What kind of part is this? (Electric/Computer question)

[Reno_eNVy]

Hello all, so the fan on my VGA cooler (computer graphics cards fan/heatsink combo) crapped out and I found a cheap one from China. Turns out China uses a different sized two-pin connector to power the fan so I took the wiring from the old fan, cut the China-2-pin and spliced on the old 2-pin with electric tape.

It worked for a second but it turns out it didn't like the electric tape so much. It seemed to work when the wires are moved into various positions, as though either of the two cables were not completely connected. Took off the tape, re-stripped the cable to make the connection longer and twisted together what I thought could never be moved apart. But lo and behold, the fan only works when the wires are in juuuuust the right position.

So I noticed a part my friend used when he helped me build this computer years ago. Looks like a wire cap commonly used for house electrical work but is instead rubber and wrapped up with electric tape... however I have no idea what to call it and I'm unsure as to whether I could find it at Home Depot or if I need to go to a computer store (EDIT: SWMBO made a great suggestion... Radio Shack, duh. I'm assuming it'd be there?). It looks like this would be my best bet, unless there is something else it could be. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Pictured below is the part I'm speaking of (sorry for the crappy cell-phone pic):

 

[Peace11uehman]

You should solder those wires together or use a crimp connection. Twisting wires is kinda sketch when it comes to computers lol.

Not sure what that part is, but it looks like it may be some type of heat shrink end cap? I would solder the wires and put heat shrink tubing over them.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Thanks! Well, soldering is a no-go. But the crimp connection seems like a good idea. I'm sure Radio Shack would have something like that, right?

 

[Bassman]

It may be a spade lug connector. Why is soldering a no-go?

 

[Marsdude]

Why not just use a wire nut?

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Okay, soldering isn't a no-go because I ended up be able to borrow an iron from a friend. It seemed to be working just fine too for a few minutes and then just stopped. It just feels like turning on whenever it wishes... seems like it would be due to still-loose wiring but I feel like I soldered it properly... Here's what I did:

1) Lined up the wires vertically, twisted a bit just to keep them stationary, and soldered them together

2) Folded the tinned part over so the wire would sit straight, like a normal non-cut wire

3) Used heat-shrinking insulated wire sheathes to keep them isolated from each other and other computer parts.

What could the problem still be? It's driving me crazy....

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Why not just use a wire nut?

Yeah I thought of that but it's much smaller than the wire in the image. It's 22, maybe even 24 gauge