Hey folks, needing a few tips here if you've got em. 

The wiring harness on my '93 is heavily caked with corrosion on the inside of the plastic connectors and what not.  I have been having a lasting issue with losing signal to one of my ignition coils at random times and after alot of head scratching and wrong avenues taken, I came to assume that this only happens when the engine's vibration shifts some wire out of contact.  I've not determined which wire is responsible for this, but pushing and pulling on random wires, while it runs, will correct the problem and then it runs fine... until it vibrates outta place again.

Anyway, what I'm wanting to do is to disconnect Everything and clean / sand the contacts.  As I mentioned, there is an obscene amount of corrosion inside the plastic connectors and I'm wanting to know what would be the best way / product to use to safely and effectively take care of this.  I'm pretty sure that doing this would solve this annoying issue, but if someone else thinks that it isn't, I'm open to other thoughts.

Thanks.

easiest.....   buy a used harness from a bike getting parted out

Money isn't a luxury for me at this time and they aren't cheap new or used.

the contacts can be removed from the plastic housing by prying tabs on the contacts with a tiny screwdriver. the corrosion can be removed with a wire brush, and the female blade connectors can be bent inwards a little to improve the clamping force and reduce the junction resistance.

if the wires are rotted out, they will disintegrate into aqua coloured poweder as you're working with the contacts. I hope you're handy with a sodlering iron. a light tinning of the male contacts can also improve the weathering performance.

If you're feeling like a goon, crop out the marginal connectors with wire cutters and solder the wiring directly to it's mate across the connector. be forewarnd that if you do this your name will be cursed unto the skies for all eternity by the future owner of your motorcycle.

I would clean the terminals as best as I could, then dope them carefully with Chemtronics CW7100:

http://www.drillspot.com/products/438833/Chemtronics_CW7100_Silver_Conductive_Grease

Not arguing against conducting grease but non-conductive grease (di-electric grease) is made for this very purpose- for water exposed connectors on motor vehicles.

Works fine once you restore conductivity as described above.

Sold in toothpaste sized tubes (think Permatex) in car shops, its just a sort of clear multiweight vaseline. It comes out of tube in hot or cold weather. I use it on all exposed connectors on all bikes and they never miss in the rain again. Some mildly corroded connectors were ok afterwards. Never faced serious rust.

My XS has plugs on the harness side that are crumbling like potato chips.
I am hoping to get just the plugs ? anyone know of a source.
Cool.
Buddha.

 trailer kit allows you to hook up 4 wires
and you can but them in short lengths

Quote from: The Buddha on September 08, 2009, 06:38:10 PM
My XS has plugs on the harness side that are crumbling like potato chips.
I am hoping to get just the plugs ? anyone know of a source.
Cool.
Buddha.

Here's a couple of sources for connectors.
http://www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com/index.html
http://www.vintageconnections.com/