Cleaning Electrical Connectors

[randroid]

Folks,

I'm trying to keep my interest in painting Pigiron but this summer has been a bear. I got pondering this last night and decided that the best way to spend my time is working on the wiring because I can do it in chunks when I have limited time. From the dash back was done some years ago but dash forward might bring tears to your eyes and that's where I'm headed. The wires are all original and will all be replaced but there are the connectors that concern me. The headlight block is the most obvious and mine is dirty and needs cleaning, which I can do with a small wire brush, but all the connectors on the fuel gauge and amp gauge and ignition switch, etc, are places not too receptive to abuse so I'm looking for an alternative such as living better through chemistry.

I don't get excited about the idea of using even a mild acid solution around important stuff but perhaps one of you has had the same situation and arrived at a logical solution, so I ask. I just don't want to mess with it again for twenty years after I do it.

-Randy

[Young Ed]

Randy I must admit I didn't clean mine. They didn't look dirty when I took them apart and even though the wiring was horrible everything was working. If you want to clean them I would do it by hand carefully with a wire brush. The only two issues I had were not getting the amp gauge wires tight enough which eventually lead to weird charging and starting issues and eventually arced enough that when I finally found the issue in Detroit the stud on my gauge broke. So star washer those and make sure they're tight. The other issue was the wires for the dimmer got too close to the clutch pedal and wore through causing a blown fuse everytime I put the clutch in with the lights on! Took a long time to figure that one out.

This reminds me I need to finish up with mine. I have to make new leads for the center brake light, plate light, and the headlights from the terminal block forward.

Before

After

[randroid]

Ed,

Thanks, I figured I might be worried about the wrong thing but wanted to ask. I have a brass bristle brush that will probably work so I'll busy myself with what matters most.

You might be the only person to ever see the back of your dash but it sure looks nice.

-Randy

[Young Ed]

Ed,

You might be the only person to ever see the back of your dash but it sure looks nice.

-Randy

Thanks. That doesn't even show it with paint. I apparently didn't take a picture or didn't upload one but I painted the entire backside the same tan as the front.

[BobT-47P15]

I was going to say about painting the back of the dash a light color

in the interest of being able to see things better there.

One of those little wire or brass brushes (a little bigger than a tooth brush)

is handy for getting into small spaces. And they're fairly inexpensive.

Hang in there Randy.....you'll eventually get it done.

[randroid]

Bob,

Thanks, I picked the first Jalapeño from my garden today and had it with dinner to improve my outlook. I guess it worked.

"A Jalapeño a day keeps the Pigiron doldrums away."

Wasn't it you who once suggested painting the back of the dash yellow for the stated reasons? I took that advise and it works beautifully well.

-Randy