cleaning engine wire connectors

[bluemiata90]

I'm in the process of detailing my engine compartment while my engine is out for a rebuild. The wiring looks good except for the cloth covering, which will be covered with plastic wire loom. My question is does anyone have a suggestion on how to clean (degrease and derust) the wire connector ends or can I just replace the wire ends. I don't want to rewire the whole car, it doesn't seem to need it, but cleaning the ends will save a lot of problems down the road. Any suggestions will be helpful. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif

 

[aeronca65t]

Radio Shak (and similar electronics vendors) sell something called "electrical contact cleaner". Some folks also call it "TV Tuner Cleaner". Works good for cleaning up grungy Lucas connectors. Good on distributor ignition points too. It's a little pricey and fairly toxic.

 

[35thbdaytr6]

I like to use a small handheld sandblaster loaded with baking soda blast media, then a thin coat of dielectric grease to keep it clean. The baking soda cleans the metal while also neutralizing any acids. Harbor Freight, Northern, or any tool company has the stuff. I use it on everything from my lawnmower to $150k cars all the time - and yes, brand new $150k cars leak. If you think the Brits did some strange stuff, how about brand new German car with a sealed plastic tray in the bottom of the trunk, filled with electronic equipment.

 

[Geo Hahn]

FWIW - the nicest thing I ever did for myself was to put a new wiring loom in the TR3A. All connections fresh and colors correct and bright.

Terminals can be cleaned up but what you can't see is the condition of the wire itself... it can turn green and brittle inside the insulation.

Also, (IMO) a nicely cloth-wrapped wire bundle looks so much better & period-correct than one wrapped up in black tape or inside those snap-over black plastic covers.

 

[Keoke]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif
Why put Dielectric grease on an electrical part that is designed to make the lowest resistance connection posible??-Look up the definition of Dielectric!-FWIW---Keoke

 

[Dave Russell]

[ QUOTE ]
Why put Dielectric grease on an electrical part that is designed to make the lowest resistance connection posible??

[/ QUOTE ]
I think that the mechanical connection squeezes the grease out of the actual metal to metal contact. The remaining grease seals out moisture. This is the assembly method recommended by many car manufacturers. Dielectric grease can be found in most newer car electrical connections? FWIW
D

 

[John Loftus]

Plus, I've heard the dielectric grease does not cause problems if the grease gets hot, liquifies and starts to flow out of the connector. If the grease is conductive, there can be shorting/bleeding problems with multi-pin connectors common in modern cars.

Cheers,
John

 

[PC]

Dielectric grease is not conductive. In fact, it’s a very good insulator. It works like Dave said, by excluding air and moisture from the metal’s surface it helps prevent oxidation.

The contacts must be clean to begin with then the grease is applied to protect the metal. The grease also lubricates, making it easier to make the connections. Upon making the connection the mating pieces press through the insulating grease and (assuming the they are correctly manufactured) the force of the contacts burnish the metal into one another forming a low resistance, gas-tight bond.

Good quality dielectric grease will also have a very high melting temperature and will not liquefy under operating conditions. As an example CRC dielectric grease is usable to 400degF (204degC) while the insulation on Raychem automotive wire is good to 338degF (170degC).


PC.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif

 

[Keoke]

Big Deal most axel grease will do that---Keoke

 

[Dale]

You may have touched a nerve here Keoke. I too have wondered about the terminology. For as long as I've been associated with such things applying grease to clean battery terminals was standard practice and the only specific recomendation was Vaseline. (Don't go there)
When I started hearing the term dielectric it confused me and I wondered what the new deal was. Why not axle grease? What is the melting temp of axle grease? Some times I've heard reference to silicone grease in this context. Is this a new wrinkle or another attempt at promoting a high dollar product over a common item?

 

[Keoke]

Manufacturers do take advantage of some tricky terminology in marketing their products.However,current axel grease with a NGLI grade 2 rating has a drop point of 500 degrees F as a Minimum specification.I guess I just feel grease belongs in bearings and not electrical equipment.--FWIW---Keoke

 

[PC]

[ QUOTE ]
... Is this a new wrinkle or another attempt at promoting a high dollar product over a common item?

[/ QUOTE ]
Attempt by whom? It’s not the manufacturers that you always hear going on about the stuff. It’s users.

It is used heavily in industrial and process control equipment and in marine and automotive environments. They use it because it improves reliability, reduces their maintenance costs and reduces down time. Car makers wouldn’t spend a dime on anything they aren’t forced to unless there’s something in it for them. They use it to ease assembly and cut warranty expenditures.

Axle grease would probably exclude water reasonably well and maybe exclude air. It is normally petroleum based and will likely attack the plastics used in connector housings and possibly wire insulation. It is very thick and will often dry out, harden and get very dirty and nasty. Axle grease is not rated in any way for electrical properties. Is it conductive? Maybe some are, maybe not. That would be a bad thing in an electrical system.

Dielectric grease is designed for high insulating and dielectric withstanding capability. It is silicone based, very inert and very light. Many versions, the CRC for example, are rated for incidental contact in food processing equipment. It’s doesn’t need to withstand high pressure or shear loading so doesn’t need friction modifiers like lithium or Molybdenum disulfide.

I pay less for dielectric grease than the axle grease I use anyway.


PC.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif

 

[Steven]

I think using anything on electrical connections is not only unnecessary, but unwise. You're just asking for a problem. The only thing i use dielectric grease on is contact points inside the distributor, and the distributor cam.

 

[Keoke]

Yes steven ,I agree, but are we still talking about 40 year old Triumphs with exposed bullet type connectors which if filled with grease will attract dirt like flys,?---Keoke

 

[Alan_Myers]

Hi all,

It's interesting how these threads go off on a tangent at times!

Regarding dielectric grease, a few years ago I started using it on my cars. It was recommended to me by professional mechanics who I respect. On my '97 Land Rover, it certainly helped smooth out the idle, even more when i swapped in a set of Magnecor 8.5mm plug wires.

My girlfriend's Pontiac had a persistent miss. We put in new plugs, but it came back after just a week or so. I decided some grease may help, and it does. Due to the design (plugs down deep in the top of the engine), it dries out and needs to be redone every few months. But, a fresh dab of dielectric grease solves the problem!

Just last week the LR got a new set of plugs in the LR as a precaution prior to an emissions inspection (it was running fine, but gas mileage was not up to even the usual poor standard). The boots all came off easily, although it had been two two years since I last changed the plugs. The old grease was dried out to a white, almost powdery, film, but still still doing the job.

Now, these examples are both modern, high energy connections, where dielectric grease probably does the most good. It is likely of less value on older, lower voltage connections. But, I use it there, too, if only for the anti-corrosion and water-sealing benefits.

I also use it on light bulbs around the house. Ever have one freeze up in the socket and break when you try to change it? Solves that problem.

I have no idea if axle grease would do as good a job, or even cause problems. Never tried it. A tube of dielectric grease goes a long way and works out to be pretty cheap preventative maintenance, IMHO.