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TIL a trick for stubborn ribbon cable connectors that everyone says is wrong
I used a tiny drop of isopropyl alcohol on a Q-tip to loosen a seized avionics bay connector last Tuesday, and it worked perfectly, even though the old heads in my hangar swear it'll damage the plastic.
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charlie_stone721mo ago
You said it loosened a seized connector, but that sounds like it was just stuck from age or grime. Isopropyl alcohol is a safe solvent for that, it evaporates fast and doesn't hurt most plastics. The old heads might be thinking of harsher chemicals.
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amy_reed795d ago
Oh come on, is it really that deep? I've been using isopropyl alcohol on connectors and plastic bits for years and the only thing that's ever happened is the dirt finally comes off. People act like a little splash of 91% is gonna melt everything into a puddle. I've got a 20 year old radio in my truck that's been drenched in the stuff more times than I can count and it's still ticking. Unless you're soaking it for hours or using something way stronger like acetone, I think you're fine.
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blair_butler471mo ago
Wasn't there a maintenance bulletin about that? I heard some older plastics can get brittle with alcohol over time.
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