I mentioned heat sink compound earlier. It is dielectric grease with additives to make it a better conductor of heat. It is heavily used in electronics for mounting voltage regulator ICs, power transistors, power FETS, etc. It is electrically inert and more readily available. It also is easier to see when applying because of its color. It is usually white but comes in other colors.
OK, if there's one bit of advice you REALLY want to take its this ... avoid this stuff like the plague !!! I worked in the electronic industry for close to 30 years and believe me, you don't want to be anywhere near this sh!t.
Why??? Because its not a grease, its a compound. Ok, big deal, right? Well, its purpose is to transfer heat ... that's it. Its not a lubricant. Its not a water repellent. Its not an electrical conductor. Its just a heat conductor. It never dries. Its never gets "harder". Its thin. And most importantly, IT GETS EVERYWHERE !!! It seems like as soon as you open the jar you're covered in the stuff. It doesn't wipe up easily and it doesn't was off easily and it doesn't come out of your clothes easily.
I'm really glad I did a search and pulled this up. I have the complete under dash wiring harness out of my 74 Charger looking it over from the bulkhead connector to each gage connection and bulb. I see no corrosion anywhere and was trying to decide whether to use a grease or spray. I live in a dry climate and was concerned about the plug in connections. No corrosion at all. Guess I'll put it back dry and hope for many more years of service. I did notice dust in some of the connectors/plugs/sockets. Would you use a spray electrical contact cleaner to get the dirt out? Thanks. Terry
When I rebuilt my wiring I packed the bulkhead connector full of Permatex Super Lube. From what Rick Ehrenberg said in MA, at one point, that's what chrysler started doing later on to seal up the connections from moisture. on the inside under the dash I am coating the male connectors, I'm not just concerned about corrosion but also tarnishing. It certainly won't hurt anything. A far as cleaning goes, If you aren't sliding back the connectors to expose the terminals for cleaning, spray contact cleaner would be a good idea.
I find it humorous that a person points out and illustrates a problem in doing something, and people line up testifying that they have never had a problem doing it.
You can play tiddley winks on the freeway, you can play Russian roulette, and never have a problem. Its just not a good idea, is it.
Putting a non-conductive coating on a conductive surface. Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Do what you want, but industry never does it.
Ok, do you know what dielectric grease is ?? The popular misconception is that dielectric grease is conductive and will and provide good electrical conductivity on contacts. This is FALSE. Dielectric grease in NON-CONDUCTIVE and will hinder any electrical connection. So you DO NOT want to put it on the contact portion of any circuit board. What often happens when people do use it in that manner is the grease will burn, smoke and stink because there is just enough contact to generate heat.
A good example of where to use dielectric grease is on spark plug boots to seal against moisture. A bad example of where to use it would be on the plug wire contacts.
I kinda disagree. I will agree that if one has a poor mechanical/electrical connection to start with, dielectric grease will not not improve the connection to any real degree. However if one has proper a connection to begin with, it will help maintain that connection significantly longer over time from normal temp increased oxidation, moisture issues, etc, and help slightly improve heat sinking on the connection by the presence of grease where insulating air normally would be.
Edit should have finished the whole thread before i just rehashed ths above, again.
Last edited by jcc; 08/17/1601:33 PM.
Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
[quote=SportF) Putting a non-conductive coating on a conductive surface. Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Do what you want, but industry never does it.
[/quote]
Really? So all those Deutsch connecters I work on were lubed post factory????
I think trying to apply the reasons for dielectric grease for HV spark plugs vs low voltage connections is a mistake. They are very different animals and have quite different issues to resolve, and should be discussed on separate threads.
Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
You can use virtually any grease on electrical connections, the purpose is to prevent oxidation by keeping moisture and air out. Where metal meets metal the grease will be wiped away. There are several "purpose built" greases for this ("No Ox", silicone grease, etc.) but even Vaseline is better than nothing.
As electrical systems became much more complex in the mid-'70s (Lean Burn, etc.) but "sealed" (O-ringed) connectors had not yet found their way into Mopars, warranty claims skyrocketed -- as did pissed-off owners. The fix? All assembly plants packed all underhood connectors with simple "cup grease".
