I am putting back together my 77 project and am starting to put together wires. I have read at least 8 pages of threads on this forum, where I believe members are using the grease prior to making electrical connections. As in, the grease is put into where a male and female connection plug in. I have read on line that dielectric grease is an insulator, not a conductor.


The following is from the definition of Dielectric Grease:


Another common use of dielectric grease is on the rubber mating surfaces or gaskets of multi-pin electrical connectors used in automotive and marine engines. The grease again acts as a lubricant and a sealant on the nonconductive mating surfaces of the connector. It is not recommended to be applied to the actual electrical conductive contacts of the connector because it could interfere with the electrical signals passing through the connector in cases where the contact pressure is very low.


I am wondering specifically where the main harnesses plug into the rear for tail lights and the front for the headlight harnesses, the ignition module, etc...


I just want to do the right thing. It seems as though other members have used it as a conductor and it seems to be working for them.


Thanks

 

Yes, you should use it. The idea is to keep moisture and atmospheric pollution away from the electrical connection itself. Even a nearly invisible layer of skunge is enough to make connections drop voltage or fail altogether.

 

Yes Ben, use it.
I use it on all electrical connections including the ring terminals for the body grounds.
Using it now will help avoid future electrical gremlins that seem to haunt so many of our projects.

 

Concur with Tedster and Mike.

I treated all the electrical connectors on my '70 during its revival and recently as I go with the electrical mods/upgrades on my '73 4x4.

It also makes it easier to disconnect the plugs .. especially those on the left inner fender.

 

Use the dielectric grease.

It does have a high resistance to electricity passing through it so you don't get leakage from bare contacts like spark plug terminals over to grounds ..... but the grease itself is thin bodied and will not prevent spring tension causing contacts to "contact" each other as the grease between is displaced. The connection is made, but the grease stays all around it insulating it from moisture and arcing, etc.

I've been using Dielectric Grease on all weather exposed or damp condition electrical connections, spark plug terminals, connectors, boots, etc since at least the mid '70s .... for years using it out of a large green and white "GE Silicone Dielectric Grease" tube. A little bit goes a long way.

 

ok. thanks for the help

 

If the cavity in the plastic connectors are large, I use white grease in them and then wrap with hockey tape. It's messy, but effective.

 

I also support its use especially if the vehicle does not have inside storage. As an alternative, if you'd rather have a liquid, I've used Break Free CLP with success. You can usually get it at gun shops or sporting goods stores and apply it with a small brush.

 

Just about anything will work. Chapstick, even. The old school manuals recommended vaseline or chassis grease on battery terminals, engine grounds and connectors etc. The idea is simply that clean connections, free of paint and grime or corrosion are coated with something that will exclude moisture and atmospheric pollution.

Sometimes automotive manufacturers even use components or materials that don't really seem to be very suitable for their intended purpose and tend to cause trouble all by themselves over time through galvanic or dissimilar metal corrosion. Aerospace and critical applications use lots of gold or silver connectors because the materials are either inert or, highest on the conductivity scale.

Autos on the other hand use mostly steel frame or fender type connections as ground paths and this always spells trouble after a few years. All the bullet and SAE connectors, block connectors through firewall and grounds are all exposed to serious crud and contamination. It's amazing that stuff even works at all sometimes. The more modern weather pac connectors have a rubber O ring or packing especially, that needs to be sealed with dielectric or something, the ones exposed to road spray in particular. They work real good but not quite good enough, they seem to be "dry" from the factory.

 

I always lube standard connectors for all the reasons mentioned... basically to prevent corrosion and failure. Mechanical pressure in the connector should displace grease at contact points to make the electrical connection.

In this application there is nothing magic about dielectric grease. I think the spray white lithium grease is handy. For grounds, I like anti-seize.

 

Look for a product called Kopr-Shield - a conductive compound, not an insulator. Sold by Tessco.com

TESSCO SKU : 437469 | UPC: 786210806365| Qty/UOM : 1 EACH
Mfr Part #: CP8-TB
Description: THOMAS & BETTS "Kopr-Shield" compound for copper conductors. Protects, lubricates and enhances conductoructivity. 8 ounce bottle with brush

 

If that is a conductor, I would only use it on a single pin connector or a bolted ground connection. Not sure if it'll conduct enough to jump power from one terminal to another on a multi pin connection.