MEP-803 Deoxit

[southern79]

I have read many threads about cleaning gauges, terminals and other connections with Deoxit. I also watched a few YouTube videos. Many people on here swear by it.

I have not yet found a “ best practice” for using Deoxit with a military generator. Do I just spray the connections and let them sit? Do I need to loosen the fasteners, spray and the retighten? Do I only spray the terminal post on the back of the gauges and let the Deoxit do the work?

Currently my “load percentage gauge” is intermittent. I know I need to “clean” and “excercise” S1 and S8 while the gen is off. Anything besides just spraying with Deoxit and turning the switch many times?

Thanks!

 

[Jeepadict]

My practice is: spray conservatively, pause, exercise, pause, exercise, repeat. It's just like CLP...ya have to give it time to soak into the nasty stuff.

I have never used it for gauges, only for the rotating switches. Didn't loosen anything, just sprayed into the voids.

There's a lubricant within the contact cleaner...once it dries you should feel a notable difference when you rotate the fancy parts.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[Scoobyshep]

Deoxit is amazing stuff.

if you can see the contact points: spray and exercise. if its really nasty ill spray exercise then clean with QD contact cleaner, THEN a light coat of deoxit exersise and test.

 

[kloppk]

Currently my “load percentage gauge” is intermittent. I know I need to “clean” and “excercise” S1 and S8 while the gen is off. Anything besides just spraying with Deoxit and turning the switch many times?

It's S6 & S8 for that issue. Need to pop the top off the AC compartment to get to the back of S8.
Along the sides of S6 and S8 are small openings by each terminal screw to spray the Deoxit in.
Below is a pic with arrows pointing to two of the many openings in S8.

 

[southern79]

It's S6 & S8 for that issue. Need to pop the top off the AC compartment to get to the back of S8.
Along the sides of S6 and S8 are small openings by each terminal screw to spray the Deoxit in.
Below is a pic with arrows pointing to two of the many openings in S8.
View attachment 941048

I got it open. The whole top was double sided tape.

Deoxit comes on Tuesday.

On another note, what are the small, square nut capture pieces called? Size? Several are missing.

 

[Guyfang]

Captive Nut or Caged Nut. Whats it say in your -24P?

 

[southern79]

Captive Nut or Caged Nut. Whats it say in your -24P?

I’ve got the manual, I did not look that up. I understand the importance of self sufficiency and first hand knowledge. I also know that people on this forum like to help and chime in. It makes them feel good I also enjoy the community.

 

[2Pbfeet]

@southern79 FWIW: I bought a lifetime supply (for me) of new caged nuts from a computer maker that was downsizing. They are often used on computer racks, but I would just make sure the threads are correct, as there are metric as well as SAE versions.

I use rivet nuts when I am sure that there isn't, and will never be, slop, so not on these enclosures.

All the best,

2Pbfeet

 

[southern79]

@southern79 FWIW: I bought a lifetime supply (for me) of new caged nuts from a computer maker that was downsizing. They are often used on computer racks, but I would just make sure the threads are correct, as there are metric as well as SAE versions.

I use rivet nuts when I am sure that there isn't, and will never be, slop, so not on these enclosures.

All the best,

2Pbfeet

I like rivnuts. Are you saying the enclosure is too sloppy to use them?

 

[Guyfang]

If you ever completely remove the skin of this set and break the set down to major parts, putting it back together can be a pain. Lots of slop. I used to have a box full of tapered punches. I used them to get everything back "Almost" right. Then a slight tap here and there with a inertia hammer "Fine Tuned" it. After completely disassembling 5-10 sets, it a snap.

 

[2Pbfeet]

I like rivnuts. Are you saying the enclosure is too sloppy to use them?

Let's just say I think that the enclosure covers are not exactly precision parts, nor do they need to be, plus a) it is thin aluminum, b) it probably has been heat cycled a few times, c) it has probably been apart more than once, might not have been pulled off uniformly, and it is pretty easy for tolerances to add up over a few feet without indexing pins, and d) most of the ones that I have seen have had a dent or two in them that tends to adjust things a bit. It is the nature of the beast. As @Guyfang wrote above, a few tapered punches can do wonders for spreading the tolerances around, and saving any hair pulling, cross threading, or knuckle scraping.

Using rivet nuts means getting the tolerances spot on or you have a higher risk of cross threading, but it is certainly doable. A captive nut has lateral, as well as angular degrees, of freedom that help get the overall alignment of the cover right before tightening, so more forgiving in the assembly stage.

Personally, I would not generally replace a captive nut with rivet nuts, though I might replace a normal nut and lock washer with a rivet nut if I can get the alignment tuned up. (The fuel fill plate is a good candidate for rivet nuts in my book, as it is not a great location to lose a nut, and the spacing of the holes/rivet nuts is small, so tolerance is not much of an issue.) @Guyfang and others have made great points why rivet nuts aren't generally a great match for the covers, but I am sure someone could do it.

All the best,

2Pbfeet

 

[cbisson]

You can get all the hardware you need at Fastenal. I got all stainless steel bolts, nuts, and washers.

Found this from back in 2020

Check post #33 in this thread. https://www.steelsoldiers.com/threads/mep-8xx-stainless-steel-screw-information.152944/page-2

I replaced all of the hardware, cage nuts included, with the hardware on this list. Pretty much identical to the original except SS.

Cage nuts (not SS) https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/11544407?term=cage+nut+10-32

All of this info was provided by Daybreak