Cleaning Electrical Connections

[David Kosin]

What are you all using to clean electrical connections? All mine are either black/green or covered with dielectric grease. Gotta get the grease out without bending the contacts.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Well.....electrical cleaner in a spray can is the safest. If there is absolutely no chance at all, I mean 0% of any type of spark, you can use carburetor cleaner also to remove the grease. I use electrical cleaner and very fine sandpaper/pocket knife

 

[MoparLeo]

Electrical contact cleaner. Available everywhere. Small s/s brushes.

 

[zyzzyx]

Yeah, go to Harbor Freight and buy the assorted cleaning brushes. Some are bristle,
some are Brass, and some are Stainless Steel. Use the Stainless brushes with some
baking soda or Bon Ami, then rinse with water and blow dry with compressed air.

 

[Fran Blacker]

I've used thin strip of metal cut to the width of contact. Then glued 400 wet or dry to metal to clean female contacts.

 

[moes]

this is what the boys are using in the shop for cleaning connectors

 

[493 Mike]

If I can make it work I bead blast corroded terminals. And use No Oxide paste to prevent corrosion and achieve better conduction. Not dielectric grease.
Mike

 

[451Mopar]

I'll make a small container with some dish washing soap to clean and disperse the dirt part, and then add some lemon juice to the water/soap mixture and it will clean the metal contacts too.

 

[zyzzyx]

I just did some homework on Deoxit D100 and it seems like the magic bullet!
I like what I saw, so I'll be looking for some of this stuff locally. Thanks for
the heads up!

 

[QOTHL]

add some lemon juice to the water/soap mixture

 

[QOTHL]

Is that your photo in your avatar?

I use a variety of things depending on how bad the corrosion is. Brass wire brush, steel wool, Scotch Brite pad. The stuff posted in #6 sounds like it will save a lot of time.

 

[VFilms]

I had to replace a badly corroded electrical block at the firewall with a less corroded one. I soaked it in good old Coke for a couple hours then used a very small round brush to clean all the connecters. Seemed to work. Transferring all the wires was tedious but necessary.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

I pul the terminalls out and clean the plastic and thge terminal with CLR and lemon juice, rinse with denatured alcahol then dialectric on the terminal and reinstalll it. Works great a bit time consuming but worth it.

 

[David Kosin]

Thanks for all suggestions. Looks like the Detoxit is mostly sold through computer and electronic stores or where they sell audio equipment.

 

[David Kosin]

Without causing a dustup, I always heard dielectric grease is NOT a good conductor.

 

[Ernie ingling]

Baking soda and a little water
Neutralize acid and shine like a new penny

 

[beanhead]

For cleaning and other things I like CRC-brand products (that good 'ol shop discount lol) they work very well...and a conductive compound such as T&B "Kopr-Shield" on connections. Have some rags handy

Without causing a dustup, I always heard dielectric grease is NOT a good conductor.

Correct...it's best applied after the connection is made as it's an excellent moisture and corrosion barrier.

 

[Billccm]

DeOxIt
No grease needed after a good soaking with DeOxIt.

 

[bm02tj]

dielectric grease is to protect and has to be non conductive
It keeps air and moisture away from connection

 

[beanhead]

DeOxIt
No grease needed after a good soaking with DeOxIt.

De-Oxit is good stuff too....no discount for me though!