White paste in power transistor??

[1G Eclipse94928]

So i got my new power transistor today and was about to put it on when i open the old one and theres white paste all inside the connection, so i'm wondering if thats normal or if i need to clean it/replace the connection.

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it looks like it was put there intentionally, but i dont trust the previous owner,(he had a belt on upside down.)

 

[95gstnate]

Looks like dielectric grease. I would wipe the extra off of the connector body and leave what is in the pins to help make a better connection.

 

[curt-s]

The only type of grease or compound on the electrical connectors like that should be a dielectric grease. DG is actually electrically insulating and won't break down under voltage, low or high. It's commonly used in automotive applications, especially on spark plugs. It helps insulate, protect, and guard against the boot becoming stuck to the plug. However, DG is not meant to promote conductivity.

Personally, I would remove the grease with electrical contact cleaner and go bare-back. DG can interfere with electrical connections if the contact pressure is light, such as in automotive connections, and especially when they're 20+ years old as is with DSMs. I'd use it in storage to prevent corrosion, but that's about it. The rubber gasket in the connector should do well enough to protect it against the elements.

 

[1G Eclipse94928]

Looks like dielectric grease. I would wipe the extra off of the connector body and leave what is in the pins to help make a better connection.

The only type of grease or compound on the electrical connectors like that should be a dielectric grease. DG is actually electrically insulating and won't break down under voltage, low or high. It's commonly used in automotive applications, especially on spark plugs. It helps insulate, protect, and guard against the boot becoming stuck to the plug. However, DG is not meant to promote conductivity.

Personally, I would remove the grease with electrical contact cleaner and go bare-back. DG can interfere with electrical connections if the contact pressure is light, such as in automotive connections, and especially when they're 20+ years old as is with DSMs. I'd use it in storage to prevent corrosion, but that's about it. The rubber gasket in the connector should do well enough to protect it against the elements.

your right, thanks

 

[DSM1G90]

But, the stuff prevents corrosion where the connectors are exposed to the outside world - why the stuff was used in automotive usage.

I'd leave it alone.