Protection for the Pince Lucas of Darkness

[LuckyLuke]

What grease should be used when mounting the cable connectors of a Lucas wiring harness?
My idea was to use some grease to prevent moisture from getting into the connectors!

 

[Keoke]

What grease should be used when mounting the cable connectors of a Lucas wiring harness?
My idea was to use some grease to prevent moisture from getting into the connectors!

Highly debatable. However, IMOP NONE--Fwiw--Keoke

P.S. Did you find any grease or moisture in em when you took them apart??

 

[Dave Russell]

My 50 year old wiring harness was pretty beat up but had no bullet connector contact problems. When I installed the new wiring harness no grease in the connectors.

A lot of late model cars seem to fill every connection with dilectric grease. Not really sure if it helps keep out moisture or just retain any moisture that does get in. It certainly is messy & collects a lot of dirt.
D

 

[RonMacPherson]

Dielectric grease helps maintain contact and protect against water intrusion. Why wasn't it used 50 years ago?

It wasn't around then. You will find most of the upscale Marques are starting to include it at locations they consider consequential.

 

[John Loftus]

A lot of late model cars seem to fill every connection with dilectric grease.

This is what prompted me to use it inside my new harness connections (and spark plug wire boots).

I would be very surprised that they would go through the expense and hassle of doing this if it did not have proven benefits in terms of corrosion resistance, reliability and reduced warranty service. As for the dust/dirt, I use the small applicator tip to apply the grease inside the connector and after everything is firmly pushed together clean up any excess (if any) that makes it to the outside.

Cheers,
John

 

[Keoke]

Dielectric grease helps maintain contact and protect against water intrusion. Why wasn't it used 50 years ago?

It wasn't around then. You will find most of the upscale Marques are starting to include it at locations they consider consequential.

Yep they put that junk in there to save the cost of tining or plating the connector pins. By upscale do you mean "Ford"---Keoke

OH! by the way it was around 50 years ago but every one realised it be for Axles.--- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

OH! #2 A dielectric is an " insulator " and does not help maintain contact.

 

[eschneider]

With respect to everyone's personal opinion and experience, another alternative is "Kopr-shield".

Its a conductive contact grease sold by Eastwood. Since it's conductive, you don't want to use it anyplace where two connectors might short out (i.e., when rebuilding a switch)

I recently had a TR6 customer who was having all sorts of electrical demons with a brand new wiring harness. After tracing 3 problems to connectors, we pulled all the connectors and greased 'em. No complaints since.

We are located in a humid, dirty urban environment though - bad for electrical connections.

Where kopr-shield is't practical, I use silicone grease in moderation. Seems to keep surface corrosion at bay, and keeps bullet connectors from getting "stuck".

Just confusing the answer with another alternative. 8)

Glad to be of service!!!!!

 

[Keoke]

Well Eschneider, you just rang my bell again. When in this world did you ever see a grease that was conductive, ain't no such animal around. What is being done is the marketing people need some type of a gimmick to sell their product. So the take a dielectric; "Grease", fill it with copper granules and lacking any real imagination call it conductive grease.Grease is not conductive and the copper granules are the components that perform the conductive function the grease just keeps them put. OTOH ,Silicone grease used as you stated IMOP is a better choice.----Keoke

 

[John Loftus]

..Silicone grease used as you stated IMOP is a better choice.----Keoke

Silicone grease/paste and dielectric grease are apparently the same thing(or mighty close)

dielectric silicone grease

 

[Keoke]

Hi John, possibly so. The silicone grease that I am most familiar with is clear and a bit thick. Primarily used on the polly bushes during the install.---Keoke

 

[GregW]

I picked this stuff up at a local hardware store. I still had some of the ¼ oz tube left after installing the harness.

 

[AndrewMawson]

There is a product here in the UK called Electrolube, that removes oxide films on contacts:

https://www.electrolube.com/docs/contactlube.html

I first found it in use cleaning switch contacts in dirty process control environments, but now keep a spray can in the workshop for all sorts of odd contact / corrosion problems. Last usage was yesterday on the battery contacts of a radio transmitter used to track the path of underground drains by being pushed down them - hence the corrosion issues!

It's marvellous stuff, and although not originally put on bullet connectors, I have used it when re-assembling my wiring harness.

AWEM

 

[tahoe healey]

Didn't point sets use to COME with a small bit of dilectric grease for the dizzy cam?

 

[Keoke]

Didn't point sets use to COME with a small bit of dilectric grease for the dizzy cam?

--Points! whats that TH ?? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif I think some companies eons ago included plain ole grease for the cam with their points. However, I have Lucas NOS Dizzy point sets here an there ain't no grease in them.----Keoke-- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nonod.gif

And that stuff that Greg W used ain't nothin but tooth paste with some different writin on the outside.-- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

[John Loftus]

Hi T.H.,

The point cam lube I have is different than the dielectric/silicone grease. It it formulated to keep the rubbing block from wearing (as fast) which changes the point gap.

Cheers,
John

 

[John Loftus]

And that stuff that Greg W used ain't nothin but tooth paste with some different writin on the outside.-- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

no wonder he has such pearly white teeth! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

 

[Keoke]

Hi T.H.,

The point cam lube I have is different than the dielectric/silicone grease. It it formulated to keep the rubbing block from wearing (as fast) which changes the point gap.

Cheers,
John

Yeah I bet it been formulated alright, prolly just plain ole white vaseline fomulated in a new package.---Keoke-- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/lol.gif

 

[Johnny]

I picked this stuff up at a local hardware store. I still had some of the ¼ oz tube left after installing the harness.

Yeah and Marth Stewart says to use vegetable oil on the light bulbs to make them easier to come out. She must have learned that little trick in prison.

 

[GregW]

And that stuff that Greg W used ain't nothin but tooth paste with some different writin on the outside.-- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

Yeah, the plaque just sssslllliiiiddddeeeessss right off. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

 

[eschneider]

Ding-ding!!!

Well Eschneider, you just rang my bell again. When in this world did you ever see a grease that was conductive, ain't no such animal around. What is being done is the marketing people need some type of a gimmick to sell their product. So the take a dielectric; "Grease", fill it with copper granules and lacking any real imagination call it conductive grease.Grease is not conductive and the copper granules are the components that perform the conductive function the grease just keeps them put. OTOH ,Silicone grease used as you stated IMOP is a better choice.----Keoke

you make it so easy to torment you. <laugh>

here is the stuff. And it appears you are, indeed correct (not surprising) - reading the description closely, it says "promotes conductivity"..... rather than being conductive.