I need opinions on two topics....

[chodette]

First, primer before bondo or bondo onto bare metal then primer. I am seeing conflicting info all over when I search and since the bondo work I need on my Jeep is so minimal, I was just wondering what you guys think

Second, anyone ever hear (or have done) of putting your wiring harness in the dishwasher to clean it up? Sounds crazy, but when I google searched the best way to clean one, this came up. I would LOVE to be able to just throw it in the dishwasher and have it come out clean as opposed to tediously cleaning it by hand.

Let me know what you think!

Kristi

 

[Cheepjeep85]

as for the bondo it really doesn't matter as long as you use a heavy grit sandpaper to prep the surface before you put it on, maybe an 80 grit, i've used it both ways bare and on top of paint/primer never had a problem either way. never heard of any one putting a wiring harness in a dishwasher but i suppose it couldn't hurt is as long as it dries thoroughly before you reinstall it, also if you do happen to do that make sure all of the insulation is intact afterwards.

 

[MN CJ7]

With surface prep prior to paint... seen on TV they like to use the color change to see if more work is needed prior to the paint step. Seeing primer fade means you will see bondo shortly. Same on edges

The only part about the wireharness in dish washer.
The harness could have solder repairs, that has lead, lead and food is a bad idea. Solders are warned to wash their hands before eating or smoking. I would not do this

I pulled the split tube off mine and power washed it with the pressure washer. Ir used Gunk Engine Cleaner to cut the grease on everthing, and it was warm up prior to cleaning. I went at the connections with nonpumas hand cleaner, nylon brush, also used alcohol. I did lots of work in the basement basin sink, tuned up the hot water temp, and used rubber gloves to protect myself from scalding water.

I also did this to parts prior to paint... the hand cleaner & very hot water..

 

[phyrph0enix]

Your dishwasher has a heating coil on the bottom of it to keep the water hot. I would make sure the wires could not work their way to it and melt. Maybe it should have a "top rack only" sticker.

 

[chodette]

I think I am going to try the dishwasher method. I will let you know how it goes.....

 

[chodette]

Do you put the fuse box in there too? That just seems wrong.....

 

[Busted Knuckles]

How about taking it to your local "self service" car wash, that has the water wand. Hit the harness with the "pre-soak" then hit it with soap and then a rinse. (assuming you dont have a pressure washer)

If your going to do the dishwasher, make sure you pull it out before you go to drying. Also you run the chance of the harness ends falling down into the sprayer after it starts.

If your sanding down to bare metal, Id do a self etching primer/sealer, then bondo, then primer, then paint.

 

[ftwflh]

Nobody has ask what te little lady thinks aboutwashing parts in her dishwasher

 

[GPER]

Nobody has ask what te little lady thinks aboutwashing parts in her dishwasher

She only knows when we get caught, I wash my hardhat in the dishwasher all the time.Like was said you might use the top rack and skip the dry cycle and put the wiring harness on a clothes line to dry thoroughly.

 

[phyrph0enix]

After all that abuse, you might need to cuddle it before it will work again.


Also, jeep used duct tape to cover junction points. If this comes off, you might have a lot of cross-positive shorting going on.

Seeing as how jeeps aren't the most watertight of vehicles, I'd almost expect the harness to be mostly waterproof...

 

[Rescue Diver]

First, primer before bondo or bondo onto bare metal then primer. I am seeing conflicting info all over when I search and since the bondo work I need on my Jeep is so minimal, I was just wondering what you guys think

Second, anyone ever hear (or have done) of putting your wiring harness in the dishwasher to clean it up? Sounds crazy, but when I google searched the best way to clean one, this came up. I would LOVE to be able to just throw it in the dishwasher and have it come out clean as opposed to tediously cleaning it by hand.

Let me know what you think!

Kristi

Bondo first on bare, well prepped metal, then primer.

Dish washer is fine for the wiring harness including the fuse box. They won't be hurt by the water. Just don't let the misses catch you!

 

[chodette]

Rescue Diver....I AM the "misses"

 

[Rescue Diver]

Rescue Diver....I AM the "misses"

Nice! Ya gotta love a Jeep Chick! Got any pics???

 

[chodette]

Here you go! My Dad bought me this Jeep when I turned 16 and he kept it after I left home for college. I had it shipped out here (to CA from Arkansas) last July and started working on it about a month ago. Doing a frame up restore. This is what I started with, looks good from a distance, but definately needed some love:








Moving right along, but had some rust issues. Hoping to get a welder out here this week to weld in the new floor pans and some pieces I had fabricated for where the roll bar attaches. I'm working myself into the ground!

 

[Rescue Diver]

Here you go! My Dad bought me this Jeep when I turned 16 and he kept it after I left home for college. I had it shipped out here (to CA from Arkansas) last July and started working on it about a month ago. Doing a frame up restore. This is what I started with, looks good from a distance, but definately needed some love:








Moving right along, but had some rust issues. Hoping to get a welder out here this week to weld in the new floor pans and some pieces I had fabricated for where the roll bar attaches. I'm working myself into the ground!

You're probably spending yourself into the ground too! Keep up the good work!

 

[chodette]

That too, but I planned ahead

 

[MN CJ7]

Very nice work.... I am impressed.

Wish someone did that nice a job to my CJ before I got it.




BUT THE DISHWASHER.....
The Dishwasher...... I am kinda shocked at the numbers of folks that would do this...

.... but the people that eat food off the dishes could be exposed to lead, metals, and chemicals. Any solder is a lead issue and once in body lead does not leave. Not to mention the chemical, gas oils, tars.... I would never do it in my working dish washer. Some of these chemical are porus to plastics and could hang in the dishwasher for some time.

I am the guy&gal of home to so not afraid of "you did what to my machine" issue.... I think its a bad idea health wise

dish washer does a pretty poor job I would guess to? of cleaning the wire harness. I do not think it would remove the oil gunk and sand and grit that was all over my harness.

The jeep harness is as bare bones as you can get... nothing sealed or water tight. The exception would be the Igntion Connections at distributor and ignition modual, & computer?. GO Figure.... one of the only low level signals in the jeep is the coil fire signal... semi sealed and a bear to get clean. This is one connector if you replace use gold contacts for low level signals. If in good shape the igntion has some what of a sealed connector.... a dielectric grease to face of connectors too on this one.... The simple connectors do have extraction tabs and will pull right out of housing. That would be a great step in getting the grit out.... I did this on many of them... Had a few fall apart so may need spare when you go to u pull junk yard the igntions ones are nice to have back up connectors..

May also need to replace a few other connectors if falling apart. Weather Pack the ones with gaskets are a nice up grade if want to seal the failed connector locations up better than stock. Pricey but nice to have.


Ist step....I used the GUNK and commercal drive in wand wash pull in with warm water on a warm engine. I cleaned everthing before starting my resto and its just a lot nicer to work on... when not all goobed up with oil & sludge & dirt. Caution.. cover the alternator and carb throat with a plastic bag and rubber bands. I apply a second layer too, gunk eats the rubber bands and they snap.


2nd Step
TRY THIS EVEN ON SOME JUNK HARNESS>>>>>
This will work much better than dishwasher.... for few reasons.
Tossed all the split loom, Cheap and I used all new.
APPLY HAND CLEANER....... went at the harness with JOJO Handcleaner and a nylon brush.. Let sit 20 min and hit it again. The gunk just melts off, and the insulation colors come back so you can see them. Turn the hot water tank setting up to HOT EARLIER when starting so its very hot for your rinse off, use rubber gloves to not scald my hand. Put the wire under the hot water runnign water spicket. Do not immerse in water, use hot running water and most of it comes right off. No water soak just hit it with fast runniing hot hot water and it all comes off fast.

HOT HOT water helps break the grease down but also the heat left over help the harness wires dry faster. Do not have to use much water the gunk comes off pretty easy after hand cleaner has done it work. Shake off water and hang dry.

Another reason I do not like the dishwasher you are tallking a hour to 1.5 hrs in hot soaking dishwater with a pretty alkaliine dish washer soap. The insulation and wire have a lot a capulary action and suck the water up the wire and causes oxidation inside the wire insulation and will be.... WET..... a long time. Also a pretty highly caustic cleaner and will be acting on copper wire for a long long long time. This will not air dry quick. This is about the worst situation I could think of for wire.

In the electronics we do have a demo for such stuff.... take a nice lenght of wire and put one end in water.... it will suck up water all the way to the other end.

Past AMP SALES Engieer for Fighter jets, F15, F18, AV8B & weapons. Also done work for CAT, IBM, Century Mfg, Cirrus Planes, and some very large companies. Been around wire production equipment for 20 yrs.

Try the hand cleaner for harness cleaning and try to min the exposure time to the ends on wire with the water & other stuff too. The hand cleaner works KILLER. I used it on many parts to clean prior to paint prep work, brackets, oil pan, valve cover, and others. Do not use the pummis cleaner , use no grit stuff.

Sorry...... I have been reading and watching for some time... and there seems to be more and more that want to do this... I think it a VERY VERY VERY bad idea for the persons health and the wire harness health. To use a dishwasher


The easy way is not always a good way....... I am sure Painless sends their thanks.




ps
Some of the more Important connection to me were taken apart, contacts cleaned and internal of housing as best I could. When you put back connections.... old ones need some wipe action to clean contact mate areas. Mate & unmate 8-10 times and will wipe the surface oxidie down to a good connection if stuff is pretty clean. Then add dielectric grease and mate for the last time. If NOT WATER SOAKED you can put a bit on the crimped area & insualtion and will keep from corrosion.

I also put all my connectors housings in a zip lock with armor all to help put elastormers and uv blocks back into connections... They get old and brittle so take care with them. I put some spares in a zip with armorall and jut let them soak... still soaking 3 yrs. Small wires put the whole thing in the zip lock and armor all.

 

[Rescue Diver]

I cleaned my wire harnasses in the driveway with degreaser, a brush and the hose. Wish I'd thought of the dish washer. After all, they are self cleaning.

I'm an avid scuba diver. I wear and handle 12lbs of lead regulary and I'm somehow still alive. If using the dish washer, I would definitely run it empty once after cleaning any car parts in it, if I ever decided to use it for that.

 

[MN CJ7]

I cleaned my wire harnasses in the driveway with degreaser, a brush and the hose. Wish I'd thought of the dish washer. After all, they are self cleaning.

I'm an avid scuba diver. I wear and handle 12lbs of lead regulary and I'm somehow still alive. If using the dish washer, I would definitely run it empty once after cleaning any car parts in it, if I ever decided to use it for that.

Rescue,

Looks like we have another thing in common... I am part fish and love the water. Lap swim, race, and snorkle, only had tanks on doz times or so.


AS for the lead..
Everthing in electronics has lead. Every line worker is taught to wash hand very well before eating or smoking... STD PRACTICE and has been so for 30 yrs.

Take a look or google removing lead paint. Paints prior to 1972 have lead, lead helped in longevity and made it shinny. They will not remove the lead paint with power equip, often chemical encapsulate the paint for removal, respirator use. Lead is bad stuff and does not leave the body.

How may times on the NEWS that China toys sent back to china with lead in the paint. Not safe.

Do youself a favor and search it up a bit (lead posion).


Fred


2nd part.... if you got that far posted above.... soaking harness for a hour or two is not very good for the health of the copper wire.




Handle you weight belt is not an issue. Handle the lead weights often and smoke and eat often... is a very bad idea. Lead is very soft metal and it will be on your hands.

You should see the full suites the maint guys where when the waver solder and ovens get serviced. AND Large power hepa air filtrations systems and the are is sealed off with plastic for a neg pressure area. Bad stuff... lead dust.

Easy to fix now... not so much after the fact.

 

[chodette]

I hope I didn't open up a can of worms.....MN CJ7 , by the time you responded, I had already put it in the dishwasher. Nothing I can do about that now, but it did come out BEAUTIFULLY!!

Before:


After:


I will run some dishwasher cleaner thru it, empty, before I wash any more dishes