best way to clean S&S sync cords?

well, I haven't removed my S&S sync cords from my TTL converter or my TTL bulkhead in a while.

they won't unscrew by hand, I'll have to use pliers. I'm sure they are quite corroded, I'll need to clean them, I'll start with a toothbrush.

I'd like to soak them with vinegar, but I don't want any liquid to touch the contacts, maybe I'll soak them with the cap on?

please let me know if anyone has suggestions as how to best clean them without any risk of ruining them.

I'm already giving up hope of the top screw being able to rotate.

in the future i'll have to unscrew them more often. I do know some of my other dive buddies have had similar problems though.

thanks!

Scott

The corrosion is Aluminum Oxide - I don't know if vinegar will remove that or not. I would start with an old toothbrush and some WD-40.

Cheers

James

in the future i'll have to unscrew them more often. I do know some of my other dive buddies have had similar problems though.

 

thanks!

Scott

Yah, I took mine off for the first time since getting back from Egypt, and there was more stuff in there than I was hoping to find ...

I used my T-shirt to wipe it all out and mostly got it out of there ...

I use crystal lube on the threads to prevent the binding of the locking screw due to corrosion, and aid in assembly and removal. Silicone lube will also work

Mine stuck too but not long after a dive trip (during which I didn't remove the cords). I managed to remove the cord but the locking ring would not budge. After I got home, I put on the plastic cap and dunked the metal screw area under warm water while the plastic cap was on. I tried to keep the plastic cap above the water of course as I swished the screws under water. i could see the salt and bits (perhaps some corrosion) come off immediately and further brushing took off the rest.

After this, I will definitely ALWAYS take of the cables immediately after each dive trip and clean/pack the cables with the protective caps... Thanks for the tip eyu....I will also try just a little silicone grease too.....

That's why it is important to read the manual, even for these kind of things.

They recommend to remove each cable after each dive, and to apply a bit of grease on the threads.

Doing so prevents unwanted surprises

Cheers

I just completed a dive trip to Bunaken and Lembeh Straits, did 47 dives with my rig without disassembling the sync cords. I am afraid of water contaminating the connections and shorting out with removal and reassembling. The 5 pin Nikonos bulkheads are very easy in my opinion to short out and I have noted a drop of water left behind upon removal. Also with repeated assembly and disassembly you increase your chances of an o-ring failure, if it does not leak, leave it along. With my threads lubricated with crystal lube I had no problems with removal the sync cables after 2 and a half weeks of diving and many great pictures.

Elmer

Rubbing alcohol can also be used, but use the high-test 91%(?) variety. It will chase any water and dry it out. I always keep some in my bag. Yup some sort of lube is essential as those are dis-similar metals and they will corrode in saltwaer.

Jack

When I first get new sync cords, I grease the threads all the way up with silicon grease. I also do the same for all screws so the screw holes won't get to the point where the screw freezes up on me.

Definitely take them appart when you get done diving and clean everything before storage.

I'm not sure if WD40 dries without leaving a residue or not. It will probably work for cleaning up the threads, but for the contacts you're going to want to get a can of electrical contact cleaner. It's basically alcohol with an aerosol propellant that will clean the contacts for you and dry without leaving any residue that could cause a short. I use a contact cleaner on a tide gauge (that is constantly submerged in at least 6 ft of water) that I have to do maintenance on every 6 months and so far, after 5 years, no problems. It even does a god job of cleaning up the threads and getting the lime & Al2O3 off.

I'm not sure if WD40 dries without leaving a residue or not.

DO NOT use WD40 on any gear going in salt water. It has a free electron and creates a gummy mess. Silicone spray/grease.

Yeah, contact cleaner is good stuff.

Jack

DO NOT use WD40 on any gear going in salt water. It has a free electron and creates a gummy mess. Silicone spray/grease.

 

Yeah, contact cleaner is good stuff.

 

Jack

Free electron? HUH, does that mean when you stick your finger in it you get a shock? As far as I know WD 40 is a couple of aliphatic hydrocarbon and some petroleum oil. Not very reactive at least from what I can figure out, but it has a low vapor pressure component that will indeed leave some gunk (residue) on whatever you put it on. But free electrons, hard to imagine

Bill

Free electron? HUH, does that mean when you stick your finger in it you get a shock? As far as I know WD 40 is a couple of aliphatic hydrocarbon and some petroleum oil. Not very reactive at least from what I can figure out, but it has a low vapor pressure component that will indeed leave some gunk (residue) on whatever you put it on. But free electrons, hard to imagine

 

Bill

There's your problem, hydrocarbons and petroleum oil.. I wouldn't use it either. BAD idea.

I used white lithium grease or silicon-based marine lube (green stuff) on threads where there was no chance of contaminating electrical contacts, and it worked great even on stuff I didn't dismantle for 2 weeks of diving. OTOH twice I've bought used Ikelite housings, and wished the previous owners had put one or the other on the threads etc. bolting the tray to the handles. That gets pretty ugly if never washed out and greased up.

Contacts: Cramolin is a good conductive grease (mostly superfine copper particles) to keep contacts working in sub-optimal conditions, but kinda hard to find the right variety.

I'm not sure why we are still all debating on the "right" stuff to use on the threads.. The safest and easiest thing to use that we all have is the same silicon lube we use on our orings. It works great, keeps the threads clean, and doesn't have a problem with anything like o-rings.

Seems simple enough..

Free electron? HUH, does that mean when you stick your finger in it you get a shock? As far as I know WD 40 is a couple of aliphatic hydrocarbon and some petroleum oil. Not very reactive at least from what I can figure out, but it has a low vapor pressure component that will indeed leave some gunk (residue) on whatever you put it on. But free electrons, hard to imagine

 

Bill

It will make a salty gunky mess. Every boater knows you don't use it around salt water.

Jack

It will make a salty gunky mess. Every boater knows you don't use it around salt water.

 

Jack

I agree with the mess. The why? part was what I was commenting on. In any case, silicone lube should be what we use for threads, and maybe conducting lube for contacts.

Bill

Hi my first post here

You can get a non conductive silicone base grease from Mercury marine ,they use it on there conections on all new engines.It's a dialectric grease and dosen't conduct so safe to use on sync cords.