An an electronics engineer with over 25 years in the field
developing military field gear... believe me... that's what's used.
when metal touches metal (spring loaded inside the switch)
you get electrical contact. Period!
The dielectric grease eliminates arching and sparking as
the switch makes contact and keeps the 'elements' from
deteriorating the contact surfaces.
when you rub it around your spark plug boots... yes it's an insulator.
You are trying to eliminate possible conduction pathes for electricity to
follow. You're attempting to keep water and crud from creating a
possible path for cvurrent to flow.
Remember... electricity does not flow 'through the center' of a wire.
It flows on the surface of the wire. Hence multi-strand wire of a small guage
can carry higher amperage, (due to lower resistance -more surface area to
conduct)
than a single solid wire of comperable guage.
Paul Tegler
OBie - 1973 BGT - Daily Driver
http://www.teglerizer.com/mgstuff/ob_description.htm
Rat - 1980 Spitfire - fledgling recently left the nest
http://www.teglerizer.com/triumphstuff/spit80.htm
Punkin' - 1978 Spitfire - in Superb Shape!
http://www.teglerizer.com/triumphstuff/spit78.htm
Lil Greenee - 1973 Rnd Wheel Arch MG Midget in resto mode
http://www.teglerizer.com/midgetstuff/index.html
email: wizardz@toad.net http://www.teglerizer.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Kotting <ckotting@iwaynet.net>
To: spridgets@autox.team.net <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Date: Thursday, November 18, 1999 1:21 PM
Subject: Re: Heater switch?
Excuse me, but why would you carefully clean a set of contacts, then put
an >>insulator<< on them?
Dielectric grease is NON-conductive.
wizardz wrote:
>
> Don't sand or scrape clean metal electrical contacts.
> Any small scratches just reduces the surface contact area leading to
> more arching and less chance of getting a good low resisitance connection.
> (let alone the future tarnish being buried down in the scratches where you
>can't get to it.
>
> Use a pencil eraser as the abrasive to clean all electrical contacts.
> It's the equivalent of 3000 grit sandpaper and will leave a very bright shine
>on the metal
> and makes it very easy to get down in the switch to clean them.
> Just remember to clean out all the eraser shavings that rub off and
> re-apply a nice coating of dielectric grease to keep them from tarnishing.
> (the old dried out gunk in the switch when you took it apart is the old dried
>out
> dielectric grease used when the switch was first assembled at the fatory)
>
> Paul Tegler
> OBie - 1973 BGT - Daily Driver
>http://www.teglerizer.com/mgstuff/ob_description.htm
> Rat - 1980 Spitfire - fledgling recently left the nest
>http://www.teglerizer.com/triumphstuff/spit80.htm
> Punkin' - 1978 Spitfire - in Superb Shape!
>http://www.teglerizer.com/triumphstuff/spit78.htm
> Lil Greenee - 1973 Rnd Wheel Arch MG Midget in resto mode
>http://www.teglerizer.com/midgetstuff/index.html
> email: wizardz@toad.net http://www.teglerizer.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gerard Chateauvieux <pixelsmith@gerardsgarage.com>
> To: Amy <casoich@sgi.net>; spridgets@autox.team.net <spridgets@autox.team.net>
> Date: Thursday, November 18, 1999 1:40 AM
> Subject: Re: Heater switch?
>
> Amy,
>
> These switches are pretty easy to open, you probably just need to clean the
> contacts. There is a a small ball bearing and spring inside, so just make
> sure you don't lose them when you pop it open. A point file or some fine
> sandpaper will clean them up pretty quickly. Sometimes a little
> vinegar/salt solution applied with a small brush will remove any corrosion
> also.
>
> Gerard
>
> At 3:00 PM -0500 11/17/99, Amy wrote:
> >Hi gang,
> >
> > I was wondering if anyone out there had an extra heater switch? When
> >Les looked my car over, we noticed the heater wouldn't work. He bypassed
> >the switch and tested the blower and it would spin then. Anyway, if
> >anyone has an extra, please email me.
> >
> >thanks,
> >
> >Amy
> >67 Sprite MkIV
>
> Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.
>
> G G Gerard Chateauvieux
> E A
> R R pixelsmith@gerardsgarage.com
> A A
> R G Pixelsmith on Duty
> D E
> S http://www.gerardsgarage.com
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