Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 12:53:58 EST
Reply-To: CarlMarin@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Carl Turner <CarlMarin@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Electrical Connections/ Silicone Sprays/ Pipe cleaners
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
In a message dated 10/29/98 12:49:36 AM Mountain Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
> Subject: electrical connections
>
> Is it a good/bad idea to apply dielectric (non-conductive) grease on all
> your engine wiring harness connections to help prohibit corrosion and make
> for increased ease of on/off?
>
> TIA
>
> Bill
Probably not a bad idea Bill. I use the dielectric grease on my ignition
wires, smearing a thin film inside each of the boots before I press them on.
Provides a little moisture resistance I figure. What I use on other wires
and connectors is I give them a shot of silicone spray and wipe down leaving
them looking OEM fresh and a little easier to pull on and off in the future.
I use the silicone spray on just about everything plastic or rubber including
hoses to ward off the ravages of time. Look for a silicone spray that doesn't
smell like WD-40 though. I figure this stuff isn't as good for plastics as
the stuff the evaporates away cleanly with little smell. I use this same
silicone spray on all the exterior rubber and plastic trim, keeps it looking
good and doesn't attract as must dirt as products like Armor-All. Different
brands of silicone spray have different amounts of silicone in them. Just
spray a bit on your fingers in the store and see if it feels nice and
slippery. I think I checked some Pyroil brand recently and it didn't seem to
have any silicone in it at all after the liquid evaporated! Beware. I'm using
Prestone brand now, seems like okay stuff. CRC had a really good silicone
spray but I can't find it locally anymore. Gunk-SolderSeal brand is an
example of the WD40 smelling stuff I avoid.
On the electrical connections I found another trick that works well for
cleaning up the female side of cruddy spade connections. I found pipe
cleaners that have wire bristles in with the cotton fluffy part which gives a
little better brushing action as I polish out the inside of the connector. I
use CRC "Lectro-Motive" electrical component cleaner on the bristle pipe
cleaners and it removes all sorts of black stuff from inside the connector. I
think using a garden variety Brake-Kleen type no residue spray solvent would
work just as well. BTW, for the male side of connectors I usually just use a
stainless steel brush or a little piece of Scotch-brite to polish them out a
bit.
Good luck!
Carl Turner
84 and 85 Westfilthias