how to clean electrical connections

[kevxs]

hey guys, I keep reading that I should clean all the electrical connections I can but I can't find any info on the process. is it just a matter of disconnecting and sanding the metal with rolled up sandpaper?

also I installed the mikesXS coils but I'm not crazy about having those exposed metal tangs so close to the frame, i bent them so they don't touch but is there some plastic caps I can put over them or something?

[psycoreefer]

Yeah, mostly just pulling them apart and making sure they aren't green and gross. If you want you can actually remove the connector from the plastic housing to make it easier to reach, the flat type connectors generally have a tab sticking up that you have to press down and then pull the wire out, the round ones are a pain in the @**, they make a special tool but I couldn't get it to work.

I also bought some stuff call deoxit, supposed to be the stuff to use for cleaning and protecting connections. I can't post any kind of review because I just started using it.

Another thing you can do is use a small pair of pliers and gently squeeze the female side of the connector a little to make sure there is a good tight fit, after all these years they tend to loosen up and allow for a less then perfect connection.

[Geezer]

Try here.
http://www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com...ionRepair.html

Geezer

[81xsproject]

I have a terminal tool that I got from z1e. I love it. Not saying it will do every connector out there, but it does what I need most of the time. I paid $12, but looks like now it's $19. I also sometimes use a cheap gun cleaning kit to clean bullet-type connectors.

[Geezer]

I have one of those too and I end up using my home made terminal tools 90% of the time.

Geezer

[Yahman]

DeoxIT...

I also bought some stuff call deoxit, supposed to be the stuff to use for cleaning and protecting connections. I can't post any kind of review because I just started using it.

Magic spray is what I call it, the stuff works miracles and I don't know what I would do without it.

Larry

[WMarshy]

... Another thing you can do is use a small pair of pliers and gently squeeze the female side of the connector a little to make sure there is a good tight fit, after all these years they tend to loosen up and allow for a less then perfect connection.

Be careful doing this, its the #1 way to break the connector if its even slightly fatigued. Some thing are best left untouched but if you have to you have to. You might want to have a few connectors on hand incase one breaks.

[tw1980]

Any of those methods will work.But if you want a first class A1 restoration I would recommend using Geezers plugs and connectors.They're good quality and very reasonably priced.

Terry

[Bullet]

here is a new one, and it works great !!

Ultrasonic cleaner half full of water, then a plastic quart cup half full of brake cleaner placed in the ultrasonic bath .

Dip your connectors into the brake cleaner container, give it 10 minutes, they come out cleaned real nice ..


I did my wiring harness and all relay connectors yesterday this way, they came out like brand new, contacts and connector plugs, clean as a whistle !!

[Jerry]

I use an aresol product called Contact Cleaner, not cheap but works well and I don't have to remove pins from connectors. If the connector are really ugly and are banana or spade types I use a sanding drum on my Dremmel tool, works well. This approach also works on battery cables and terminals, and grounding points for wires. Clean after sanding with Contact Cleaner or brake cleaner which leaves no residue.

Then put dielectric grease on the connectors / pins / plugs when you reassemble to help keep corrosion from reforming. On ground points, after wires have been attached, I have used Battery Protector spray to "seal" the connection from moisture.

[dbeardslee]

Here's the problem with just cleaning connectors - if they are corroded then chances are the corrosion has made it's way back into the wire. Cleaning the connection isn't going to do anything for that. I went through mine, and cleaned all the connectors and it helped. Still had some mysterious voltage losses though, so I went through them again and snipped a little off the ends of the wires and installed new connectors. That got me a full volt back at the TCI. You can get the spade type connectors at some autoparts stores, or Z1 Enterprises on the web - or if Geezer has 'em, get 'em from him. Mikes XS sells a professional quality crimping tool - it's kind of expensive (around $28 IIRC), but it puts a perfect factory double crimp on the connectors, and it does it quickly. Harbor Freight sells a little automatic wire stripper for about $2 that comes in real handy too. It's tedious work, and it takes a few hours, but it pays off.

[psycoreefer]

Where did you get the small round pin type connectors? I ordered some from mikesxs but the female side isn't round, its more like a trapazoid, so they won't fit into the "stock" plugs.

[dbeardslee]

Unfortunately I didn't do anything with the round ones except cleaning with the exception of one that was pretty ate up, as in obviously got hot at one point or another. I replaced the housing and connectors with the larger flat blade type. I don't know that there's anything sacred about the round connectors, but for me I don't have a crimping tool that will do round ones. Flat connectors seem to work just fine. While I'm on the subject, if you come across any connectors that have obviously gotten hot, definitely replace the ends, and if the housing has been damaged that needs to go too.

[Jerry]

Where did you get the small round pin type connectors?

These generally come in different sizes, .093 and .062 inch diameter are the most common. The .093 is used on Vetter harnesses, for example.

I have some spare .093 male and female pins, not connectors. Ordered them in lots of 50(?) when I was rebuilding the Veter harness. If you need a few let me know.

A good source for Molex pins and connectors is:
http://www.action-electronics.com/molex.htm