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EDIT quick summary 2/10/2019
EDIT: 3/21/2016: LINK for learning how to solder: Probably more than you ever wanted to know.
I wanted to just list the products I use to clean electrical connections. There are probably substitutes for each. The point to remember is that you need to chemically clean your connections. I wire brush or sandpaper will NOT do it.
The main connections to worry about for charging are all connections between the R/R and the battery.
Go here to read up on the specifics for Charging System Health.
GS Charging Health
All of these items are readily available on amazon or equivalent things at your local stores.
1.) Aggressive Chemical Clean UP
For usual connector corrosion, green gunk I use this applied for about 10-15 minutes and then wash with water. Usually all brass/copper is clean and stripped bare after application.
Loctite 553472 16 Fluid Ounce Naval Jelly Rust Dissolver
2.) Flux to solder into dirty contacts.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...rch_detailpage
MG Chemicals 835 Liquid Rosin Flux, Non Corrosive and Non Conductive residue, 125 ml Bottle
When you need to flow solder into a crimp or contact and the solder just balled up, it is because the surface is probably corroded. You will be amazed at how well the solder will flow with just a couple of drops on this in a barrel crimp.
3.) Flux Cleaner to get rid of residual Flux
I do a lot of circuit boards and use this stuff to clean residual flux. The flux above claims it doesn't need to be cleaned but I feel better getting rid of the stuff. A little spray and a old tooth brush will cut through teh flux. Use a little alcohol to flush off the residuals.
MG Chemicals 4140 Flux Remover for PC Boards, 400g (14 Oz) Aerosol Can
4.) Contact Cleaner to clean and protect all connections
After you have everything cleaned solder and down to bare metal it is best to protect it with a conductive coating from a contact cleaner.
Hosa Cable D5S6 Deoxit Contact Cleaner Spray
5.) Dielectric grease
is a good protectant in most areas as well, it is just sloppier to work with than a spray. The spray probably gets deeper into teh contacts that grease alone. Doing both is belts and braces and comes in various sizes
Permatex 81150 Dielectric Tune-Up Grease, .33 oz Tube
Permatex 22058 Dielectric Tune-Up Grease, 3 oz. Tube
356919]
[/QUOTE]
That is a great picture; I'll supplement it with this link that is pretty descriptive of how a crimp can go wrong and what is good. There is also a section that I extracted below about soldering wire/contact crimps. The issue is, if you are not very good at crimping (e.g. incorrect tools/wire/crimp combination), then the "gas tight crimp" will leak, letting air/moisture in, and allowing corrosion to form(especially after several years in some environments) raising resistance in the electrcial circuits.
For most things this doesn't matter to much of you just spray your electrical contact every couple of years with something like DeOxit.
HOWEVER ON CHARGING SYSTEMS CONNECTIONS this is a whole other thing. Voltage drops can cause low charging voltages at the battery. Here even small 0.01 ohms resistance can cause a 0.1V drop when carrying 10 amps.
Many times these bikes have been sitting for years if not for decades. It worth stripping off the harness of the bike if doing a major refurb, or just the key connectors.
For charging all connections between the battery and the R/R are paramount (this includes the fusebox) and these connections must be maintained very clear or else you will get reduced charging.
A headlamp connector can reduce the voltage to your headlamp but it will not affect charging. No reason not to make sure those major current load connections are also clean.
You should clean all the contacts prior to applying grease. DeOxit is an excellent prep and then to apply the dielectric grease.
If the contacts are green then you need something like the naval jelly for a few minutes then flush with water. Don't let it sit too long it will be messy to clean up (1/2 hour is getting too long and there is a danger of it drying up).
Most of the problem corrosion is actually inside of the crimps and not the exposed contact blades. This is why the DeOxit that is a very thin liquid can penetrate into the crimps. Slathering grease on a wire crimp will do nothing to get at the corrosion inside.
If you have dirty crimp contacts for charging then you clean and use liquid flux to flow small amounts of solder into the crimp to block any further corrosion build up. If they are really old this may still be difficult and you might have to just cut them off and relay. This is really not necessary for anything else unless it is the headlamp.
You can take a lot of strain off the wiring by going to LED headlamp and signal lamps.
If it is old, I always go naval jelly, DeOxit then so grease.
For charging all connections between the battery and the R/R are paramount (this includes the fusebox) and these connections must be maintained very clear or else you will get reduced charging.
A headlamp connector can reduce the voltage to your headlamp but it will not affect charging. No reason not to make sure those major current load connections are also clean.
You should clean all the contacts prior to applying grease. DeOxit is an excellent prep and then to apply the dielectric grease.
If the contacts are green then you need something like the naval jelly for a few minutes then flush with water. Don't let it sit too long it will be messy to clean up (1/2 hour is getting too long and there is a danger of it drying up).
Most of the problem corrosion is actually inside of the crimps and not the exposed contact blades. This is why the DeOxit that is a very thin liquid can penetrate into the crimps. Slathering grease on a wire crimp will do nothing to get at the corrosion inside.
If you have dirty crimp contacts for charging then you clean and use liquid flux to flow small amounts of solder into the crimp to block any further corrosion build up. If they are really old this may still be difficult and you might have to just cut them off and relay. This is really not necessary for anything else unless it is the headlamp.
You can take a lot of strain off the wiring by going to LED headlamp and signal lamps.
If it is old, I always go naval jelly, DeOxit then so grease.
I wanted to just list the products I use to clean electrical connections. There are probably substitutes for each. The point to remember is that you need to chemically clean your connections. I wire brush or sandpaper will NOT do it.
The main connections to worry about for charging are all connections between the R/R and the battery.
Go here to read up on the specifics for Charging System Health.
GS Charging Health
All of these items are readily available on amazon or equivalent things at your local stores.
1.) Aggressive Chemical Clean UP
For usual connector corrosion, green gunk I use this applied for about 10-15 minutes and then wash with water. Usually all brass/copper is clean and stripped bare after application.
Loctite 553472 16 Fluid Ounce Naval Jelly Rust Dissolver
Product Description
Removes rust from metal surfaces and removes bluing from surfaces such as guns, reels, etc. Remove loose scale with coarse sandpaper or wire brush. Apply Naval Jelly liberally to rusty surface that is free of dirt, oil and grease. Wipe off immediately from painted surfaces. Allow to work for 15 to 30 minutes and rinse off. Repeat application on heavily corroded surfaces. Limit application time to 5 minutes when used on chrome or other plated surfaces.
Removes rust from metal surfaces and removes bluing from surfaces such as guns, reels, etc. Remove loose scale with coarse sandpaper or wire brush. Apply Naval Jelly liberally to rusty surface that is free of dirt, oil and grease. Wipe off immediately from painted surfaces. Allow to work for 15 to 30 minutes and rinse off. Repeat application on heavily corroded surfaces. Limit application time to 5 minutes when used on chrome or other plated surfaces.
2.) Flux to solder into dirty contacts.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...rch_detailpage
MG Chemicals 835 Liquid Rosin Flux, Non Corrosive and Non Conductive residue, 125 ml Bottle
When you need to flow solder into a crimp or contact and the solder just balled up, it is because the surface is probably corroded. You will be amazed at how well the solder will flow with just a couple of drops on this in a barrel crimp.
3.) Flux Cleaner to get rid of residual Flux
I do a lot of circuit boards and use this stuff to clean residual flux. The flux above claims it doesn't need to be cleaned but I feel better getting rid of the stuff. A little spray and a old tooth brush will cut through teh flux. Use a little alcohol to flush off the residuals.
MG Chemicals 4140 Flux Remover for PC Boards, 400g (14 Oz) Aerosol Can
Product Features
- Use when a general-purpose flux remover is required
- Suitable for use with rosin, non-rosin, and no clean fluxes
- Safe on plastic components
- A special blend of ethyl alcohol, isopropanol and ethyl acetate
- Moderate evaporation; highly flammable
4.) Contact Cleaner to clean and protect all connections
After you have everything cleaned solder and down to bare metal it is best to protect it with a conductive coating from a contact cleaner.
Hosa Cable D5S6 Deoxit Contact Cleaner Spray
DeoxIT® is a fast-acting deoxidizing solution designed for use as a general treatment for connectors, contacts, and other metal surfaces. More than a contact cleaner, DeoxIT chemically improves electrical connections.
- Cleans, protects, lubricates, and improves conductivity
- Reduces intermittent connections, arcing, and RFI as well as wear and abrasion
- Safe for use on all metal connectors and contacts and will not harm plastics
5.) Dielectric grease
is a good protectant in most areas as well, it is just sloppier to work with than a spray. The spray probably gets deeper into teh contacts that grease alone. Doing both is belts and braces and comes in various sizes
Permatex 81150 Dielectric Tune-Up Grease, .33 oz Tube
Permatex 22058 Dielectric Tune-Up Grease, 3 oz. Tube
- Protects electrical connections and wiring from salt, dirt and corrosion
- Prevents voltage leaks around any electrical connection
- Extends the life of bulb sockets
- Required for modern high energy ignition systems
- Suggested Applications: Marine and automotive electrical connections, spark plug boots, trailer hitches, battery terminals
356919]
[/QUOTE]That is a great picture; I'll supplement it with this link that is pretty descriptive of how a crimp can go wrong and what is good. There is also a section that I extracted below about soldering wire/contact crimps. The issue is, if you are not very good at crimping (e.g. incorrect tools/wire/crimp combination), then the "gas tight crimp" will leak, letting air/moisture in, and allowing corrosion to form(especially after several years in some environments) raising resistance in the electrcial circuits.
For most things this doesn't matter to much of you just spray your electrical contact every couple of years with something like DeOxit.
HOWEVER ON CHARGING SYSTEMS CONNECTIONS this is a whole other thing. Voltage drops can cause low charging voltages at the battery. Here even small 0.01 ohms resistance can cause a 0.1V drop when carrying 10 amps.
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