Cleaning contacts and connectors: tips?

[kdkrone]

I had purchased some Stabilant 22 a couple of years ago; I use it whenever I have cause to be anywhere near a connector. It came with a thin plastic tool with a fuzzy tip, which, unfortunately, has given up the ghost.

Has anyone found a tool that will fit into the female connectors to to clean them? (and a tool to clean the male connectors, for that matter) q-tips are way too large, and dental scrapers are too large, as well.

ThanksKen

[Infinitiguy19]

Try radio shack or a similar store and ask them if they have any small tools for cleaning.

[goody90q45]

I usually use an old toothbrush or a 1/2" wide cheapie paint brush with the bristles cut to about 1/2" long. With cleaner applied, move your brush of choice up and down (rather than side-to-side) and they'll find they're way into and between the female pins to clean them up. You'll probably want to tighten up the pins when you're done. Works great on the male pins too.

[kdkrone]

Mike,

Do you use the Stabilant 22 as the cleaner or do you use something else and then flood the contact with Stabilant 22?

Ken

[goody90q45]

I use electrical parts cleaner in a spray can and scrub it good with the brush. For the tough stuff I use straight penetrant (PB Blaster) and after cleaning rinse with a shot of spray can electrical parts cleaner. I have a tube of MIL Spec Dow Chemical electrical connector lubricant but it looks an awful lot like the stuff that comes out of the tube of dielectric grease and works the same.

[kdkrone]

Mornin, Mike.

So where does one purchase these products? I am not familiar with them. Auto parts store? Electrical supply house?

ThanksKen

[goody90q45]

Auto parts store for everything. I think even Ace Hardware would have all this.

Stabilant 22 and the DOW lubricant I use are nothing more than top quality electrical contact lubricants. I use PB Blaster on the tough corrosion but 3 in 1 oil would clean almost as well. Any good penetrant or lubricating fluid works but it needs to be cleaned off with electrical parts cleaner (or brake parts cleaner) to allow the stabilant-22 (or equivalent) to do its job.

[kdkrone]

OK. I have DeoxIt and Stabilant 22. I found CRC Electrical contact cleaner at Kragen. CRC also makes a dielectric grease---do you have a source for the DOW dielectric grease? Actually, now that I think of it, why would one use the Stabilant and dielectric grease, as well? Don't they do the same thing pretty much?

[qship96]

DeOxit is made by Caig, who also markets a nifty little kit in a container that includes both the cleaner and 2 different types of protectant in dropper bottles/sprays/and saturated mini cloths along with mini cotton swabs, tiny brushes, and other mini tools to clean and protect every type of connector.About $30