tthorntonuhl

No. Here's why. Jumper cable wire isn't usually the same as wiring harness cable. The former is often copper coated aluminum (CCA) wire, while a harness cable is usually pure copper. Test your jumper cable by scraping at the copper: if you find a different colour below, it is CCA or something similar. Do not use this as a splice in your battery harness even if both cables are the same gauge. This is because copper and CCA do not conduct electricity in identical fashions. Moreover, if you were to splice a CCA jumper cable into your harness you would be introducing aluminum wiring, a big no no as it may start a fire. You are much better off simply buying a pre-made cable to solve your problem or have one made up for you. I get mine from del city where they start at about $4 but there are other places that will do it for you as well. You can also buy matching cable by the foot. You can also buy battery splice cables, which are a connector connected to a terminal, about 6 inches long. I use these when I want...

I usually avoid using a spudger to pop a connection apart unless I’m certain that only minimal force is required, as it’s not uncommon for some of these multipin connectors to be tight. Sometimes I just lightly grip the connector with tweezers on two sides and move the connector a tiny amount at a time. Or you can grab the head of the connector (the frame) where there is a bit more material to grab and it’s unlikely to break. Whatever you do, try to test the connection before actually popping it apart. It’s been a real surprise to me to find how tight some of them can be, while others almost fall apart (I’m looking at you, trackpad cable).

Q: I infer that the silver tape acts as kind of conductive heat sink bridge between the drive and the fan. The tape, or what is left of it, no longer adheres to the fan casing. To re-attach it, is some kind of conductive bond required, or can I use a small amount of epoxy? Should I use a drop of solder instead? Or is it possible to obtain replacement tape?

You could also use a small ratcheting bit driver and bit, or an angled ratcheting bit driver. Good bits and a ratchet can sometimes allow you to apply more torque than you could with a screwdriver. Useful if like me you might have “accidentally” overtightened something the last time.