SharkSkin

I use Stabilant on electrical connections -- 6 years and no issues since I did this. Worth every penny.

Dielectric grease, as has been mentioned, has its place and that ain't on electrical connections. It is for places where you want a bit of lube but no risk of creating a short, e.g. plug boots.

I'm a bit of a die-hard solder & shrink wrap kinda guy, I don't give a damn what NASA or Boeing uses. And just to clear things up for those who think crimp connectors are fine because they are used in aerospace, I leave you with this thought: They do not use the garbage connectors that you find at the auto parts/hardware store and they do not use the POS crimp tools that you find there either.

dprantl

Yeah, you don't want the lame H/W store connectors. These connectors rule:

http://order.waytekwire.com/productd...TOR%2022-18GA/
http://order.waytekwire.com/productd...TOR%2016-14GA/
http://order.waytekwire.com/productd...TOR%2012-10GA/

Get a real crimper and use a lighter after to seal the wires on both ends. Provides a waterproof seal.

Dan
'91 928GT S/C 475hp/460lb.ft

Erik N

Crap. I just replaced all my fuses and used dielectric grease on them all.

jon928se

+928
Although I do heed my wifes advice (Elec Engineer) Soldered joints can and do suffer from fatigue failure. I try and avoid using them in unsupported loops of wire. Whenever I remake crimp connections I crimp first then solder then put the insulation boot on and sometimes depending upon location heat shrink as well.

There's another reason NASA doesn't like soldered joints - tin grows crystals in a vacuum that can lead to shorts - cause of the premature failure of some early broadcast/comms satellites I forget if they were Hughes or Boeing.

I find that M/C chain wax works well on connections exposed to the elements.

hacker-pschorr

I don't either

Landseer

I use dielectric grease inside plug boots at the caps, mainly for ease of removal.

I also use it instead of silicone chassis grease on rubber boots. The Silglide stuff is too smelly and gritty, this is clean.

And, you'll all bristle at this, I use a very thin smear of it inside brake caliper bores and on the the piston seals. Really simplifies assembly, much better and less messy than brake fluid at the kitchen sink and table where the work is done. Keeps the cylinders from rusting too.

jeff spahn

I use DeOxit and DeOxit Gold

docmirror

I don't know where this OWT about NASA and soldering started. As a NASA rated solder technician I can assure your that they use millions of solder joints, and solder connections in spacecraft.

Yes, there are a lot of limitations, and there are structural specs for wire on connector bonds. It's been a long time since I worked in the field, but I can well recall performing solder joints and checking the hydrothermograph, and having my soldering checked many times.

Solder is a great way to hold two conductors together. It can be good or bad just like a mechanical bond. If you want to try getting certification try this. Take a 17W soldering iron, nice and clean. Now take two slender pieces of solder, about 18GA and just let them touch end on(no overlap). without using more solder, and without moving either piece of solder wire, fuse the two together. You may tin the iron, but not with a big gob of solder on it.
Good luck!

WallyP

I can't speak about NASA, but at Lockheed (and every other aircraft company that I am aware of), soldering was a certified skill - but wire connections were never soldered. Soldering was done inside black boxes...

All wire connections were done with crimp connectors. The connectors are not that different from good-quality commercial ones, but the tools differ from the bottom-of-the-line auto store units. They squeeze the entire connection and add a small pushed-in area on one side. Such tools are readily available commercially. The aircraft companies certify the tools periodically, which entails a visual inspection and several test crimps - nothing exotic.

dr bob

I remember taking a mil-spec soldering course many years ago. It was more than enlightening, as a lot of the techniques and cleanliness requirements were beyond what any person with 'normal' soldering skills would ever require. Then came wave soldering machines, wash stations and conformal coatings, lead-free solder, and a slew of new developments. After all that, I'm a pretty good plumber, working with copper pipe and tubing, and can solder battery cables and such. OK with most conventional PC stuff too, up to but not yet including the SMT pieces. Most 928 electrics are ancient technology.

danglerb

I bought an 8 ton hydraulic wire crimper, but haven't used it yet, or have a clue how to or with what connectors. All the dies look impossibly small for the given wire sizes.