Rainy day here in Arizona, so I decided it would be a good day to get back into cleaning out my electrical connections and keep them from corroding. I had already hit a couple of connectors up front, but wasn't happy with the job I had done. That's totally normal for me, I do a job and dwell on it if I don't think I did it well enough. It's like a monkey on my back. The only way to get rid of it it to do the job over to make sure it is right.
While talking to the former owner a while ago I had asked what he used for the connectors and he told me about Corrosion X. It was how he kept the rear axle adjusters from freezing up as well as the connectors corrosion free. Cruising the Halls of Wisdom, I noticed he wasn't the only one who used it. This stuff was made for offshore oil rig maintenance. Well, I doubt I will ever need more protection than that, so I got a can.
That meant I decided to redo the two connectors I had finished. No problem, I had several others in the same area that needed done, so I went at it with my contact cleaner, brushes and new bottle of Corrosion X.
I decided to start be removing the battery box, to which all the connectors had been attached. There were just four 8mm bolts and a couple of clips holding it on. Once removed, the box sort of hung there by some of the wires, but it made it really easy to get to every connection that needed cleaning down there.
I had cleaned this one before, but I hit it a second time and am glad I did.
There was a ton of dirt in every connector I removed.
Trapped water from one of my many cleanings. That's another reason I hit these today.
Some connectors, like this one, had so much dirt lodged in them, that they took a long time to free up.
Nice to see the rubber seals keep most the dirt out of there.
Once everything was disconnected, I went at it with contact cleaner, a brush and some shop towels. I quickly ran out of cleaner though and made another run for supplies.
Then it was back at those dirty connectors. They cleaned up nicely and I hit each of them with Corrosion X after they dried and reconnected them.
The Corrosion X is foamy and green.
That looks tons better than the first time I did it.
After getting the box reinstalled, this was the last connector I hit.
After doing the lower connections, I used my contact cleaner to clean out all the connectors that had been unplugged during disassembly. I will hit the other ends which are stored away in boxes and bags as I reassemble everything at the end.
No more dirt or spiders webbing on my thermostat connector
The throttle body connector is clean again.
I also found several more pieces of rock as I was doing this...
A bunch of dirt coated the garage floor when I was done
I also went ahead and used boiling water and dawn detergent to clean out my oil tank earlier today. I gave it a good flushing when I was done to make sure all the detergent was gone. It is squeaky clean inside now. I will slosh some acetone around inside in a day or so, once it dries out around here and warms up, just to make certain there is no residue left in the tank.
I have the connectors up by the steering stem left to do as well as all the connectors that were removed previously. I will hit that stuff as I go along. Next on my list is the right side engine case. No more major cleaning. This bike needs to start again!
My lovely wife has been dressing up as a pirate at night threatening to "board the scurvy neighbors sailing houses and steal their booze and toilet paper." She calls herself "The Red Menace." I'm going to let her. I will make sure to film it all. She hasn't completely snapped, during the day, she remains as mild mannered as anyone. I think it's good for her to let it all hang out from time to time.
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