Last week I drove our new '64 544 home. I found this brick in the classified ads here at brickboard! Thanks guys! Jarrod especially.

My problem - most of the electrical connections are pretty poor. The wiring looks good, for the most part, but all the spade connectors are quite tarnished. How do you guys clean electrical connectors? I took the ground apart in the left rear and sanded the lugs clean and applied some dielectric grease - now the tail lights and directionals work? The brake lights do not. I am trained in electronics (a long time ago) and I can track down electrical problems.

It would be very helpful if someone could tell me where some of the grounds are in this car.

Now - off topic -

I searched for an older brick for several months, but all the ones I found were out west. (I live in Massachusetts) I finally saw one about 80 miles from my home, and immediately rushed to see it. While this brick is not restoration material, it is a good driver.

This car came from California, and the first 95% is really solid - the spare tire holder and the very back of the trunk is rotted. The paint is deep blue, over yellow, over black (which is the original color I think) The interior looks pretty good except for the front seats that are badly worn and came from a 140, I was told. They are too large for the car. The engine is from the mid '70s and it and the transmission have been rebuilt by someone in California. It drives pretty well, but pulls to the right when I apply the brakes.

Before I read brickboard for a while, I did not do any of my own repairs, but you guys have drawn me back to wielding wrenches. Thanks again guys. As a youth, I dabbled in all manner of car repairs, and I have two friends who build hot rods and a decent set of tools. (One of my friends drove his '38 Chevy sedan in the "One lap of America" ten years or so ago.)

Thanks for reading.
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'96 855R, '95 855, '95 854, '64 544, 377,000 miles on 8 bricks

James;

Congratulations on your find, and welcome to the Forum!

It's smart of you to think about doing some PM on the electrical connections BEFORE electrical problems start (they can kill all the fun, and fast!), especially if they "are poor" (but I'm not sure what you mean by that...loose and/or corroded are specifically what to look for and cure), but dielectric grease is not really the right stuff...it's an INSULATOR.

(With a disconnected battery just to be safe), disconnect one connection at a time (be it push-on, bolted, whatever), clean using whatever method is appropriate (wire brush, emery cloth, etc. until nice and shiny, flush clean with solvent), then apply CONDUCTIVE zinc anti-corrosive paste, reconnect. When complete, reconnect battery.

Suggested reading: http://www.intelab.com/swem/anti_corrosive_paste.htm
and: http://www.intelab.com/swem/gastight.htm

As far as the non-working brake lights go...no surprise there...more suggested reading: http://www.intelab.com/swem/safety_bulletin_4.htm

Cheers

Argh! Now wait a minute, I have always tried to keep connections clean, but have only recently started putting dielectric grease on the connections. Your post says to use a conductive paste instead. Why?

Can you fill me in on when to use dielectric grease?

Sounds like I've got something wrong.

Thanks
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'86 745T, '72 144E, '70 145S, '68 220S, '60 544

Dielectric grease is just that... two different properties in one!

A "thick" coat insulates. A "thin" coat is a conductor. That is why it is good stuff. You can slop it in the connector and not worry about making cross-connections and it keeps nasties out (like water and oxygen) but where the mechanical connection takes place, the layer is squeezed very thin so it works as a conductor.

It is absolutely the right thing to use in electo-mechanical connections!

Conductive paste is best for grounds or other single purpose connections where it is hard to keep good conductivity and there is little chance for a cross-connection or short-circuit.

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Mike!

Mike;

Some of your info is correct and fine, some not.

Dielectric grease MAY be fine to use in many cases, but it is still a non-conductor, and is NOT the thing to use (and the thickness of the film can affect how it works in a particular application, see below, but it sure-as hell-does not determine its physical properties - in the case of dielectric grease, once a non-conductor, always a non-conductor!)

As I state in Anti-Corrosive Paste for Electrical Connections, if either paste (conductive or non) is displaced and makes a Gas-Tight-Joint, that is good, but if the point is to make a connection, particularly a low-contact pressure type where displacing the paste is not so certain, why put an insulator in the path and decrease the cross-section (and current handling capability) of the conductor, or seal in any contaminants on the surface (or embedded in it) under an insulated film. Once squeezed between surfaces of high contact pressure OR low, the zinc particles in conductive paste "act as electrical "bridges" between conductor strands, aid in gripping conductor, improve electrical conductivity and enhance integrity of the connection" [quote from Burndy's product description].

...and if you apply Zinc paste from 10,00ft, or with a 2" wide paintbrush and there's a chance of creating bridges to adjacent connections, it's not even a problem for low voltage applications as ours, because it IS non-conductive if not under pressure between two surfaces (exactly like you incorrectly suggested dielectric grease works).

If, as you state dielectric grease is "absolutely the right thing to use in electo-mechanical connections", then zinc anti-corrosive paste is RIGHTER, and perfect for use ALL connections!

Cheers

My fault, I've got to stop reading only 3/4'ths of posts!!!
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'86 745T, '72 144E, '70 145S, '68 220S, '60 544

The best treatments are made by Caig Labs for electronics repair and may be bought in small quantities at Radio Shack. Using a brass brush or fine sandpaper, remove the surface corrosion from both sides of the connection. Then apply DeOxIt to the spade connectors and the wire crimps and connect-disconnect several times. Again use the brass brush to remove added oxides. Spray again, apply OxGard conductive grease to the assembly and reconnect. This keeps them in good shape for years, even in salt.

At times, you will have to apply DeOxIt to the crimps and then solder them (usually on the engine grounds) if they are in bad shape.