Dielectric gel?

I'm about to start wiring up the GM V6 in my Dino "kit" and I wondered was it frowned upon to use the dielectric grease on all the connectors on the engine and ecu?

I would say that people that were clueless would frown on dielectric grease.  Toyota doesn't.

Myself being far from the smartest person on here, I use it every time I take an elecrical connection appart.  

I use that grease on simple connections like spark plugs and positive battery terminals, but I wouldn't use it on something where there are multiple connections in close proximity, like a harness or larger plug. Maybe I'm way off base, but I think doing so would cause some unintended electrical flow. It wouldn't be a "short circuit," exactly, but something along those lines.

In reply to b13990 :

Dielectric grease is not conducive so there wouldn't be any issues with that.

I was just wondering if it was overkill, but it seemed like a good idea to me.  OK off to buy more since what I've got won't be enough.

Thanks guys.

I use it anywhere that isn't exposed to contamination.  If it gets contaminated it can become conductive.  On multi-pin connectors I'll use a small brush to paint the pins with it rather than just gobbing it on.  If it does get contaminated you have to use mineral spirits to get it off, as it's silicone/siloxane.

EvanB said:

In reply to b13990 :

Dielectric grease is not conducive so there wouldn't be any issues with that.

Oh. Thanks for the heads up.

Go nuts, then.

You can go nuts, but I don't like to.  The weatherpak connectors you'll be using don't need anything.

I prefer dielectric grease in some situations; Ignition stuff where 50k volts will make up for a lot of sins, or any conductor that is a a definitely strong connection, or highly exposed connections like trailer wiring connectors.

The point of the grease is to prevent moisture and prevent possible arcing on high voltage things.  It relies on the fact that the connector has a tight tolerance and any grease you add will definitely squish out of the way and allow direct metal-to-metal contact.

As long as your connectors have excellent contact, go nuts.  Use it everywhere, but if you have a wire in that connector that is trying to carry 15A and it is only making contact at a small surface area, expect it to burn/melt.  Conversely, if you have something like a coolant temp sensor that is very low current/voltage, it may mess with the readings if you don't have a good, solid contact.

It's kind of rare, but my 96 SS had that exact problem.  I put in a new CTS and use some grease on the pin to prevent corrosion (which is what killed the last one).  If I jiggle the wire on the pin, my gauge moved.  Cleaned off the grease, no problem.

Having said all that, it's usually not an issue.  I mostly mention it so that if you notice problems like that, just clean the grease out of that connector.

Like Frank's Red Hot, I put that E36 M3 on everything. 

In reply to ultraclyde :

Agree. Electricity hates me, so my wiring is NASA-grade just to be sure.

Lucas says used it or be in the darkness.