Cleaning bullet connectors

[John Morrison]

Anyone know an easy way of cleaning fifties years of grot

from original bullet connector sin situ on the car?

 

Thinking perhaps something like Meths or Switch Cleaner and maybe  an old

toothbrush?

 

John.

[RobH]

I would clean the bullets themselves with very fine abrasive paper, and use new sockets rather than try to clean the insides of the old ones. 

[ed_h]

I use a light touch to a wire wheel, and a dielectric grease on reassembly.

Ed

[John L]

A useful tip from BFG here.   Scroll down a bit.

John

[john.r.davies]

John L, 

Nice of you to revive the 'fabricated tools thread' but scroll down to a BFG post?  Not in the first two pages and there are more than 8 to review.

[brian -r]

Commercial switch cleaner ( Chemodex Electrosolve, Ambersil servosol 10 or similar ) plus a light rub with a fine abrasive paper or wool to clean the bulets

As per Rob's advice replace the barrel connectors with new.

Bri

[barkerwilliams]

 

II have found new barrel connectors dont grip as well as teh old so

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144683439534?epid=1485416347&hash=item21afce15ae:g:qe4AAOSwID5i-8QW&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoAB9EhvUHc0fBZR19AyvB0l1Y8ofSoJjenE6EvKAbpwD2usmwYcPRxBdxCOmjw448rxLNHVi2PFDLkS5mqIUaXMqyoxqj9Kd%2Ft%2BDQa%2Bga3wvi2du2I74BYWR8pdnHRBW2fE0LyQsm0C%2Be7QvrorZz4WPw4EJKJh7cBTKrZmlE%2F1ldN2P6Wm3JHzo3xS%2BHv5sWohRqM%2FojOCmr85qLFu1Txk%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR7DJnquIYQ

Alan

[RobH]

17 minutes ago, barkerwilliams said:

I have found new barrel connectors dont grip as well as teh old so

Funny - I've not experienced that.  It isn't a cylinder, it's a coiled strip so you can squeeze them a bit tighter if they feel loose.  

[MilesA]

3 hours ago, john.r.davies said:

John L, 

Nice of you to revive the 'fabricated tools thread' but scroll down to a BFG post?  Not in the first two pages and there are more than 8 to review.

John

It's on the page to which John L's link takes you, about 1/3 of the way down.

Miles

[john.r.davies]

Ah!   Page 18!    For some reason, the link took me to Page One!

John

[ed_h]

2 hours ago, barkerwilliams said:

 

II have found new barrel connectors dont grip as well as teh old so

Alan

If a barrel has lost its grip, i've found it's usually because the spring steel insert has broken.  Any remaining grip is coming just from the rubber jacket.

I also use skinny wire brushes to clean the barrel bores.

Ed

[Charlie D]

I’ve read in a couple of places over the years that if you put the connectors in a jar of white vinegar and salt, and leave them overnight, they will come up like new.

It’s not too easy if there is not much spare wire before the connector, but I did give it a go once.

 

All it did was make the loom smell like a chip shop.

Don’t bother trying.

 

Charlie

[ed_h]

1 hour ago, Charlie D said:

I’ve read in a couple of places over the years that if you put the connectors in a jar of white vinegar and salt, and leave them overnight, they will come up like new.

 

This is incredibly bad advice.  The acid will eat away the plating on the barrels, and the chloride in the solution will guarantee that the bare steel will corrode.

Heed Charlie's warning:  Don't bother trying.

Ed

[PodOne]

After 50 years the outsides can be cleaned with emery or a wire wheel to look nice but its not going to do anything for the oxidised wire crimped inside or if soldered the wire as it goes into the insulation.

I would cut them off and remake the connection with a new bullet as they are cheap enough. Just buy a decent crimper its a better and quicker solution along with new spring/rubber barrels. 

Nothing worse than dodgy connections to have you pulling your hair out!! Probably why I have none.

Andy

[John Morrison]

Thanks all,

Andy I know you are correct, and we have a new loom etc, it was just that the

new headlamp fittings came with very short cables and we looked to swop these for the originals, just speeding teh job along.

Cheers,

John.

[RogerH]

A good crimped joint should not oxidise under the  crimp.

Bare oxidised wires should not be a problem as the oxidising is only skin deep.

 

Roger

[RobH]

+1

The dark oxide layer is microns deep and has no real effect on the conductivity of the wires. The joint if properly made, either by crimp or solder, will be similarly unaffected. You just need to clean things off where you want a metal-to-metal contact.

In fact if the wire strands are heavily oxidised within the insulation, which is common,  you may find it difficult to get a good joint if you try to replace the bullet. Cleaning the oxidisation properly from all the strands without damaging the wire, is not easy. 

 

[Ralph Whitaker]

This is more for brass lucar connectors, but it does work.

 

[RobH]

I would be very wary of doing that Ralph, as Ed says above. The solution can wick up under the wire insulation by capillary action and although he does attempt to 'neutralise' the vinegar with baking soda there is no guarantee it has all gone. The wet salt residue will still be there of course .  

[stillp]

1 hour ago, RobH said:

I would be very wary of doing that Ralph, as Ed says above. The solution can wick up under the wire insulation by capillary action and although he does attempt to 'neutralise' the vinegar with baking soda there is no guarantee it has all gone. The wet salt residue will still be there of course .  

+1

Pete

[ed_h]

IMO, the process in the video is overthought and misguided.  Purely mechanical removal of oxidation from the contact surfaces is quicker, easier, safer, and just as effective.

The guy in the video also should learn to pronounce the word "oxidation".

Ed

[Ralph Whitaker]

On 11/6/2022 at 10:09 AM, RobH said:

I would be very wary of doing that Ralph, as Ed says above. The solution can wick up under the wire insulation by capillary action and although he does attempt to 'neutralise' the vinegar with baking soda there is no guarantee it has all gone. The wet salt residue will still be there of course .  

It`s a bit late now, I did my entire loom with this method 3 years ago prior to re-fitting it. Nothing has failed so far.

Ralph