happen before but I have also never had an endurance race car.

Is there any alternatives to the screws for a DB37? Maybe like a printer parallel connector?

Thanks in advance for the ideas.

[vw_chuck]

locktite??

[kjones6039]

locktite??

Be careful using Loctite! You could easily break those tiny #4 screws during removal!

Ken

[billr]

Drill the screw heads and use safety-wire?

[BigBlockMopar]

Clamp down the wiring bundle next to it so the connectors can't vibrate loose?
I would probably fab a bracket around the ECU holding the connectors in place more secure.
In a pinch, maybe even use bailing wire in a crossover pattern to hold everything together.

[briansexsmith]

Thanks for the ideas, we talked about loctite but decided that would likely lead to us not being able to undo them.

I think we will try holding down the wires like suggested and maybe try one of these.

https://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/e ... ND/5325374

[DaveEFI]

With that much vibration, I'd be worried about many other things failing too. I generally use a hood with 'thumbscrew' fixings rather than slot, and have never known one come loose.

[briansexsmith]

Dave I should have mentioned I am using the thumbscrews and not the small slotted screws. I too have done a lot of MS installs on wilder cars then this but the 16 hours of constant high speed racing (rumble strips, off track experiences) is just brutal on the whole car, I have never seen something so brutal. In fact my neck is in a lot of pain today from driving about 7 hours of the 16 and I have never had that problem before in a lot faster race cars.

I think we are just going to RVT at the thumb screw bit as it should be easy enough to undo but keep it from backing out.

[DaveEFI]

Thing is it's a pretty coarse thread, so more likely to come loose than a finer one. There are all sorts of fittings for the DB series of connectors including a spring clip version (no screws) I'd not think that would vibrate loose. Or make up some posts etc using M3 which is a much finer thread. And use steel which could be tightened harder. Or just a blob of glue once the ordinary screw is tight.

[jsmcortina]

While you are at it, make sure that any screws inside on the heatsink bar have some glue to prevent the nuts from working loose.

James