Wrong silicone on Sta-Lok -- am I going to hell?

[chouliha]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

My apologies - I stand corrected. I just did a bit of research and it seems that sometimes even grease is used inside. As long as the swage is done properly it does not interfere with the bonding of the metals.

Greg

In the rig shop I worked in for a few months in NZ they use to dip the ends of the wire in a bucket of Lanacote before we slid the swage on. It made a bit of a mess of the machine but easily cleanable with thinner.

Regarding using sealant in Norsemans...... We have owned Jacaranda for 32+ years and replace the wires every ten years/ turnbuckles every 20. Recently we replaced all the mechanical fitting which all were older than 32 years(changed to Hayn). All the norsemans when disassembled showed no signs of corrosion inside. All were done with lifecaulk.

BTW the boat has spent more than 20 years in the tropics

[adkl]

The manufacturer of my compression fittings, Petersen, do not recommend sealant as they explain:

There are three main reasons why we recommend that you do not use sealant:
Regardless of how much sealant and pressure you apply to the terminal, we do not believe that you will completely fill the cavity, thus leaving a small air pocket which will get water in it (usually somewhere near the centre of the cable where it is difficult to get at). Stainless steel is protected by a very thin chrome-oxide layer. If the oxide layer becomes damaged, it needs more oxygen to replenish that layer. Any water that makes its way in past the sealant will become stale (oxygen depleted) over time. It is safer to allow fresh water into the terminal on a regular basis which will not only clean and wash away any built up salt residues but will also maintain the oxide layer of the stainless steel.
The main mechanical components of the compression fittings are manufactured from stainless steel grade 316L. This material has high anti-corrosive properties and is ideal for use in a constant sea water environment. The design of the terminal and its components has been developed in such a way that it is acceptable to use this material. Other designs of this type of terminal may not benefit from these design features.
The design of the Hi-MOD swageless compression terminal is such that you can dismantle the terminal at any time, allowing you to inspect and clean the internal components. If you use a sealant, it would make this operation very difficult and you may not be able to see all of the inner components properly.


Trust that this is helpful as they are giving the reasons behind their recommendation.



This fits in with my thought that any water will run down and find it's way into the core of the wire and unless you use a sealant that is thin enough to penetrate the wire then you will not be preventing water from passing down the inside of the wire into the fitting I believe?

[sailor_ed]

How exactly does a lower terminal fitting allow water to "clean and wash away" dirt and salt? Do their fittings have drain holes?

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by sailor_ed

How exactly does a lower terminal fitting allow water to "clean and wash away" dirt and salt? Do their fittings have drain holes?

No drain holes in Sta Loks or Norseman or Searig, so a very good question, sailor ed!

Jim

[double u]

...somehow any wire termination makes me feel uneasy; with differing intensities though...
any mention of closing torque on staloks or petersens???
how about the diamond dust???

[CarinaPDX]

Also, sealant will be forced up into the spaces between the strands and come out above the terminal if done right. If you don't see sealant squeeze out from between the strands then there wasn't enough sealant in the fitting - redo it. I have never encountered, nor even met anyone, who had corrosion inside a Sta-Lok when assembled and sealed correctly.

Any terminal that needs to be disassembled and flushed on a regular basis doesn't belong on a boat cruising in salt water.

Greg

[double u]

sealant is going to creep up the inner, not unlaid strands? very likely...

[CarinaPDX]

When replacing the rigging wire the old wire end with cone has to be cut off. It is possible to pull it apart strand by strand and see the extent of the sealant. In my experience re-rigging after 18 years the sealant thoroughly filled the gaps. YMMV

Greg

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by double u

sealant is going to creep up the inner, not unlaid strands? very likely...

I have disassembled a number of both Norseman and Sta Lok terminals, prepping them for re-use. In all cases, the sealant had indeed penetrated into the inner lay of wires, on both Dyform and 1x19 wire types. There have never been any signs of corrosion visible.

But,the sealant is bloody hard to get out of the terminal, too... a nuisance. So, if assembling them dry is acceptable to the OEM, I'll be inclined to do so in the future. There seems to be adequate evidence that this method is satisfactory.

Jim

[sailor_ed]

Jim

I chuck a brass rifle cleaning brush in a drill to clean inside the terminal.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by sailor_ed

Jim

I chuck a brass rifle cleaning brush in a drill to clean inside the terminal.

sounds a reasonable approach, but not being a gun owner I'm lacking in bore brushes! I'll see what sort of alternatives are available next time the issue arises (when I next renew the wires, I'll be buying new terminals, 'cause I can't get new cones for my Norsemans.

Jim