Amphenol connector question

[d.boat]

I've noticed the connections inside my VRO/OMS Amphenol electrical connector look a little corroded.

The connector has a "socket" part and a "pin" part. It's pretty difficult to get at them to clean them. Can I just pull those wires out of the rubber Amphenol connector to clean them, and then push them back in? (fwiw, I would plan to put some dielectric grease in there when I reconnect).

Thanks.

 

[rockyrude]

Re: Amphenol connector question

CRC makes an aerosol electrical parts cleaner that I spray on and scrub with a q-tip to get the corosion off and doesn't eat plastic or rubber. Then the dielectric grease.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Amphenol connector question

My buddy who sells for Amphenol recommends you buy a new one. He really does, but... well, he IS a sales guy.

You should be able to use just about any kind of contact cleaner that doesn't eat at plastic or rubber to clean it up. You could also use a straw or something similar with some emery paper inside to 'scrub' the pins. Then for the female side, you could just roll up emery paper so that it fits snug inside and do those as well.

 

[d.boat]

Re: Amphenol connector question

Thanks for the good suggestions. I was thinking the same thing, but thought that if those pins and sockets could just be pulled out and reinserted, it would make the job a little easier. I do have contact cleaner. I hadn't thought of the rolled up emery paper deal. I probably would have messed around with inferior techniques and just gotten as clean as I could.

I'll clean them up as best I can (the alarms are functioning fine the way they are now). I won't replace because I can't find the parts locally... the local BRP parts guy was really having a hard time finding just the connector, he was only finding harnesses in the computer pages he was looking at. I'm not impressed at all with my local dealer parts guys for anything that isn't a big, obvoius part. Example: last year I wanted to get a new filter for the oil tank (new to me used engine), and they guy really didn't know what I was talking about "nobody changes those things" he said.