Spade terminals

[Bob46320]

Purists look away now. Tracing intermittent faults like windscreen wipers not parking and things like that led to cleaning dirty connexions on the fuse box. It was easier to note all the colours of the wires in/ out of the box, remove it and gently clean the terminals and make sure the fuse holders were clean at the same time. Don't be too energetic with wet and dry as you need to preserve if possible the (tin coating ??) on them. When re-fitting the wires, I had some of the spade connectors not making good contact and of course, those were on the shortest wires without much slack in them. I decided to replace the terminals with modern crimp spade connectors but when I cut the old connector off, I just removed the "spade" leaving the crimped bit on the wire. Cleaned that bit up and then crimped a new spade (yellow 10-12 awg) onto it. Seems to work for me.
Bob

[CooperTune]

I have recently had to sort out some poor connections on a 94 BOC. I found it easier to replace the fuse box with new. With four fuses and eight connections it was hard to see the level of corrosion though out the box. I was having fuel pump top fuse and heater and tach second from top intermittent power loss. There were also three high resistance grounds. Love it when someone tries to adjust the SU carbs to correct a Lucas issue. Steve (CTR)

[Exminiman]

This wire crimp tool and crimps work surprisingly and look close to original. have also used the tool to crimp other crimps….

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1

Something else to watch is some of the wire being sold actually has a ferrous core not a copper one, test all new wire with a magnet and obviously reject if its attracted to the magnet https://youtu.be/15sMogK3vTI?si=PyEg6BC7YIsXixHA

[Stewartp]

Hi,
I am a retired electronics/ computer engineer, from back in the days when computers had mechanical parts relays and switches. We actually fixed the electronics down to chip level, not just change a faulty board.
We never ever used wet and dry on connectors as it wore through the plating on the contacts, this was often gold, obviously Mini's don't have gold, but the contact plating is thin.

We used a computer card with isopropyl alcohol, or at most an eraser, usually an ink eraser, if extremely dirty.
Wet and dry will give short term improvement, but eventually ruins the connector

My exception is points as they are often burnt.

On my fuse box I have looped two inline blade fuses outside, the fuse box cover, across the glass fuses, these leave the fuse box original and purists can unplug them and put two glass fuses in for shows etc.

Hope this is useful.
RGDS Stewart

[MiNiKiN]

I agree with Stewart, "Say No to abbrasives on contacts".

I use contact spray (and just the one, i.e. the one which works: Kontact 60, by Kontact Chemie). On stubborn corrosion I help the spray by brushing the contacts with a brass wire brush.

[Exminiman]

Ditto I use this stuff which cleans and protects (apparently) seems to work well - used to be a Red can, hope its not gone all Woke now..

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/electron ... 16324?gb=s