cleaning a badly corroded terminal

[Ctskip]

My ignition panel stopped working. The panel is screwed to the coaming in the cockpit. The oil pressure and ignition and tach is on this panel . There is a plug in connection that has been zip tied together so it won't come apart unknowingly. I can see there is plenty of corrosion there, I can take it apart just fine. I can clean the male ends (one side) I need a good idea as to how to clean the female ends so I get good contact when I zip tie the connectors back together. I was thinking long bristle wire brush and hopefully some wire will find it way into the female end and clean the inside out so I can get some decent contact. How would anyone clean the female ends of a 6 wire terminal connector that is caked with corrosion?
Thanks for the ideas
Keep it up,
Ctskip

 

[Douglast]

get a set of tip cleaners for an oxy-actylene torch...they are cheap and tough and tiny...and if you do spread the female abit cleaning you can close them again with small flat screwdriver to fit male snug...and you could as well try battery terminal cleaner spray,baking soda..etc..and before zip tying and assembly smear dia-lectric grease on both male and female ends...be generous and wipe off outer plug housing when connected...your corrosion problems will be miminized and connection maximized..

 

[Ctskip]

Hopefully that'll do the trick. Thanks.

Keep it up,
Ctskip

 

[Stu Jackson]

I was under the impression that dialectric grease was an insulating material, thus not what you'd want on a connector.

Anyone?

 

[Douglast]

its made for any electrical connection..and as well great for sparkplug boots for ease of removal etc...i use it extensively for all connections on snowmobile...headlight...computor ecu...injector leads..i know years back the stuff they used on Fords/Chevs caused more problems then solved and had to be cleaned...but the stuff now is awesome...if there is a problem i would as well would like to hear some info..??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W7o-CRRmGo

Permatex Dielectric Tune-Up Grease is a silicone dielectric compound used to insulate, lubricate and protect electrical fittings. It protects against salt, dirt, moisture intrusion and stray current in electrical connections. Dielectric grease extends bulb and housing life of navigation lights, masthead electrical connections, trailer lighting and harness or any electric connections exposed to moisture and the elements. Prevents voltage leakage around any electrical connector thereby insuring a strong spark in high energy engine ignition systems.

• EXCELLENT FOR USE ON:
• Marine lights, navigational lights, Bulb bases
• Battery terminals
• Spark plug boots
• Ignition coil connectors
• Trailer lights, connectors and auto headlamps

The compound is an excellent lubricant on rubber, plastic and ceramic surfaces and it also has good high temperature properties, thus preventing fusing of connections.

 

[n624ma]

Dialectric Grease

Stu,
This is one of the best ideas ever, using an insulator to improve the conduction of electricity !!

In actuality the pins and sockets of a plug must be in physical contact for current flow, the grease is low viscosity and has a low film strength so the connector pushes through it and makes good contact. In areas of no physical contact the grease film prevents corrosion by sealing out air and moisture.

Using the wrong grease will cause problems, for everything except battery terminals use the "pricey" electronics product, for battery terminals (and almost anything bigger than AWG 6 any grease will work since the clamping force is so high.

I always get strange looks when working on OPB's and fix starting and charging problems with heavy brown waterproof grease.

 

[Don12364]

Dielectric Grease??

The guy in the UTube clip in Douglast's posting #5 opens by saying his grease is electrically conducting. I sincerely hope it is not! As would befit a dielectric.
I too occasionally use an insulating grease on connections liable to damp corrosion - either silicone or vaseline - remember that stuff for sore body parts and battery terminals!
It certainly helps.

 

[Timo42]

I would recommend replacing the connector, since the corrosion probably extends to the connection between the wires and the terminals. If you don't have any reason to unplug the connector, why not cut it out and replace with sealed buttsplice connectors, eliminating 3 different potential problem points on each circuit. The connector was only installed so the panel could be assembled off the boat. You will also be able to check the condition of the wires themselves, if the conductors are green or black, you have worse problems. Cleaning female terminals is something I usually avoid in favor of replacement if anything more than contact cleaner is necessary, since terminal contact tension is important. Dielectric grease is usually good, but is better if applied before you have a problem. For extremely fine terminals on electronics, it can cause problems. Tim

 

[caguy]

Sounds like an another empirical experiment and demonstration for Mainsail.

I was under the impression that dielectric grease was an insulating material, thus not what you'd want on a connector.

Anyone?

Using dielectric grease before connecting sounds intuitively wrong. Applying after seems to make more sense. There is only one way to know for sure.
What would you measure for? Voltage or Amperage drop? Increased resistance?

Only Mainsail would know for sure.
:theman:

 

[sailaway78]

Total agreement

I have to agree with Timo. Just replace the plug and be done with it. You very likely have corrosion going up into the wires. They are color coded, and should be no problem if you take your time. Since it is on a panel that you should not have to remove, if possible I would solder the connections, and use no connectors at all. Also, there is a product called LPS1 that is fantastic for protecting electrical connections. My local ACE hardware carries it. Used to use it back when I was doing cross country motorcycle racing, and you could spray a set of points, and then turn a garden hose on them, without a miss. They demonstrated the stuff at trade shows, by spraying a light bulb and socket, then sticking both in a tank of water, and screwing the liightbulb in and out. With their hands.

 

[Ctskip]

Wow ! What more can I say. I was at the boat today and cut the zip tie and sprayed some cleaner on the terminal ends. It came out better that I thought it would. I took a small bit of fine sand paper and wrapped it around a small file and I went in and out of the female connector several times with a twist every now and again. Then spayed with cleaner again. It cleaned up real good. So I zip tied the connector back together and onto the next connection. I was hoping the connection was my problem, but it isn't, I'm not that lucky, darn it. I think it's either the ignition switch or the solenoid on the starter. When I short out the wire on the solenoid and the cable, the solenoid just spins, no engagement of the starter to the fly wheel what so ever. Yet I get nothing , not even a click when I press the start button. Key on, glow plugs heated???? Start button pressed, nothing. I'm trying to eliminate and work backwards but sometimes I think it is me that is backwards. Don't let anybody fool you. Gettin old really does suck. And I'm fighting it as best I know how.

I got me some of that dielectric stuff. They are proud of that stuff, let me tell you.
I'll try it on a couple of bulbs that are easy to get to.

I went out shopping for new sailboats yesterday, 30 to 40 ft, I found a "new" 08, Once, (if) I buy it, it'll be two years old as soon as I buy it. So is it really new now? or is it two years old and never been sailed or floated? How would a banker see it?

Hey, it's my thread and I can take this anywhere i want to. It's just that you guys have the real say as to where it goes. I do like the grease and electricity debate tho. It would solve a multitude of problems many have every day from trailors to mast lights to out door flood lights and plugs.

Keep it up,
Ctskip

 

[Timo42]

Frank, grease before assembly, as someone else said, the contacts will cut through the grease IF, the female contacts aren't corroded or loose from sticking something oversize into it to clean. If the connector isn't a weatherpack connector, you want the grease to ooze out either end. Ctskip, do you have a testlight? Use it in parallel with the starter switch circuit, testing each section of wire and connection separately, if the bulb lights when you turn the key, there is too much resistance in that part of the circuit. The starter sounds like the bendix or solenoid is bad, what kind of voltage reading do you get at the starter battery stud booth static and while attempting to crank?

 

[Ctskip]

I'll have to check that out tomorrow. I always squeeze the female ends for a tight fit, old habits are hard to kill. The motor doesn't do a thing. The key is on and the glow plug warm up button is depressed for 20 seconds, then press the starter button and nothing happens. It used to be four or five times of pressing the starter button till it would turn over. Now nothing. Thanks for the help. Sometimes I wish I bought the house on the canal with the dock in the rear. Hind sight is near perfect. I'll look into that early tomorrow Thanks again.

Keep it up,
Ctskip

 

[Douglast]

The guy in the UTube clip in Douglast's posting #5 opens by saying his grease is electrically conducting. I sincerely hope it is not! As would befit a dielectric.
I too occasionally use an insulating grease on connections liable to damp corrosion - either silicone or vaseline - remember that stuff for sore body parts and battery terminals!
It certainly helps.

yep i caught that as well but still posted the vid because of what other info it had and showed it safely applied to connecters....the guy should have said condusive for good electrical contact..

 

[Douglast]

Wow ! When I short out the wire on the solenoid and the cable, the solenoid just spins, no engagement of the starter to the fly wheel what so ever. Yet I get nothing , not even a click when I press the start button. Key on, glow plugs heated???? Start button pressed, nothing. I'm trying to eliminate and work backwards but sometimes I think it is me that is backwards. Don't let anybody fool you. Gettin old really does suck. And I'm fighting it as best I know how.

I got me some of that dielectric stuff. They are proud of that stuff, let me tell you.
I'll try it on a couple of bulbs that are easy to get to.


Keep it up,
Ctskip

when you jumped your starter and it just spun it should have thrown your bendix into the flywheel...but depends what style starter...some are inertia engagement and some are plunger(magnetic pull activated)...(Ford vs GM)...Ford style has solenoid seperate from starter activated from ignition and main power crosses two large terminals...GM has solenoid mounted on starter,plunger magnetic activated style...the plunger engaged the drive and connected the battery power to armature..at least this was how they did it when i used to work on them but they could have changed in the past years...regardless you should be able to track the problem...you can always run a new fused ignition key or activation method/power source source to starter solenoid if thats the issue...check all the leads well...tightness/cleaness and really check that all grounds are good..!!!..could have two problems at once...if she works on the bench then you know where the problem isn;t..but it doesn;t take much to check brushes ,commutator/armature and bushings etc in starter..

 

[caguy]

I was reading an article in Boat US about Pro-tect Marine spray. It a a clear rubber spray made for marine electronics. It sounds like it is replacing what was once a black rubber spray for protecting electronic connections exposed to marine conditions. According to the article it can be removed with paint thinner. The article in boat us say it runs about $10/can. Yachts of stuff wants $20.

http://www.yachtsofstuff.com/userPostings.asp?xID=yachtsofstuff&cexs=pro-tect