A method of engaging wire ends of a stator assembly. The method involves advancing multiple fingers radially inwardly toward the wire ends, and rotating the fingers. The fingers have protrusions that engage the wire ends. A tooling assembly for engaging the wire ends has a first plate, a second plate, and has the fingers. The first plate has slots, and the second plate has teeth. The fingers have pins that ride in the slots of the first plate, and the fingers have teeth that mesh with the teeth of the second plate.