Do not do this!!!!

greg fulk · 03-20-2010, 09:25 PM

I had a brain fart today & just wanted to let everyone know....I hooked up to the trailer today to go get my Buddys car to put the engine in....trailer had set all winter so I went in to get some WD40 to spray the plug for the lights...".hey this can of brake cleaner will work" sprayed both & everything did work....HOWEVER when I went to unhook it had melted the plug together!!!! DON'T spray your hook-up with brake cleaner! ( of course you all new that didn't ya?)

Chris "drooze" Wertman · 03-20-2010, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greg fulk

I had a brain fart today & just wanted to let everyone know....I hooked up to the trailer today to go get my Buddys car to put the engine in....trailer had set all winter so I went in to get some WD40 to spray the plug for the lights...".hey this can of brake cleaner will work" sprayed both & everything did work....HOWEVER when I went to unhook it had melted the plug together!!!! DON'T spray your hook-up with brake cleaner! ( of course you all new that didn't ya?)

Rofl....good advice....even better you had the courage to warn others lol....ooooopppppssssss....closest I ever came was using ether as points cleaner on a running bike engine.....ends quickly with the smell of burnt hair....

Lew Silverman · 03-20-2010, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greg fulk

I had a brain fart today & just wanted to let everyone know....I hooked up to the trailer today to go get my Buddys car to put the engine in....trailer had set all winter so I went in to get some WD40 to spray the plug for the lights...".hey this can of brake cleaner will work" sprayed both & everything did work....HOWEVER when I went to unhook it had melted the plug together!!!! DON'T spray your hook-up with brake cleaner! ( of course you all new that didn't ya?)

And yet another reason to use non-flammable brake cleaner!

Robert Swartz · 03-21-2010, 07:36 AM

Good advise, Greg. I imagine, many of us here in the midwest are starting to stir. I got my little 10 foot utility trailer out yesterday. Had just put a new floor in it back in late November. NONE of the lights work on it! It's about 15-16 years old, it's due for an update, new wiring and LED lites.

Be thankful all you hurt was the trailer plug!

Rob Petrie E395 · 03-21-2010, 11:26 AM

I have a S1700 International in the shop, we are rewiring it and repairing some minor fire damage. It belongs to a local farmer and the last few springs after sitting in a damp barn all winter it has been acting up with one circuit or another having corroded connections in the fuse and junction boxes. Rather than bringing it over and letting us fix it right he had been spraying WD 40 all over everthing to make things work. Well his luck ran out 2 weeks ago as something got hot and it started a fire in the cab.

Moral of the story: Do not spray WD40 in the fuse box and its cheaper to fix it right even though some of my customers do not always see it that way.

Greg Reimer 7376 · 03-21-2010, 05:29 PM

WD-40 is 70% clear stoddard solvent.In an atomized state,it's quite flammable. The brake cleaner in the trailer light plug washed the contaminants loose,they became a high resistance semiconductor, heat was the by product ,and the melted plug was the result.Lots of aerosol products have dangerous propellants,such as hair spray or Right Guard deoderant. That used to be around 70% propane. Good potato cannon fuel. The mess under the dash was because of dust that got washed down on electrical terminals and became a semi flammable goop all over the place.Not good.

Rich Biebel · 03-21-2010, 05:36 PM

Brake cleaners can and do melt some plastics........

B Aceves · 03-22-2010, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Reimer 7376

WD-40 is 70% clear stoddard solvent.In an atomized state,it's quite flammable. The brake cleaner in the trailer light plug washed the contaminants loose,they became a high resistance semiconductor, heat was the by product ,and the melted plug was the result.Lots of aerosol products have dangerous propellants,such as hair spray or Right Guard deoderant. That used to be around 70% propane. Good potato cannon fuel. The mess under the dash was because of dust that got washed down on electrical terminals and became a semi flammable goop all over the place.Not good.

Greg, Do you know why they outlawed electrical contact cleaner spray ? was it just a chemical
reason or something else?

Bob Aceves #746 E/SA

03-20-2010, 09:25 PM	#1
greg fulk VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: jackson Posts: 1,165 Likes: 0 Liked 5 Times in 3 Posts	Do not do this!!!! I had a brain fart today & just wanted to let everyone know....I hooked up to the trailer today to go get my Buddys car to put the engine in....trailer had set all winter so I went in to get some WD40 to spray the plug for the lights...".hey this can of brake cleaner will work" sprayed both & everything did work....HOWEVER when I went to unhook it had melted the plug together!!!! DON'T spray your hook-up with brake cleaner! ( of course you all new that didn't ya?) __________________ Greg Fulk 308 308X P/SA "ALL AMERICAN"

03-21-2010, 07:36 AM	#4
Robert Swartz Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Nineveh, Indiana Posts: 512 Likes: 0 Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Do not do this!!!! Good advise, Greg. I imagine, many of us here in the midwest are starting to stir. I got my little 10 foot utility trailer out yesterday. Had just put a new floor in it back in late November. NONE of the lights work on it! It's about 15-16 years old, it's due for an update, new wiring and LED lites. Be thankful all you hurt was the trailer plug! __________________ Robert Swartz - Swartz & Lane 66 Chevy II Pro 95 Achieva EF/SA, 78 Mustang II U/SA (work in progress) #354 stock

03-21-2010, 11:26 AM	#5
Rob Petrie E395 VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Woodlawn IL Posts: 1,092 Likes: 162 Liked 216 Times in 77 Posts	Re: Do not do this!!!! I have a S1700 International in the shop, we are rewiring it and repairing some minor fire damage. It belongs to a local farmer and the last few springs after sitting in a damp barn all winter it has been acting up with one circuit or another having corroded connections in the fuse and junction boxes. Rather than bringing it over and letting us fix it right he had been spraying WD 40 all over everthing to make things work. Well his luck ran out 2 weeks ago as something got hot and it started a fire in the cab. Moral of the story: Do not spray WD40 in the fuse box and its cheaper to fix it right even though some of my customers do not always see it that way.

03-21-2010, 05:29 PM	#6
Greg Reimer 7376 VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Glendora,Calif. Posts: 1,132 Likes: 172 Liked 698 Times in 216 Posts	Re: Do not do this!!!! WD-40 is 70% clear stoddard solvent.In an atomized state,it's quite flammable. The brake cleaner in the trailer light plug washed the contaminants loose,they became a high resistance semiconductor, heat was the by product ,and the melted plug was the result.Lots of aerosol products have dangerous propellants,such as hair spray or Right Guard deoderant. That used to be around 70% propane. Good potato cannon fuel. The mess under the dash was because of dust that got washed down on electrical terminals and became a semi flammable goop all over the place.Not good.

03-21-2010, 05:36 PM	#7
Rich Biebel VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern New Jersey suburbs Posts: 2,314 Likes: 25 Liked 544 Times in 213 Posts	Re: Do not do this!!!! Brake cleaners can and do melt some plastics........ __________________ Rich Biebel S/C 1479 Stock 147R