Bad Connection

[squonk 46,734]

@953 nut and I both preach " CHECK ALL CONNECTIONS!!!! "  I put a starter in my C160 about 4 years ago. It was used. Always fires right up and isn't overly noisy. I mowed this AM and shut it off. Mowed this afternoon and parked it in the driveway so I could blow the grass off of it like I always try to do. Tractor sat for about 4 hrs and when I went to start it the dreaded

" Solenoid clicks but it doesn't crank." Everything looked pretty good and testing at the starter terminal revealed 12.9 volts with the key in the start position.

 

Here is a picture of the starter and cable. Really doesn't look bad at all:

 

 

I put my hand on the terminal with the key in crank and a spark!!! So I yanked off the terminal and inspected it. 

 

 

Looked fairly clean but I got some sand paper out and polished things a tad and she fires up so I don't  have to push it! 

 

 

Just goes to show you what a little "fuzz" on a connection can do. 

 

[WHX?? 56,753]

Had that happen many times. 

[ebinmaine 79,058]

Yessir.  Good catch! 

[Achto 31,885]

1 hour ago, squonk said:

Just goes to show you what a little "fuzz" on a connection can do

 

I have taken up the habit of brushing a light coat of Super Lube on all connections. Use an acid core brush to apply it. Seems to keep corrosion from wire terminals.

 

A tub like this lasts a long time. 

https://www.grainger.com/product/44N722

 

 

[ineedanother 2,448]

For the sake of clarification, the key that some might not be catching is that a lot of grease is dielectric which does not conduct electricity and is not intended to be "within" the connection. Lithium and other dielectric greases are meant to protect connections, not make them. Clean and make connections and then apply dielectric products to seal them from moisture and keep them from corroding. You want to keep water away from electricity and dissimilar metals. 

[ri702bill 12,191]

Oxidation - akin to rust in so many ways....

[squonk 46,734]

Since/cents/sense this happened at the end of a day of mowing/ moving dirt and dog walking, I did enough to get it running and back into the garage. I plan on pulling things all apart and really clean things up, and maybe put a little Noalox on the connections. 

 

[953 nut 66,399]

8 hours ago, ineedanother said:

For the sake of clarification, the key that some might not be catching is that a lot of grease is dielectric which does not conduct electricity and is not intended to be "within" the connection. Lithium and other dielectric greases are meant to protect connections, not make them. Clean and make connections and then apply dielectric products to seal them from moisture and keep them from corroding. You want to keep water away from electricity and dissimilar metals. 

If a connection is good enough to pass the test of time a bit of dielectric within the connection isn't a bad thing.         It just makes sure no contaminants enter the connection. Fuse holders are an example, a dab of dielectric grease in each side of the fuse holder prior to inserting then fuse will protect the connection much better than an externally applied layer. The same is true for an ignition switch or other Packard 56 connectors, the design of the connector insures a tight fit but has some open space within it where the dielectric material can provide protection.

1 hour ago, squonk said:

put a little Noalox on the connections. 

       Noalox is well suited for connections with dissimilar metals. The small pieces of zink that are in the mixture will act as a sacrificial anode, just like the ones used in water heaters. Think about it, galvanized steel is coated with ZINK. It is primarily used for aluminum wiring but there is no reason it wouldn't work for other dissimilar metal junctions.

[rmaynard 17,197]

2 hours ago, squonk said:

 ...put a little Noalox on the connections. 

 

 

Back in 2018, my neighbor, who had been an electrician by trade, passed away. When we cleaned out his garage I found a bottle of this stuff. I have been using it ever since on many electrical connections, especially those subject to weather. The last time I had a problem with a B-100 regulator/rectifier, I smeared this on the back where it picks up it's ground.

[peter lena 9,895]

@Achto  was introduced to  super lube , many years ago at work , cross training with  instrument  , electrical techs , always looking for a way to  eliminate , REPEDITIVE PROBLEM , that also relates to  wiring  RE ROUTE , eliminate chafe , wear, shorting , regularly , put  wiring  near  open air  , discharge / cooling , cable wrap , stick ons , regularly EXPERIMENT FOR EFFECT ?  so many small   changes , just  stop  problems . ex ,  shoulder bolt  for  movement , swing  point ? how does that  work on a plow frame swing lever   , squeeze point ?  majic , pete

[JoeM 9,998]

by the title I thought this was going to be a cell phone thing!

 

 

[953 nut 66,399]

41 minutes ago, JoeM said:

phone thing!

 

[oldlineman 1,730]

I have a pint can of NO - OX - ID , that we used on many high voltage connections, 69 Kv through 500 Kv. It has the consistency and look of grease. Works very well on battery terminals also. Most high voltage terminations are aluminum. This can will outlive me and probably my children.Just takes a very thin coat. 

[Bill D 2,873]

3 hours ago, squonk said:

Since/cents/sense this happened at the end of a day of mowing/ moving dirt and dog walking, I did enough to get it running and back into the garage. I plan on pulling things all apart and really clean things up, and maybe put a little Noalox on the connections. 

 

I use that on all my electrical connections.   I only used dielectric grease on spark plug boots.

Edited yesterday at 01:56 PM by Bill D

[JoeM 9,998]

@953 nut there are a few ringy dingys here 

[squonk 46,734]

Took all of the connections apart that had anything to do with the starter circuit. Buffed the solenoid terminals, new nut on the starter, cleaned all the lugs and added Noalox to all of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sparky-(Admin) 25,455]

@Retired Wrencher

  Good info that applies to your new B-100 here Gary! 

[squonk 46,734]

19 minutes ago, Sparky said:

@Retired Wrencher

  Good info that applies to your new B-100 here Gary! 

I told him to read this and watch that video I posted in the importance of a good ground thread.

[Retired Wrencher 6,693]

On 6/5/2026 at 8:11 PM, squonk said:

@953 nut and I both preach " CHECK ALL CONNECTIONS!!!! "  I put a starter in my C160 about 4 years ago. It was used. Always fires right up and isn't overly noisy. I mowed this AM and shut it off. Mowed this afternoon and parked it in the driveway so I could blow the grass off of it like I always try to do. Tractor sat for about 4 hrs and when I went to start it the dreaded

" Solenoid clicks but it doesn't crank." Everything looked pretty good and testing at the starter terminal revealed 12.9 volts with the key in the start position.

 

Here is a picture of the starter and cable. Really doesn't look bad at all:

 

 

I put my hand on the terminal with the key in crank and a spark!!! So I yanked off the terminal and inspected it. 

 

 

Looked fairly clean but I got some sand paper out and polished things a tad and she fires up so I don't  have to push it! 

 

 

Just goes to show you what a little "fuzz" on a connection can do. 

 

Mike I have sanding disk with a drill attachment. It getem looking like gold. I will try again today.  Thanks for all the help and info. 

[sqrlgtr 2,988]

@953 nut @squonk can Noalox be used directly/In between electrical connections? I was always under the impression that it could be but was scolded once for using that way but believe the other guy was thinking about dielectric grease and I was using Noalox.

[squonk 46,734]

55 minutes ago, sqrlgtr said:

@953 nut @squonk can Noalox be used directly/In between electrical connections? I was always under the impression that it could be but was scolded once for using that way but believe the other guy was thinking about dielectric grease and I was using Noalox.

Yes it can and I did! 

[oldlineman 1,730]

1 hour ago, squonk said:

Yes it can and I did! 

Yes, but you don't want to use too much, it just takes a light coating to protect the connection.