How best to clean corroded terminals

Whats the best method of cleaning up dull and corroded electrical connector terminals ?

Difficult and tedius to get to the terminals with bits of emery / wet n dry or micro files what do find the best method to improve conduction, mechanical or chemical methods?

Chemical is ok, mechanical is ok, a combination of the two works very well.
I like steel wool, Wrap a bit around a tooth pic for small things.
On most connectors you can remove the metal parts from the plastic parts to help access.
It may be tedious and difficult sometimes but it often is the only way. Once cleaned up a small bit of dielectric grease will help prevent corrosion. If you do this well the first time you shouldn't have to repeat it very often, maybe never.
Leo

I was hoping that there might be a new chemical miracle that would save me all that hard work Leo

maybe I should just bite the bullit and fit the new wiring loom I've had in the shed for the past 3 years

Sometimes there is no easy way.
I spend a lot of time looking but don't find one very often.
Leo

if I spent half the time doing the job as I spend surfin the net looking for an easy solution the job would be done by now lol

peanut said:

if I spent half the time doing the job as I spend surfin the net looking for an easy solution the job would be done by now lol

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Aye, mate! There be the problem.

Back in the day, servicing printed circuit boards and connectors, we used erasers. Not the type for pencils, but the type of eraser used for ink. Kinda like a softer version of Craytex.

But, that only works for external surfaces. I have a set of swiss pattern jewelry files that are thin enuff to get inside female spade connectors, and some tiny needle files that'll get inside female bullet connectors.

Welcome to the Ultra-Cheep Bastards club....

After physically cleaning all of the connections on my Beemer, I used a product called Rail-Zip which I had experience with from when I had a lot of HO trains. I find that is works very well. A little goes a long way,

"High-tech concentrated track cleaner and corrosion inhibitor. Penetrates existing corrosion layers and restores electrical conductivity to all model railroad tracks. It eliminates arching and sparking to assure total layout integrity. The uses for Rail Zip 2 extend beyond model railroading, anywhere you have electrical contacts and corrosion problems you can use Rail Zip 2. Auto and motorcycle electrical connections, plugs and fuses can remain trouble free making sure your new, classic or antique electrical systems won’t cause problems. Outdoor lighting fixtures will be more reliable requiring less maintenance"

http://www.supergluecorp.com/zap/zap-rail-zip

Deoxit works very well. http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.188/.f

glennpm said:

http://www.supergluecorp.com/zap/zap-rail-zip

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Quote of the Safety warning.

SAFETY AND HANDLING PRECAUTIONS:
WARNING: HARMFUL. MAY CAUSE CANCER. IRRITATING TO SKIN & EYES. USE IN
WELL-VENTILATED AREA. Overexposure to chemical may cause headache, drowsiness,
respiratory and skin irritation, nausea and numbness. Contains Hydrotreated Light Naphthenic
Petroleum Distillates.
First Aid: In case of accident or if you feel unwell, seek medical advice immediately and show
container label. Eyes: With eyelids open, flush with water for 15 minutes and seek medical
attention. Skin: Wash with soap & water and seek medical attention if irritation persists.
Inhalation: Remove to fresh air & seek medical advice. Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting. If
vomiting occurs, keep head below hips to avoid aspiration of vomitus into lungs. Get medical
attention immediately. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

in other words, don't eat it(duh), and don't stick it in your eye (duh)
Big brother at work here.
its like beastiality, There are laws against it, because if there wernt, welllll....Enumclaw comes to mind.
I use de-oxite to clean radio recievers and electronics I score cheap at second hand stores.
But its like most supposedly spray on and wipe off stuff. The brake dust remover I have for my car(gasp) is suppose to be spray on, hose off. Ide use a whole bottle on one wheel if I went that route. Scrub, scrub.
Deoxite works great, and in the case of female spades, if you cant get in there, its the best your gonna get.
hmmm... thought comes to mind. What if de-rusto would work? Small sandwitch bag zip tied around connector filled with the de-rusto for a few days. I may check that out.

XSLeo said:

Sometimes there is no easy way.
I spend a lot of time looking but don't find one very often.
Leo

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Assuming the connector is just suffering from old age then the only part that need to be clean is where the contact is made. On that basis just make and break the connection several times which will clean it up. Couldn't be simpler?

That said if there is verdegris around the connection and wire then this may have penetrated into the wiring loom and it is probably better to cut back and re-solder a new connector.

I've used Deoxit on my HiFi but can't say I've noticed a significant improvement on just making and breaking the connection.

angus67 said:

in other words, don't eat it(duh), and don't stick it in your eye (duh)
Big brother at work here.

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You bring up a good point Angus, Its best to give a detailed explanation rather than posting a safety warning.

I thought it was self explainable and i wouldn't have to wear out my key board explaining the negatives of using such a volatile substance.

But because the gov't require that safety labels require silly explanations like, "do not use this product while sitting on the roof of your car doing 35mph" i shall explain why i think using "rail Zip 2" on a wiring loom is not a good idea.

The chances are the loom will be on the bike. Chances are the bike will be in a garage. Even if the bike in on a patio or veranda or carport the close proximity and use of such small instruments would require a close up environment so using a fan or waiting for a windy day would be advisable + wearing gloves, goggles or full face shield or a chemical face mask for the fumes, especially in a garage situation. .............Remember most of these sorts of jobs get done in the off season when the garage is where the bike is stored.

Me i prefer the folded fine grit Wet and Dry for the female spades and couplings. A Dremel drill with a ball bit for the male bullet connectors and more Wet and Dry for the female bullet connectors. No mask, gloves or any worry about fumes or a ventilated space. Just good light.

Pic 1; Before.
Pic 2: After and the ball bit used.
Pic 3: DO NOT use a ball bit as big as the female connector

I've seen somewhere where steel wool was fitted to a short piece of weedeater line. I think they may have split the end some to hold the steel wool?

Mike

TwoManyXS1Bs said:

Aye, mate! There be the problem.

Back in the day, servicing printed circuit boards and connectors, we used erasers. Not the type for pencils, but the type of eraser used for ink. Kinda like a softer version of Craytex.

But, that only works for external surfaces. I have a set of swiss pattern jewelry files that are thin enuff to get inside female spade connectors, and some tiny needle files that'll get inside female bullet connectors.

Welcome to the Ultra-Cheep Bastards club....

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I've been a member for years twomany sometimes I'm surprised at how cheap I can be . Spending 6 x hours searching for the best price online and then buying cheap Far Eastern rubbish that doesn't fit doesn't work and is made of some unknown alloy

Max Midnight said:

Assuming the connector is just suffering from old age then the only part that need to be clean is where the contact is made. On that basis just make and break the connection several times which will clean it up. Couldn't be simpler?



.

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welcome to the ultra cheep bastards club

I expect this method would probably work for a while but your other suggestion of soldering on new connectors would be a better long term solution.

Great pastime for winter evenings in Northern alaska or somewhere there is no TV

gruff54 said:

I've seen somewhere where steel wool was fitted to a short piece of weedeater line. I think they may have split the end some to hold the steel wool?

Mike

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what is weedeater line Mike ? is it the plastic wire used in strimmers ?

peanut said:

is it the plastic wire used in strimmers ?

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It could very well be. Depends on what a strimmer is. . . .

Gruff54 described it well enough. Split the end some of the trimmer line/plastic wire to hold the steel wool, chuck the other end in your hand drill to spin it. Short lengths worked best for me. Pictures in the homemade tools thread.

Trim a free emery board(fingernail file) from an insurance company or politician to do the flat spade connections. Do they even call them emery boards anymore? Does anyone give them away anymore?

weekendrider said:

It could very well be. Depends on what a strimmer is. . . .

Gruff54 described it well enough. ?

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yes two great Countries seperated by a common language

That sounds like a great idea especially using an electric drill .
Its the flat spade connectors I was looking for a solution to and emnery boards are an excellent suggestion . My 93 yr old Father happened to have 2x this morning but they have now dissapeared ....donated to a good cause