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Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? #1410356
03/28/13 01:31 PM
03/28/13 01:31 PM
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Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog Offline OP
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Hello again. I'm rewiring the underhood harness on the Charger and I will be cleaning both sides of the firewall bulkhead connector. I need to know what you suggest for cleaning the contact points. I used a wire brush but I have yet to get the copper looking shiny as new. There are no damaged or pitted connectors, but I figured that now is the time to get it as clean as possible.
Thanks, Greg

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: Kern Dog] #1410357
03/28/13 02:21 PM
03/28/13 02:21 PM
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JohnRR Offline
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soak them in industrial strength toilet bowl cleaner. Though you may not be able to get the good stuff in commiefornia ?

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: Kern Dog] #1410358
03/28/13 02:23 PM
03/28/13 02:23 PM
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RSNOMO Offline
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A can of 'Lectra-Motive' can be your friend...

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: RSNOMO] #1410359
03/28/13 02:40 PM
03/28/13 02:40 PM
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hp383 Offline
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Quote:

A can of 'Lectra-Motive' can be your friend...




Its a bit pricey, but works great.

You could also use most any electric contact cleaner spray.

I'm not sure about the toilet cleaner, wouldn't that possibly be too corrosive?


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Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: hp383] #1410360
03/28/13 03:10 PM
03/28/13 03:10 PM
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belv2vert66 Offline
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are you removing the connectors from the bulk head connector ?

It was time consuming but I made myself a good drawing of what went where and removed them from the connector and cleaned them.

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: belv2vert66] #1410361
03/28/13 03:58 PM
03/28/13 03:58 PM
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Iowa
burdar Offline
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White vinegar will also clean the contacts. I soaked my door jamb switches in it and they turned out nice.

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: belv2vert66] #1410362
03/28/13 04:17 PM
03/28/13 04:17 PM
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Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert Offline
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Quote:

are you removing the connectors from the bulk head connector ?

It was time consuming but I made myself a good drawing of what went where and removed them from the connector and cleaned them.


X2 but I'd consider going ahead & replacing them. NAPA 725145-female and 725147-male. It ain't bad once you get the hang of R&R ing them & recrimp/solder em & that's such a problem area I'd just as soon do it right & be done with it . I'm sure one of the cleaners mentioned would work well but it'd be a pain to do em where they are located as it not like it's an item you can remove & soak on your bench. . Holler what/how the cleaner you pick works for you.


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Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: Kern Dog] #1410363
03/28/13 04:25 PM
03/28/13 04:25 PM
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Colorado
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denfireguy Offline
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Quote:

Hello again. I'm rewiring the underhood harness on the Charger and I will be cleaning both sides of the firewall bulkhead connector. I need to know what you suggest for cleaning the contact points. I used a wire brush but I have yet to get the copper looking shiny as new. There are no damaged or pitted connectors, but I figured that now is the time to get it as clean as possible.
Thanks, Greg


I have always used this stuff but then again, I spent my high school and college years working in TV repair. Will not tarnish copper or plated stuff and leaves a light coating to prevent further oxidation.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12784986
I also pack the connectors with CRC Dielectric Grease to keep water out.


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Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: Kern Dog] #1410364
03/28/13 04:39 PM
03/28/13 04:39 PM
Joined: Aug 2007
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Valencia, España
NachoRT74 Offline
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I have you a better one with home products:

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,70039.0.html


I made it too


With a Charger born in Chrysler assembly plant in Valencia, Venezuela
Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: denfireguy] #1410365
03/28/13 04:48 PM
03/28/13 04:48 PM
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'I also pack the connectors with CRC Dielectric Grease to keep water out.'

Absitively, posilutely...

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: RSNOMO] #1410366
03/28/13 05:11 PM
03/28/13 05:11 PM
Joined: May 2005
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Franklin Co. Illinois
runinonmt Offline
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Lime Away. No need to remove the connectors. Pour it in,let it soak a while,rinse with water,blow dry,coat with dielectric grease,assemble.
Ron


In sixty-five I was seventeen and running up one-o-one I don't know where I'm running now, I'm just running on Jackson Browne-Running On Empty
Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: runinonmt] #1410367
03/28/13 09:18 PM
03/28/13 09:18 PM
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Fresno, CA
Jim_Lusk Offline
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Remove the female connectors and tighten the loops. Clean with a brush and baking soda/water, lime away if that doesn't do it.

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: runinonmt] #1410368
03/28/13 09:18 PM
03/28/13 09:18 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
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Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog Offline OP
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Most of the male connectors are getting replaced, so cleaning them is not an issue. I'm going to save the existing wiring to the wipers. My concern was mostly with the firewall mounted female side.
I bought a can of DeOxit spray. THAT stuff is spendy! $16 for an 8 oz can.

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: Kern Dog] #1410369
03/28/13 10:17 PM
03/28/13 10:17 PM
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Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert Offline
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Quote:

My concern was mostly with the firewall mounted female side. I bought a can of DeOxit spray.


Those are the ones I'd replace as they are so hard to clean . Holler how that spray works


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Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: Kern Dog] #1410370
03/28/13 10:25 PM
03/28/13 10:25 PM
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Quote:

$16 for an 8 oz can.




Key-Rhyst...

That's caviar price...

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: RapidRobert] #1410371
03/29/13 01:44 AM
03/29/13 01:44 AM
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Fresno, CA
Jim_Lusk Offline
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Quote:

Quote:

My concern was mostly with the firewall mounted female side. I bought a can of DeOxit spray.


Those are the ones I'd replace as they are so hard to clean . Holler how that spray works




They are hard to clean, but aren't hard to get right. The loops usually need to be tightened...

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: Jim_Lusk] #1410372
03/29/13 01:53 AM
03/29/13 01:53 AM
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Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert Offline
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Quote:

They are hard to clean, but aren't hard to get right. The loops usually need to be tightened...


Jim will that make the male ends scrape em down to clean brass when they go together?


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Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: RapidRobert] #1410373
03/29/13 03:22 AM
03/29/13 03:22 AM
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Fresno, CA
Jim_Lusk Offline
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Quote:

Quote:

They are hard to clean, but aren't hard to get right. The loops usually need to be tightened...


Jim will that make the male ends scrape em down to clean brass when they go together?




Yes, to some degree. I did this to my old 67 Barracuda fastback shortly after I bought it and never had another bulkhead related problem. My niece had an 89-ish GM FWD with the 3.3 V6 and it developed a problem with the connector on the ignition module. Same fix...

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: Jim_Lusk] #1410374
03/29/13 04:33 AM
03/29/13 04:33 AM
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Anselmi Offline
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Has anyone used RPM (Rust Prevention Magic) to protect the connectors after cleaning them?


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Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: Kern Dog] #1410375
03/29/13 05:50 AM
03/29/13 05:50 AM
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St. Paul, Mn.
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I replaced all of them on my 69 Roadrunner with the exception of the ammeter contacts which were converted to straight 10 gauge wires through the bulkhead. I crimped and soldered each one. Napa
725145 for the female and 725147 for the male which
are a little more heavy duty than original.
Dielectric grease on reassembly.........


69 Roadrunner 383 stock
Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: hp383] #1410376
03/29/13 09:58 AM
03/29/13 09:58 AM
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JohnRR Offline
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Quote:



I'm not sure about the toilet cleaner, wouldn't that possibly be too corrosive?




You don't leave them in there for a long time , or over night. soak for a few minutes , scrub with a plastic brush and rinse in water. For the stuff you get to use at home might take a little more effort?

But the white vinegar mentioned after I posted sounds like a good alternative , it's not sure acidic , I'll have to give it a try .

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: Anselmi] #1410377
03/29/13 10:00 AM
03/29/13 10:00 AM
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JohnRR Offline
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Quote:

Has anyone used RPM (Rust Prevention Magic) to protect the connectors after cleaning them?




Use electric dielectric grease , if the factory used that on them way back then you wouldn't see half the oxidation issues , some car makers use it now .

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: JohnRR] #1410378
03/30/13 12:39 AM
03/30/13 12:39 AM
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Upstate, NY
sixpack4spd Offline
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I thought someone just dipped them in muriatic acid to instantly clean them up??? Never tried it myself, but maybe look into it?

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: sixpack4spd] #1410379
03/30/13 01:15 AM
03/30/13 01:15 AM
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Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert Offline
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Quote:

muriatic acid to instantly clean them up???


That's swimming pool acid right? maybe taking the terminals/pigtails out of the bulkhead & let them dangle in a small lid of it & see how it does


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Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: RapidRobert] #1410380
03/30/13 01:20 AM
03/30/13 01:20 AM
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Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog Offline OP
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Today I used some of the "DeOxit" on the female terminals and blew it out with compressed air. The male spades were cleaned as well. I used a file to scrape even though there was no corrosion, only some tarnished copper.
I expected there to be more gunk since the car is 43 years old. I did have the harness out in 2002 when I painted the car and engine bay. maybe I cleaned them then? Heck... that was 11 years ago!

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: Kern Dog] #1410381
03/30/13 01:24 AM
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RSNOMO Offline
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No di-electric???

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: RSNOMO] #1410382
03/30/13 01:39 AM
03/30/13 01:39 AM
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Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog Offline OP
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How much of that dielectric are you supposed to use? Just a dab to coat the contacts?
I haven't put the connectors back together yet.

Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: Kern Dog] #1410383
03/30/13 07:22 AM
03/30/13 07:22 AM
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hp383 Offline
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Some info on the dielectric grease:

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-dielectric-grease.htm

You can apply generously to the "pockets" in the connectors, the grease is not conductive, and is designed to prevent oxygen, and moister, from corroding or tarnishing the contacts.

However I think the author of the page may not be a "car" guy:

Quote:

Dielectric grease is widely used as a sealant for spark plugs in gasoline or diesel engines, as well as on the gaskets of multi-pin connectors in the electrical systems of vehicles and boats.




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Re: Bulkhead wiring cleaner. Wire brushes and...? [Re: hp383] #1410384
03/30/13 10:24 AM
03/30/13 10:24 AM
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belv2vert66 Offline
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I used this when I reassembled after cleaning. Worked awesome and a little less mess than the dielectric grease. Time will tell if it is as good

http://www.heartland-marketing.com/whip.html

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