rebuilding/cleaning switches

[Miranthis]

I have disassembled several switches on my 66 Barracuda and need some advice. So far, i have had a 67 and 66 defogger switch, WW, HL, and a 66 flasher switch that each had hardened 'lube" on the contacts that is old, thick and dirty; several had no continuity until cleaned out and now work fine. What grease, if any, are you guys using with the rebuilds on the copper parts? Silicone, dielectric, none? I have been using a little silicone on the sliding parts, but what about the copper parts?

 

[Dana67Dart]

This is what I have been using, specifically for switches

DS-ES, 1¾ oz. tube | Lubriplate Lubricants Co..

 

[Murray]

Yes, dielectric.

 

[67Dart273]

My ex-super, from the wheel chair joint, has been in electronics his whole life. Worked on everything you can imagine, consumer electronics, and some commercial 2 way radio., He recommends de-oxit. USE SPARINGLY, and what he does is to collect some in a small bottle so he can grab a bit with cotton swabs, etc, without spraying waste all over. I would "rinse" with tuner / switch/ contact cleaner, made by several outfits including CRC.

Grease I'd use dielectric grease made / intended for automotive use.

CAIG DeoxIT D5 - Contact Treatment | Hosa Cables

CAIG DeoxIT D5 contact cleaner cleans, protects, lubricates, and improves conductivity for connectors and other metal surfaces.

hosatech.com

CRC® QD® Contact Cleaner, 11 Wt Oz

CRC QD Contact Cleaner is suitable for cleaning sensitive electronics. As a contact cleaner it evaporates quickly, leaves no residue and is safe to use on all plastics. Use where lower flashpoint cleaners are acceptable. NSF K2 Registered.

www.crcindustries.com

 

[Miranthis]

My ex-super, from the wheel chair joint, has been in electronics his whole life. Worked on everything you can imagine, consumer electronics, and some commercial 2 way radio., He recommends de-oxit. USE SPARINGLY, and what he does is to collect some in a small bottle so he can grab a bit with cotton swabs, etc, without spraying waste all over. I would "rinse" with tuner / switch/ contact cleaner, made by several outfits including CRC.

Grease I'd use dielectric grease made / intended for automotive use.

I have been cleaning thr boards and contacts with electric component spray (like thr WD40 electric contact cleaner) and if its "vegitated" those old boards will take a light wire wheel cleaning. I polish with Brasso as well if its pitted or really discolored.

I swear, i have yet to have a bad switch, once cleaned they have all worked well. The variable WW switch was a bear as you need to desolder a piece to get it apart safely, but all the rest have been relativly easy to restore.

 

[Dana67Dart]

I made some plastic dots that go on the contact in the WW switch for the power washer contact. Pm me if you need any.

 

[Mattax]

I have been cleaning thr boards and contacts with electric component spray (like thr WD40 electric contact cleaner) and if its "vegitated" those old boards will take a light wire wheel cleaning. I polish with Brasso as well if its pitted or really discolored.

I swear, i have yet to have a bad switch, once cleaned they have all worked well. The variable WW switch was a bear as you need to desolder a piece to get it apart safely, but all the rest have been relativly easy to restore.

Have you tried the stiff fiber brushes that look like a mechanical pencil?

 

[Dana67Dart]

mechanical pencil

That's what I used on my cluster cir boards to clean and polish the contact pads. It worked great. An electronics teacher recommended a pencil erasure for cleaning contact pad over abrasives