I spray it on electrical contacts and other electrical components to
displace water and prevent corrosion. It works great for that! I
learned the trick way back when I worked as a technician in an
underground missile silo.

TES

I've always understood you are to use ED-80 on electricals, rather
than WD-40.

Sonny

I would be concerned that the chemicals so deposited could CREATE problems
with electrical circuitry, especially when there is any contact arcing. Is
the resistance of the dry material infinite? What might the voltage limits
be?
Maybe okay for 12 volts automotive systems, but not for 480 volt power
distribution?
I remember using Freon TF and Freon TMC for cleaning high voltage (20KV
circuit components before potting them. Choosing the right cleaner was a
real big deal.

Pete Stanaitis
----------------

"Theodore Edward Stosterone" wrote in message
...
I spray it on electrical contacts and other electrical components to
displace water and prevent corrosion. It works great for that! I
learned the trick way back when I worked as a technician in an
underground missile silo.

TES

WD-40 my be OK for a manually operate contact but not for an electrically
operated contact. We had a guy try it on a bank of relays and the whole
thing seized to halt! The stuff evaporates and leaves a sticky mess,not to
mention where any arcing has occurred the result is pile of sticky carbon
and a flash that burns the contacts beyond usable.

DO NOT USE WD-40 ON CONTACTS! keeps it use to hinges and things where you
don`t mind having to reapply every 2-3months for the rest of your life.

A few mechanics have witnessed signs inside the hoods of`vehicles ``USE OF
WD-40 ON THIS ENGINE WILL RESULT AND NOT PAYING THE BILL OR LITIGATION FOR
DAMAGES``

----------------------

"Pete S" wrote in message
...
I would be concerned that the chemicals so deposited could CREATE problems
with electrical circuitry, especially when there is any contact arcing. Is
the resistance of the dry material infinite? What might the voltage limits
be?
Maybe okay for 12 volts automotive systems, but not for 480 volt power
distribution?
I remember using Freon TF and Freon TMC for cleaning high voltage (20KV
circuit components before potting them. Choosing the right cleaner was a
real big deal.

Pete Stanaitis
----------------

"Theodore Edward Stosterone" wrote in message
...
I spray it on electrical contacts and other electrical components to
displace water and prevent corrosion. It works great for that! I
learned the trick way back when I worked as a technician in an
underground missile silo.

TES

On 7/20/2011 8:35 AM, Pete S wrote:
I would be concerned that the chemicals so deposited could CREATE
problems with electrical circuitry, especially when there is any contact
arcing. Is the resistance of the dry material infinite? What might the
voltage limits be?
Maybe okay for 12 volts automotive systems, but not for 480 volt power
distribution?

Actually WD-40 worked great in old automotive distributor caps to
displace condensation, 20,000-40,000 volts and plenty of arcing.

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 06:18:28 -0700 (PDT), Sonny
wrote:

I've always understood you are to use ED-80 on electricals, rather
than WD-40.

Izzat "electron displacer" v. "water displacer", son?

--
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to
succeed is more important than any one thing.
-- Abraham Lincoln

On 7/20/2011 8:48 AM, m II wrote:
WD-40 my be OK for a manually operate contact but not for an
electrically operated contact. We had a guy try it on a bank of relays
and the whole thing seized to halt! The stuff evaporates and leaves a
sticky mess,not to mention where any arcing has occurred the result is
pile of sticky carbon and a flash that burns the contacts beyond usable.

DO NOT USE WD-40 ON CONTACTS! keeps it use to hinges and things where
you don`t mind having to reapply every 2-3months for the rest of your life.

A few mechanics have witnessed signs inside the hoods of`vehicles ``USE
OF WD-40 ON THIS ENGINE WILL RESULT AND NOT PAYING THE BILL OR
LITIGATION FOR DAMAGES``

I suspect dam few to none. Having retired from the automotive industry
and having been the service manager for an automobile dealership I can
honestly say that I have never ever witnessed or heard of a sign,
sticker, label or what ever indicating not to use WD-40 "under" the
hood. We used cases of WD-40 in the shop, and under the hood.

WD-40, Water Displacement- formula # 40 is a **** poor permanent
lubricant. It works great for helping to loosen rusted nuts, bolts, and
frozen assemblies but the lubricating qualities are very short lived.
AND of course to displace moisture. Lithium grease is a much better
choice for a long term lubrication of hinges.

In article , "m II" wrote:
WD-40 my be OK for a manually operate contact but not for an electrically
operated contact. We had a guy try it on a bank of relays and the whole
thing seized to halt!

Sure you did. Urban legend. Something you heard from a friend of a friend.

The stuff evaporates and leaves a sticky mess,

Garbage. It does nothing of the kind.

not to
mention where any arcing has occurred the result is pile of sticky carbon
and a flash that burns the contacts beyond usable.

That, of course, is the entirely *normal* result of an electrical arc
*without* WD-40.

A few mechanics have witnessed signs inside the hoods of`vehicles ``USE OF
WD-40 ON THIS ENGINE WILL RESULT AND NOT PAYING THE BILL OR LITIGATION FOR
DAMAGES``

If by "a few" you mean "zero" then this is probably true.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wd40

Sheesh guys.

WD40 was invented to displace water and prevent corrosion of
electrical contacts. It has no to none lubricitive properties.

-TES

"Leon" lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote in message
...
On 7/20/2011 8:35 AM, Pete S wrote:
I would be concerned that the chemicals so deposited could CREATE
problems with electrical circuitry, especially when there is any contact
arcing. Is the resistance of the dry material infinite? What might the
voltage limits be?
Maybe okay for 12 volts automotive systems, but not for 480 volt power
distribution?

Actually WD-40 worked great in old automotive distributor caps to displace
condensation, 20,000-40,000 volts and plenty of arcing.





Been there, done that. Thats the only good use I have found for WD 40. ww

On 7/20/11 9:27 AM, Zz Yzx wrote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wd40

Sheesh guys.

WD40 was invented to displace water and prevent corrosion of
electrical contacts. It has no to none lubricitive properties.

-TES

Did you even read your own link? :-)

"The long-term active ingredient is a non-volatile, viscous oil which
remains on the surface, providing lubrication and protection from moisture."


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Zz Yzx wrote the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wd40

Sheesh guys.

WD40 was invented to displace water and prevent corrosion of
electrical contacts. It has no to none lubricitive properties.

-TES

Let's see what the WD-40 site says about that, shall we?
http://www.wd40.com/uses-tips/function/other-uses/

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

Contacts do **NOT** corrode. Contacts may tarnish being made from copper,
brass, silver and gold.

Spraying it on electrical equipment to displace does not mean into the
conductors. When you have water in your electrical conductors you have a
bigger problem.

---------------
"Zz Yzx" wrote in message
...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wd40

Sheesh guys.

WD40 was invented to displace water and prevent corrosion of
electrical contacts. It has no to none lubricitive properties.

-TES

On 7/20/2011 3:44 PM, Josepi wrote:
Contacts do **NOT** corrode. Contacts may tarnish being made from
copper, brass, silver and gold.

If not corrode, they will absolutely pit. And I assure you gold
contacts WILL NOT tarnish.






Spraying it on electrical equipment to displace does not mean into the
conductors. When you have water in your electrical conductors you have a
bigger problem.

---------------
"Zz Yzx" wrote in message
...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wd40

Sheesh guys.

WD40 was invented to displace water and prevent corrosion of
electrical contacts. It has no to none lubricitive properties.

-TES

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:59:25 -0700, Theodore Edward Stosterone
wrote:

I spray it on electrical contacts and other electrical components to
displace water and prevent corrosion. It works great for that! I
learned the trick way back when I worked as a technician in an
underground missile silo.

TES
But do NOT use the aerosol spray to displace moisture where arcing may
occur. I learnrd that the "fast" way when I used it to dry out my
distributor cap, and blew it right off when I tried to start the car.
(1963 Valiant slant six)

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:09:41 GMT, (Doug
Miller) wrote:

In article , "m II" wrote:
WD-40 my be OK for a manually operate contact but not for an electrically
operated contact. We had a guy try it on a bank of relays and the whole
thing seized to halt!

Sure you did. Urban legend. Something you heard from a friend of a friend.

The stuff evaporates and leaves a sticky mess,

Garbage. It does nothing of the kind.

not to
mention where any arcing has occurred the result is pile of sticky carbon
and a flash that burns the contacts beyond usable.

That, of course, is the entirely *normal* result of an electrical arc
*without* WD-40.

A few mechanics have witnessed signs inside the hoods of`vehicles ``USE OF
WD-40 ON THIS ENGINE WILL RESULT AND NOT PAYING THE BILL OR LITIGATION FOR
DAMAGES``

If by "a few" you mean "zero" then this is probably true.
WD 40, when used as a lubricant on something originally lubricated
with grease, CAN remove the oil from the grease, leaving behind the
"soap" (sodium stearate in some cases, lithium in others, plus a host
of others)- which will cause mechanisms to stick.

As for electrical contacts - on sliding contacts like many automotive
switches, and at low voltage and current, not likely to cause much
problem - but any arcing in a switch with "oily" contacts WILL cause
carbon build-up - which CAN cause high resistance, heating, and
burning of contacts. High voltage and high current contacts must be
CLEAN or lubricated/protected by an inert grease (dialectric grease)
that will not burn and protects against corrosion.

Spray WD-40 (aerosol) has (or at least had) a flammable propellant,
which, if used on an arcing contact - or in proximity to an arcing
contact, CAN ignite - with rather spectacular result if, say, inside a
distributor cap.

There are NO manufacturers that plackard their under-hood areas with
prohibition against using WD40 under the hood.
It is EXCELLENT for drying out damp ignition wires - even though there
are better products, which help seal the wires against moisture for a
longer time - but NEVER use "ignition sealer" - the plasticy coating
if compromised at all, just traps moisture in the wire, making it
worse - and impossible to dry out with WD-40 or anything else.

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:11:59 -0600, "WW"
wrote:


"Leon" lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote in message
m...
On 7/20/2011 8:35 AM, Pete S wrote:
I would be concerned that the chemicals so deposited could CREATE
problems with electrical circuitry, especially when there is any contact
arcing. Is the resistance of the dry material infinite? What might the
voltage limits be?
Maybe okay for 12 volts automotive systems, but not for 480 volt power
distribution?

Actually WD-40 worked great in old automotive distributor caps to displace
condensation, 20,000-40,000 volts and plenty of arcing.





Been there, done that. Thats the only good use I have found for WD 40. ww


It does not stay on the contacts very long - and even there it CAN
cause carbon build-up on the electrodes - which is blasted off by the
next couple of "lightning strikes" - and is not a problem since the
"electrodes" are not "contacts" - i.e. - they NEVER touch.

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:44:31 -0400, "Josepi"
wrote:

Contacts do **NOT** corrode. Contacts may tarnish being made from copper,
brass, silver and gold.

Spraying it on electrical equipment to displace does not mean into the
conductors. When you have water in your electrical conductors you have a
bigger problem.

---------------
"Zz Yzx" wrote in message
.. .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wd40

Sheesh guys.

WD40 was invented to displace water and prevent corrosion of
electrical contacts. It has no to none lubricitive properties.

-TES
Many contacts DO corrode, depending on the environment.
Brass sure can corrode - so can copper.
However,arcing, and the associated transfer of metal, is a more
serious problem - even with contacts of tungsten or platinum. (look at
a set of ignition points that have been in service for an extended
period of time in a standard "kettering" type system)

Did you even read your own link? :-)

"The long-term active ingredient is a non-volatile, viscous oil which
remains on the surface, providing lubrication and protection from moisture."

OF COURSE they want to sell that attribute. But ask an engineer if
they'd use WD40 as a lubricant.

Next, you'll be telling me that Pepto-Bismal has no bismuth, and that
Kaopectate has no kayolinite or pectin (it used to, but no more;
actually, now Kaopectate IS Pepto-Bismal).

Jes- sayin' .....

-Zz

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:09:46 -0400, wrote:

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:59:25 -0700, Theodore Edward Stosterone
wrote:

I spray it on electrical contacts and other electrical components to
displace water and prevent corrosion. It works great for that! I
learned the trick way back when I worked as a technician in an
underground missile silo.

TES
But do NOT use the aerosol spray to displace moisture where arcing may
occur. I learnrd that the "fast" way when I used it to dry out my
distributor cap, and blew it right off when I tried to start the car.
(1963 Valiant slant six)

Had you allowed the solvent to dry a bit first...

--
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to
succeed is more important than any one thing.
-- Abraham Lincoln

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:52:12 -0400, willshak
wrote:

Zz Yzx wrote the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wd40

Sheesh guys.

WD40 was invented to displace water and prevent corrosion of
electrical contacts. It has no to none lubricitive properties.

-TES

Let's see what the WD-40 site says about that, shall we?
http://www.wd40.com/uses-tips/function/other-uses/


or their other page at
http://www.wd40.com/about-us/history/
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

Leon wrote:
On 7/20/2011 8:48 AM, m II wrote:
WD-40 my be OK for a manually operate contact but not for an
electrically operated contact. We had a guy try it on a bank of
relays and the whole thing seized to halt! The stuff evaporates and
leaves a
sticky mess,not to mention where any arcing has occurred the result
is pile of sticky carbon and a flash that burns the contacts beyond
usable. DO NOT USE WD-40 ON CONTACTS! keeps it use to hinges and things
where
you don`t mind having to reapply every 2-3months for the rest of
your life. A few mechanics have witnessed signs inside the hoods
of`vehicles
``USE OF WD-40 ON THIS ENGINE WILL RESULT AND NOT PAYING THE BILL OR
LITIGATION FOR DAMAGES``

I suspect dam few to none. Having retired from the automotive
industry and having been the service manager for an automobile
dealership I can honestly say that I have never ever witnessed or
heard of a sign, sticker, label or what ever indicating not to use
WD-40 "under" the hood. We used cases of WD-40 in the shop, and
under the hood.
WD-40, Water Displacement- formula # 40 is a **** poor permanent
lubricant. It works great for helping to loosen rusted nuts, bolts,
and frozen assemblies but the lubricating qualities are very short
lived. AND of course to displace moisture. Lithium grease is a much
better choice for a long term lubrication of hinges.

I suspect what he's saying Leon, is that he's put that sticker under his own
hood, and mechanics that have worked on his car have seen it.

--

-Mike-

I guess I used the wrong word. "Corrosion" is a general term for "rotting" I
was thinking of the term "rust". Not from the Griswolds... LOL.

Thanx for being so polite, OCD. It keeps the posts more honest and makes us
educate ourselves in correct terminology.

-------------------

wrote in message ...
Many contacts DO corrode, depending on the environment.
Brass sure can corrode - so can copper.
However,arcing, and the associated transfer of metal, is a more
serious problem - even with contacts of tungsten or platinum. (look at
a set of ignition points that have been in service for an extended
period of time in a standard "kettering" type system)


--------
On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:44:31 -0400, "Josepi"
wrote:
Contacts do **NOT** corrode. Contacts may tarnish being made from copper,
brass, silver and gold.

Spraying it on electrical equipment to displace does not mean into the
conductors. When you have water in your electrical conductors you have a
bigger problem.

Ohhhh. the old slant six!


Had a gutless one of those, with a broken engine mount, once! It squealed
the tires for 30 feet with both feet pushing the brake pedal through the
floor.

I think it was the WD-40 the mechanic used on the engine mounts.


------------
wrote in message ...

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:59:25 -0700, Theodore Edward Stosterone
But do NOT use the aerosol spray to displace moisture where arcing may
occur. I learnrd that the "fast" way when I used it to dry out my
distributor cap, and blew it right off when I tried to start the car.
(1963 Valiant slant six)

On 7/21/2011 11:36 AM, Josepi wrote:
Ohhhh. the old slant six!


Had a gutless one of those, with a broken engine mount, once! It
squealed the tires for 30 feet with both feet pushing the brake pedal
through the floor.

I think it was the WD-40 the mechanic used on the engine mounts.


------------
wrote in message ...

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:59:25 -0700, Theodore Edward Stosterone
But do NOT use the aerosol spray to displace moisture where arcing may
occur. I learnrd that the "fast" way when I used it to dry out my
distributor cap, and blew it right off when I tried to start the car.
(1963 Valiant slant six)

Sounds like you had a thief mechanic trying to produce the need for
work. Don't blame engine mount failure on WD-40, any oil will shorten
the life of a rubber motor mount.

On 7/20/2011 5:59 AM, Theodore Edward Stosterone wrote:
I spray it on electrical contacts and other electrical components to
displace water and prevent corrosion. It works great for that! I
learned the trick way back when I worked as a technician in an
underground missile silo.


that's what it was made for.