Grounds cleaning

[Gawernator]

So what are all of your guy's opinions on how to best clean electrical grounds. I know the old electrician's trick to use an eraser, and that worked great for my window switches but doesn't seem practical for the bigger grounds on the rest of the car. Fine sandpaper? Also, is it true there is a ground for the instrument cluster up under the dash? I'm going to pull the instrument cluster soon, and try and clean all the electrical contacts and the grounds behind there.

[Volhv]

I use scotchbrite pads, they work really well.

I don't recall seeing any grounds behind the cluster. Any picture of where they would be? I had my cluster out to change the odometer gear.

[Gawernator]

Ugh there's a public Facebook album that shows the main grounds but I can't find pictures of a lot of them. An actual photo helps a lot more than the diagram

[Techno Duck]

Late interior groud point locations

Depends how bad they are but i usually just use a wire brush.

[Gawernator]

Thanks Duck

[Chunkerz]

I used brake cleaner, a wire brush, and steel wool on the hard to reach ones to clean mine. I've never heard of the eraser thing.

[Gawernator]

Originally Posted by Chunkerz

I used brake cleaner, a wire brush, and steel wool on the hard to reach ones to clean mine. I've never heard of the eraser thing.

Pops was a Nuclear Engineer/Electrician's Mate, he told me years ago and it really does work quite well. I think there are better solutions for tough corrosion though.

[Gawernator]

Late interior groud point locations



Depends how bad they are but i usually just use a wire brush.

Some of the places where you have grounds shown. There's nothing there on my car.

[ernie9944]

Originally Posted by Gawernator

Some of the places where you have grounds shown. There's nothing there on my car.

Have you seen those yet?85/86 models only

[Gawernator]

Haven't seen the top one, thanks! Maybe I'll actually be able to find them lol

[Panzer909]

I used fine sandpaper and a small wire brush about the size of a toothbrush. Took to all the grounds except for the dash and it literally solved a non-start issue. Also, the interior light & buzzer started operating again when opening the door after this. The weird thing is they didn't look all that bad. One of the most rewarding hours you can spend on your car. Everyone should do this every year or so on these things.

[iplagolf]

Does anyone use a corrosion stopping liquid after you clean them? Years ago I ran into a mechanic for Chalk's Airline in south Florida. In our conversation I asked what they used to fend off sea salt corrosion on the sea-planes and parts. I've got it (the liquid) in storage but I believe it was called Corrosion Guard. Comes in a small silver can with green lettering on it, I believe. It's not aerosol but a pump spray. I used it on my car, the Jeep various outboard engines and never had any more corrosion problems. I also use it on the anodes on my battery(s).

[alfadoc]

I am a big fan of Caig DeoxIT. Loosen up the ground, spray some DeoxIT on there, wiggle the wire around and tighten it up. Done. It also has properties that keeps corrosion from reoccurring. Years of Italian car ownership have made it an essential. Spray it inside of inoperative switches, work the switch a few time, fixed. Works a treat inside of wiring connectors on an old Fiat! Mine is 42 years old, all the lights are nice and bright and everything works!

[Panzer909]

Vaseline.

[Dave Colangelo]

I used a wire wheel to clean up the bolts, and sand paper on the tabs and chassis until I can see clear copper.

Regards
Dave

[djnolan]

Originally Posted by Volhv

I use scotchbrite pads, they work really well.

I don't recall seeing any grounds behind the cluster. Any picture of where they would be? I had my cluster out to change the odometer gear.

There are some grounds on the upper driver sides kick panel near where the cruise control box is. You don't need to remove the dash to get to these.

Also I can't say I have had any rusty ground problems on these cars due the high quality of the metal. I have had to tighten a few up, though. Loosen, spray with penetrating oil, and then get them good and snug but don't snap anything off.

I have seen corrosion problems on the small positive battery cables and on the main starter connection serious enough to need a little filing.

[Tom944]

I use "electrical contact cleaner" and a cloth if they are not too bad, works great on relays etc if you spray it on and pull them in and out a few times. Sometimes I lightly sand them but try not to if they are not brass. You can cover them in nox grease to stop corrosion.

Sometimes just pulling connectors on and off works fine. I recommend twisting all the HT leads, can lower the resistance and improve the spark.

I work on military communications systems (including custom vehicles) so can access some cleaners and good advice!

[Gawernator]

Pretty much everything works in my car. But the gauges can be kinda bouncy and I've heard cleaning the grounds back there and the connections fixes a lot of the weird bugs. I have to pull the cluster anyways I have a replacement volt gauge. Now that I have working oil pressure I'd like to know the voltage lol

[Volhv]

On aircraft we use a sealant (called PRC) to encase the connections of grounds and bonding jumpers. It's a 2 part compound, and when it cures it becomes hard and rubbery. This stuff is actually used everywhere. It seals panels and windows for pressurization, fills gaps for aerodynamic smoothness, etc...

Long story short, encasing the grounds in silicone should work.

[gacook]

Get yourself a golf club cleaner brush. It's wire on one end and just very stiff bristles on the other. I use the wire to get any heavily corroded/built-up areas knocked down, and the stiff bristles for getting it smoothed/cleaned.