MOXIE62

My C2 blinkers on the front were not working so I disconnected the firewall connection, wire brush the little metal tabs , put on some dielectric grease and they work fine now. Not sure if the grease fixed it or the wire brush. What has me concern is my friend purchased C2 spark plug wires and the instructions that came with the wires say put grease on the boots but KEEP it off the metal terminal. It states that if you allow grease to get on any metal plug terminal, it will cause high resistance and lead to mis fires and spark plug failure. So should I remove the grease from the firewall connection or does this rule only apply to spark plugs.

Frankie the Fink

I've heard diverse opinions. I've used dielectric grease for decades on headlight, parking light and tail light sockets/connections as well as battery terminals and never any issues. I packed both of my C2 bulkhead connectors with the stuff...

You can read yourself into a stupor over it:

http://www.w8ji.com/dielectric_greas...ive_grease.htm

I think the spark plug wire manufacturers are being somewhat over cautious...

R66

You all are confusing me, so I looked up the definition of dielectric, as I always thought it was an insulator. Dielectric grease is used to improve the heat transfer between electrical components (e.g., transistors) and a metal heat sink to dissipate heat.

Here is what I found:

A dielectric material (dielectric for short) is an electrical insulator that can be polarized by an applied electric field. When a dielectric is placed in an electric field, electric charges do not flow through the material as they do in a conductor, but only slightly shift from their average equilibrium positions causing dielectric polarization.

I see no advantage to an dielectric insulating material on electrical connections, but would fear some interference of the electrical current. On spark plug boots, it would help prevent leakage of the 25K volts between plug porcelain and the rubber boot.

However, I always try to use NO-OX or OX-GARD which is an electrical grease that improves the connection and helps prevent oxidation of copper and aluminum components. You have to be careful not to spread it around too much as it will conduct electricity. In the old days, we used EP chasis grease on battery terminals to keep them from corroding.

Go to your local electrical supply store and see what they recommend.

MOXIE62

Not trying to confuse but to find out if I need to remove this grease I put on the connection at the firewall. I wish the C2 wiring was like the C1. That is the C1 ignition wiring went from the battery straight to the switch. The C2 goes from the battery to a connection point at the firewall, then to the switch. If there is ever a poor connection at the firewall then engine is dead. That's why I would like to get that connection as good as possible.

MAD IN NC

I use it on all my older cars.... just put some on the taillight on 73 eldo two days ago....

hdrider1

Dielectric grease is simply silicone grease used to keep moisture out of electrical connections and prevent corrosion. It is an insulator, but does not interfere with conductivity of direct metal to metal connections.

LB66383

R66

I am not saying it will have a significant affect on the electrical connection as it is a grease and not a solid. As I theorize the grease will be displaced by the friction of the two contacts in the connector and be reduced to a very thin film.

If the voltage you were dealing with were millivolts and the voltage is critical to the operation of a highly sensitive piece of equipment, it may have an effect which could render that equipment inaccurate or inoperable.

We are dealing with 12v dc and the reduction in voltage, if any, from a very thin dielectric would be very minimal in my opinion. I would not worry about it.

I am just trying to put forth that a dielectric grease is an insulator and not really the correct lubricant nor protectant to use on an electrical connection where one wants to improve the electrical connection and protect the contacts.

It it your car, and thus you must chose what to use.

I use the products used in the industry I worked in for years because it is designed to improve the connection electrically as well as prevent corrosion and arcing between the contacts.

DansYellow66

I'm with Frankie - I've used it a lot and never had a problem with it. But I understand the dielectric issue. Most 12V connectors appear to engage through metal/brass to metal/brass abrading which gouges past any film of grease to make contact. If it does inhibit conductivity it probably would create problems with bullet or prong type connections but I don't remember reading of any issues where someone applied it to an electrical connection. But I have been meaning to search out some of the NO OX type grease sometime to try out.

Duck916

It's working now, so I wouldn't try to "fix" it again. The dielectric grease will still serve as a protectant, which is a good thing.

As for conductive lubricants, you definitely would not want to use such an animal on a multi-pin connector--there would be too much risk that the lubricant would conduct electricity across adjacent pins.

65tripleblack

Before the invention of dielectric grease, all of us grease monkeys used to use white lithium grease. The lights always worked and no fires happened. I still use white lith with the same results.

Frankie the Fink

So did I but white lithium will eventually thicken up and can turn into a nearly clay like consistency. Ask anybody whose taken 60 year old door lock mechanisms apart that somebody slathered in the stuff. Or where the gears inside a headlight motor were lubed with the stuff.

Glad they have dielectric now.

R66

I don't think I would try to remove the dielectric and apply the NO-OX. I am just putting forth the differences between the two. If you think of an electric motor or a transformer where the components are totally submerged in dielectric oil for cooling purposes, the dielectric does not interfere with the connections nor their proper electrical function. As well as cooling, the oil helps prevent arcing in high voltage applications of this nature. That is what it is designed to do.

I don't believe the conductive greases will act as conductors and create a "leakage" path unless the grease is piled on or the part is immersed in the liquid or grease. It is not a conductor, only conductive material. Electricity will take the path of least resistance.

You have made me curious thought, I'll apply a small bead and try a resistance test between two adjacent contacts on an old connector.

I always apply the NO-OX with a small painter's brush or toothpick on connections to obtain a light coat on the contacts. Then I make sure to wipe off any excess with a clean rag before remaking the connection. Proper application of any product is the key to it performing properly. I also coat ground lugs with it to slow rusting under the lug.

GTOguy

This. I've been putting it on spark plugs, in plug wires, on electrical connections for decades in industry. Thousands of cars. The stuff that came with the old Ford HEI in the 80's specified coating the distributor cap metal terminals. Think of it this way: the factory packs the bulkhead connectors with this grease, and you're dealing with low (9-15volts) voltage. No problems with resistance there, right? So even less of a worry with 30,000 volts from the ignition coil. Go ahead and use it..it seals out air and moisture and prevents corrosion. Win-win.

tbarb

I use it on pretty much everything electrical in my cars. I always thought it was the correct product to use.

Hitch

The dielectric grease you applied will do no harm and only good. There is no need to remove it and replace with something else. It conducts electricity but as stated above it keeps moisture out of connections. Routinely multi pin canon plug connectors are filled with dielectric grease in low voltage operations where moisture is a concern. Whether it be a piece of equipment that operates in and out of freezing temperatures that condensates when moved out of the freezer to ambient or a piece of equipment that gets washed frequently due to the environment where it operates.

You've corrected the problem now go drive that old girl a few hundred miles.

HITCH

DansYellow66

I remembered some one posting some testing on this subject a few years ago and was able to search it out to post again. Pretty interesting.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ver-seize.html

jcchevy

I recently purchased a new harness from Lectric Limited and was curious what their recommendation would be on the dielectric grease. Today I was told "it can be used to seal connections to seal out moisture etc. However it should never be used on the actual contacts! By definition dielectric is an insulator!" Just stating what I was told. I am choosing to NOT use on my contectors (rear harness to dash harness, Headlight and parking light connections to front harness etc).

bluestreak63

MOXIE62

After viewing the LL video which tells you to keep grease off the metal terminals, there's another video that pops up that says to use it on metal terminals. It's like engine oil, trans oil, brake fluid etc everyone has there reason for using or doing what they do. What I take away from all of this is use a very thin coat of grease and not glob it on. Maybe not on the spark plug tip but all the other electrical connections.