12 Apr
2016
12 Apr
'16
5:39 p.m.
I've used WD-40 on multiple occasions to 'rescue' older motorcycle and
automotive ignition systems that died in rain or heavy humidity. In all
cases, these were the older point-and-coil type systems, not the more
modern HEI systems (found in post-1976 in most cars & light trucks,
post-1980-82 in most cycles).
Just wipe off as much water as you can, and hose-on the WD-40. I don't
think it ever failed to get the machine running, until proper repairs could
be made to the ignition system. Silicone spray is also excellent as a
preservative and waterproofing for ignitions, but I've never tried it (or
had it on-hand) for a roadside rescue.
On Tue, Apr 12, 2016 at 7:28 PM, Paul Koning <paulkoning at comcast.net> wrote:
On Apr 12, 2016, at 8:19 PM, drlegendre .
<drlegendre at gmail.com> wrote:
"I suppose it might do that, but that's not its main purpose. Its main
purpose is to loosen rusted and otherwise stuck fasteners and shafts."
Here I thought that the 'WD' stood for Water Dispersant (version 40).
Also,
while I have no use for the stuff myself,
I've certainly never
encountered
any of the 'horror stories' about it
turning to wax, gum, +attracting+
moisture and fostering rust, ad nauseam.
Yes, it does stand for water displacing, but I figured that refers to the
water that's in the rust of rusted parts. For drying ignition parts I've
seen silicone spray; using a flammable spray like WD-40 seems a bit iffy.
Also, one finds WD-40 sold (in bulk as well as cans) in machinery catalogs,
far from car ignitions.
And I've seen plenty of warnings against WD-40 in forums discussing
metalworking machinery and firearms, or gunsmithing reference books.
paul