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Preparing wires for crimping
John G - 3/2/18 at 03:53 PM

I have just purchased a box of plastic insulated connectors. After stripping the insulator is there anything worth putting on the copper wire to prevent them from corroding in the future?
John

Angel Acevedo - 3/2/18 at 04:46 PM

quote:
Originally posted by John G
I have just purchased a box of plastic insulated connectors. After stripping the insulator is there anything worth putting on the copper wire to prevent them from corroding in the future?
John


I have seen telephone Junction boxes that come with a gel covering the contacts where you plug the telephone cord.
Wonder if an electronics store may have something like that.

trialsman - 3/2/18 at 05:23 PM

I think that grease is called di-electric grease or something like that here in the colonies.

craigdiver - 3/2/18 at 05:46 PM

as an electrical engineer I use denzo paste (grease) to smear on terminals that are subject to adverse weather conditions or are dissimilar metals (tinned copper terminals on copper wire)

rusty nuts - 3/2/18 at 06:46 PM

Forget who makes it but Connector Protector is made for the job, think Maplins sell it?

02GF74 - 4/2/18 at 12:14 AM

If its new wires, then it should not need anything doing, you want metal to metal contact. If it is a Land rover, then copper will have oxidised so rub wire stands with fine wet and dry until shiny.

If you are concerned about corrosion, pack the connector with vaseline or use heatshrink.

I really don't think it's that big a problem.

[Edited on 4/2/18 by 02GF74]

trextr7monkey - 4/2/18 at 01:17 AM

The stuff Maplinsvsell is called Contralube 40 or something similar
It’s pretty good but as said above may not be needed on new loom

Atb
Mike

nick205 - 5/2/18 at 09:19 AM

I've worked in electronics manufacturing for 20 years. Built an MK Indy as well. Never used anything other than fresh new wire and crimps and never had any issues. If you're concerned about shorting then by all means put some heat shrink over the crimp, but IMHO things shouldn't be moving around to cause shorts in the first place!

This is is just my experience and thoughts BTW!

Charlie_Zetec - 5/2/18 at 02:28 PM

quote:
Originally posted by nick205
I've worked in electronics manufacturing for 20 years. Built an MK Indy as well. Never used anything other than fresh new wire and crimps and never had any issues. If you're concerned about shorting then by all means put some heat shrink over the crimp, but IMHO things shouldn't be moving around to cause shorts in the first place!


I'd second this. Having built/rebuilt a few Land Rover Defenders, I've used standard crimps without anything down to the wires, and never has any issues. Standard LR connectors are usually bare brass nipples (hehe) that you crimp on, and seat in a 2- or 4-way connector block. Sometimes for the really old ones, or those taken into water or mud repeatedly, the occasional removal and contact cleaner is used.

For additional wires added in or changed, a standard butt (hehe, again) crimp will suffice. For wiring that is in directly in contact with the elements, I used butt crimps with heatshrink/glue lining that come as standard, but you can just as easily use a bit of heatshrink sleeving over the top.

TRX - 5/2/18 at 02:34 PM

> phone ... gel

A telco guy gave me some crimp-on terminals once. They were filled with translucent goo. I thought it was "dielectric grease", but he claimed it was plain old petroleum jelly.

I've used petroleum jelly ever since. Decades later, moving wiring around, those crimps were still bright copper inside.

[Edited on 2/5/2018 by TRX]

Angel Acevedo - 5/2/18 at 08:09 PM

quote:
Originally posted by TRX
> phone ... gel

A telco guy gave me some crimp-on terminals once. They were filled with translucent goo. I thought it was "dielectric grease", but he claimed it was plain old petroleum jelly.

I've used petroleum jelly ever since. Decades later, moving wiring around, those crimps were still bright copper inside.

[Edited on 2/5/2018 by TRX]


The stuff on those boxes was definitely not petroleoum Jelly (Vaseline)
It looked and felt like the stuff Gummy Bears are made of, although a little softer, but crystal clear.
Now, considering your experience and being vaseline so cheap and readily available, that would be the rtuff to use.
One last consideration is that vaseline will attack some plastics.
Regards all.
AA