Posted by David Sherman on Friday, July 20, 2007 at 16:52:56 :
In Reply to: Felt washers just grease the connection posted by chriscase on Thursday, July 19, 2007 at 23:46:40 :
It's common on electrical power equipment, especially when aluminum conductors are involved, to put a certain kind of grease on the cable and the terminal before tightening the screws down. A good screwed or crimped connection should be gas-tight anyway, which also means oil won't get in. The grease is an extra oxygen barrier to keep the connections from corroding. On a battery terminal, the felt washers provide a film of oil that prevents corrosion due to acid fumes. I'm not sure that it does much for maintaining a good electrical connection, assuming the clamps are tight anyway, but it helps keep the screws from seizing up with rust and it keeps things looking nicer. The same goes for the napa battery terminal spray. I really don't think any kind of oil or grease can seep in between a tight battery cable clamp and the post and wreck the connection.
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