Cleaning Electrical Contacts

All,

Ran a search here first but it didn't help much.

While I have the interior pieces and gauges scattered between California and Germany getting renewed/fixed, I am cleaning all the electrical contacts I can find, checking grounds, etc. There are lots of them and they are filthy & corroded with 25+ years of use. Bulbs, sockets, switches, everything that carries juice and comes apart is getting cleaned.

The exposed male and male bundled (incased in plastic connector or multi-socket) are pretty easy to clean with an emery board (Thanx wife; my continued time on this planet may be limited when she finds out) and some cotton impregnated with metal polish. I figured out how to get the singular male and female connectors that have plastic insulators out without destroying anything. They all clean up really well.

Here is the challenge. I cannot seem to get the bundled female connectors cleaned. The space is too small and the plastic multi-socket is not flexible enough to get anything in there to gently pry the plastic cover off or the connector out, like I can with the singular connections, without breaking something.

I guess I'll have to use a liquid cleaner but believe it or not, finding that stuff in Germany is proving to be a bit of a challenge. I’d have never guessed it.

Question 1: What do/did you guys use to REALLY get those female connectors CLEAN and please give me a brand name that I can Google, price and buy. If you managed to get them out of the plastic multi-sockets for cleaning; please tell me how.

Question 2: I did notice that some of you are using a copper(?) grease to coat the contacts to, I guess, keep them from corroding again. I would think that it would dry out and create greater resistance over time than just leaving them alone after cleaning. Pros and Cons of using it would be nice and a brand name, again for Googling, would be most helpful.

Appreciate your thoughts.

Thanx.

 

Hi Mark,

You need these: http://www.kayjayco.com/images/Tools/picToolContactRemovalMulti.gif
to remove the female connectors. I used to have some but the heck if I know where they are. They work on many types of electrical connectors, not just the ones you're dealing with at the moment.

I think an emery board on the connectors contacts might be a bit harsh. You want to keep the contact area smooth if possible. A Dremel tool with a wire brush wheel might be better.

Stahlgruber should be able to supply you with Stabilant-22 (from Germany) or De-Oxit (U.S.). It they don't make the contacts any cleaner they should at least help keep them from oxidizing more. Doubt if it will help with corrosion.

A copper based grease like Coppaslip is good for electrical connectors. There are other ones that are geared specifically for electrical connectors but Coppaslip should be fine. I have no doubt there is a German equivalent over here. Again, go to Stahlgruber.

I've never seen the grease dry out. The copper helps with conduction so you have to be a little careful spreading it on. I put it on the base of brake/turn/parking light bulbs too. You could use almost any grease as long as it doesn't affect plastic. When you put the connectors back together the metal parts that contact will simply cut through the grease in that area yet still be surrounded the grease to keep oxidation at bay. On clean connectors shooting in some WD-40 will help too if you don't have grease although in could get messy for interior connectors and it will probably dry up/dissapate after a while. If you find a connector with water in it shoot it first with WD-40 to get rid of the water.

MCM Electronics in the States has great stuff but probably won't ship it to you anymore (overseas) because of postal regs. :-(

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/search.asp?keyword=&restrict=3830479&MODE=1

Erich

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Hi Mark,

no special tool required for each and everything. I use a tiny screwdriver for carefully bending back the lock and it works for both male and female snap-in connectors.

Best Regards

Martin

 

Yes, if you've got a tiny screwdriver laying around and even then it will not help in the future if you want to remove the round pins on most modern connectors (like on our daily drivers). The multi tool I showed is inexpensive, small and works on many type connectors including the modern ones.

 

my daily driver is a 36 yrs. old Alfa 2000 GTV At least from spring to fall. My winter drive is a 19 yrs old VW. When I need tools for the latter, I replace the whole car with something similar
My whole living depends on designing 'reliability' and simple but effective designs. Modern cars cannot give me what I have to supply to my customers.

Best Regards

Martin

 

My daily driver is a 14 year old Saab with 210,000km. It uses "modern" Weatherpack round electrical connectors. I would like to get 5 more years out of it.

The modern ignition system I've put on my 328 uses modern round Weatherpack electrical connectors (and I even bought the expensive but proper connector crimping tool). I will replace other old style connectors on my Ferrari and old Lancia as time goes by. I expect to use it often. I like reliabilty. The tool for removing the pins in these connectors, when needed, is great.

Erich
PS. I collect tools

 

Just started to clean all contacts on my 1980 400i....I bought Stabilant 22..temperatures on the contacts in the fuse boxes and relay boards dropped dramatically..especially on the fuel pump contacts..sold by D.W. Electrochemicals Ltd 97 Newkirk Rd. N. #3Richmond Hill, Ontario,Canada L4C 3G4..ph.(905)508-7500..Fax (905)508-7502...This is the best of its kind on the Planet..NATO....Mil spec..Google.. Stabilant 22..end of story.over.... Jacques..

 

Old timers have used lithoum grease for many years with great success to keep back corrosion. Stabilant-22 may work well, but the price of admission is nuts.

CRC has a new product that I am now using:
http://www.crcindustries.com/hd/content/prod_detail.aspx?PN=05105&S=Y
too soon to tell if it is good enough to make me permanently switch from lithium grease

I have not used de-oxit products, but their products look very promising. I plan to try:

This for cleaning:
http://store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.2542/.f?sc=2&category=202

with:
http://store.caig.com/s.nl;jsessionid=0a000b431f43a2c86e08c6d2452ca507cde5717adfe0.e3eSbNmTb3mTe34Pa38Ta38Ma3b0?it=A&id=1605&sc=2&category=188

followed up with:
http://www.crcindustries.com/hd/content/prod_detail.aspx?PN=05105&S=Y

Good luck,
Vince

 

Stabillant 22A works for me and is my first choice after many other attempts to cure the gremlins of intermittent contacts. Yes, it is VERY expensive but your time is too. Ten+ years ago I paid $52 for the 15 ml bottle, the size of my thumb, but since you only use a drop at a time it lasts a lifetime. Limitation is arcing contacts...i.e a switch under high current like window motor switch as opposed to a male-female joined connectors which although tightly conjoined, oxides have raised the resistance of the coupling.

While ideally connectors are two perfectly mating metal contacts, there is actually great irregularity with contact points randomly scattered across the surface. Stabillant fill the gaps between the original scattered points and becomes conductive on a microscopic level. And while a thorough cleaning of contacts may work initially, oxidation can quickly restore havoc.

Stabilant is made in Canada by S.W. Electrochemicals. Got mine an an Auto supply house after a long (preinternet) search. Having only used the 22A which is diluted with alcohol, I can imagine the plain 22, which is the concentrated version might be difficult to get into some areas. Should be a part of your tool arsenal.

_______________
Ferrari Wiring Diagrams
http://www.paul-bennett.com/Images/Wiring.htm

 

You don't want to be too abrasive --- emery, sand paper, wire brush, scotch-brite, etc. will wear off the very thin plating on most contacts. They will be very clean for a short while, then they will really corrode quickly without the protective plating. I recommend using a pencil eraser --- it will remove the corrosion but spares the plating. It's a bit tedious, but sounds like you are already committed to a "labour of love".

For the unplated, brass contacts, you can be more aggressive with the abrasive agents -- no plating to damage.

In truth, I rarely waste time cleaning electrical connectors / contacts --- if they are not specialty types (i.e., hard to find or need to be retained for authenticity) and can be removed from their housings, I generally replace them with new ones --- easier and perfectly finished...