A pin extractor! My kingdom for a pin extractor!

[MetricAmerica]

You can get an ejector pin sleeve w/4 mm hole from the plastic molding supplies, the outside diameter is 6 mm, but that can be ground down to what ever the hole is in the plastic connector... just a thought...
Oh, another thought, look at antenna extensions for radios, one of the several sections might be the right dimensions, simply saw off...
Found this tube for sale... http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/2017_1_1391365.html 4 mm ID 6 mm OD

[bcroe]

I've worked on a lot of connectors, but I concluded MC4s were not to be taken apart. Bruce Roe

[foo1bar]

I've worked on a lot of connectors, but I concluded MC4s were not to be taken apart. Bruce Roe

I would say "not disassembled", rather than "not to be taken apart".
"taken apart" could be construed as meaning disconnecting a pair of female and male MC4s - which you can do fairly easily.
But I agree that if you put the parts on the wire in the wrong order, just give up, cut off the thing and redo it with a new connector. They're not super cheap, but in the overall scheme of things they aren't that expensive.

[solarix]

You are SOL when trying to salvage a pin out of a MC4 connector. Once they click, in the pin is not coming out. The pins are quite robust and you are not going to get the barbs on the pin to release. The housing is really tough too.
Another wonderful thing I've found about MC4 connectors is that there are many "knockoffs" or "equivalent" connectors not all of which are truly compatible. I've seen cases where the panel manufacturer puts some weird brand on and it doesn't engage well. Even the actual MC4 brand doesn't let the contacts engage that much when clicked together - maybe a 1/4". Some combinations hardly at all. And it hard to tell unless you do a destructive disassemble. I think in effort to make them "touch safe" they retracted the tip of the pin so far that there really isn't that much engagement.
When MC4 first got popular and began to win the solar market, they tried to keep exclusive rights to their design and then they could not keep up with all the surge in business and became very had to find so a bunch of other manufacturers jumped in with similar (but supposed to be compatible) products that did not violate the MC4 patent.

[MetricAmerica]

So BULL! These connectors have have the tiny lock wings just like every freakn connector on the market, stop all your bull****! So brainwashed Pantie Bambies...

[Mike90250]

So BULL! These connectors have have the tiny lock wings just like every freakn connector on the market, stop all your bull****!

So why are you not rich from selling extractors ? Just because a pin has lock wings, does not mean the body has clearance designed to allow an extractor tool in.

[MetricAmerica]

You people are pathetic why quote when your right below post? Get rich on a 5 cent piece? Too poor to cut a tube yourself? So sad how do you think they fit together? They made it with space, take a look yourself at the DIMENSIONS, Sad pathetic people...

[SunEagle]

MetricAmerica

Please chill out. You will hurt yourself with that attitude.

Please provide positive support or don't say anything at all.

[cornvillekid]

IF you are careful, you can use a section of brass tubing. I got mine from Ace Hardware, in a small metal display.
I believe it's K&S metals. Anyway, I tapered the end, and if you wiggle and push, it will release the terminal.
Works better on the males than the females. The AMP connectors release better than the aftermarkets that don't
seem to have clearance for the release tool. Mine were on Hanwa Q-cell panels, so others may be different.

[J.P.M.]

I tapered the end, and if you wiggle and push, it will release the terminal. Works better on the males than the females.

Don't know about the males. Worked better on females for me. Different strokes. I couldn't do the taper (already snipped at birth) but the wiggle and push eventually and always drove the females crazy.

[travissand]

So BULL! These connectors have have the tiny lock wings just like every freakn connector on the market, stop all your bull****! So brainwashed Pantie Bambies...

Thanks for this. It's actually quite true. Sometimes if you pull hard enough it pulls the whole metal collar out. The collar that has the locking wings on inside and bites into the plastic on the outer side. Then simply reinsert the collar and it's good as new.
I've got several hundred different connector pin extractor tools but none of them are close to the right size. but I think the type it needs has to approach the connector from the back side like a fuel line release tool. It's a C shape that snaps over the wire and ends up rapping around the whole perimeter and then slides into the connector. the way the double opposing Barb's lock into each other in there it would be more difficult than average to make the tool release the pin even if you had the right diameter. I also like the idea about making a releasing tool out of a telescoping radio antenna. sometimes when releasing fuel lines I'll roll up a soda can around the line to slide it in and release the lock Wings.
I would first try pulling on it really really hard and then if that doesn't work maybe warm it up a bit with a propane torch and then try pulling again.

[bcroe]

I would first try pulling on it really really hard and then if that
doesn't work maybe warm it up a bit with a propane torch and then try pulling again.

I have not seen much reason to take apart a single pin connector like an MC4. Note one thing
they did well. You do not need to first string all the parts onto the wire, they can be put on
after the pin is crimped onto the end. Bruce Roe