I've been tempted by liquid electrical tape too, but honestly, the drying time and mixed reviews make me hesitant. I'm all about reliability, especially on longer trips—last thing I want is a roadside headache because something didn't hold up. Has anyone tried heat-shrink tubing instead? Seems cleaner and more durable, but I'm curious if it's worth the extra effort or cost compared to liquid tape...
I've used both, and honestly, heat-shrink tubing feels way more reliable for long hauls. Yeah, it takes a bit more effort upfront, but once it's done, you're golden. Ever had liquid tape peel off mid-trip? Not fun... Have you considered adhesive-lined heat shrink for extra protection?
"Ever had liquid tape peel off mid-trip? Not fun..."
Yeah, learned that lesson the hard way myself—middle of nowhere, headlights flickering... not exactly ideal. Heat shrink's definitely safer, but anyone here tried combining it with dielectric grease underneath for extra moisture protection? Seems like a smart move for peace of mind.
Yeah, heat shrink tubing has saved me more times than I'd like to admit. I remember one trip, years ago, driving through this crazy downpour somewhere in rural Kentucky. Had just finished rewiring the taillights on my old Chevy pickup and thought I'd done a pretty solid job. Used liquid tape because it was handy and seemed quick enough. Well, about two hours into the storm, I noticed cars behind me flashing their lights. Pulled over and sure enough, no taillights at all. The liquid tape had peeled away, and water had gotten into the connections. Spent the next hour under a gas station awning, soaking wet, trying to patch things up with electrical tape and zip ties.
After that little adventure, I switched to heat shrink tubing and haven't looked back since. But your idea of adding dielectric grease underneath is interesting. I've used dielectric grease plenty of times on spark plug boots and battery terminals—never thought to combine it with heat shrink tubing, though. Makes sense, since it would add an extra layer of moisture protection and probably help prevent corrosion too.
One thing I'd wonder about is how the grease might affect the adhesion of the heat shrink. Does it make it slippery or harder to get a tight seal? Or does the heat shrink still snug up nicely even with a thin layer of grease underneath? If anyone's tried it, I'd be curious to hear how it held up over time.
Either way, these vintage rides always keep us on our toes. Seems like every long trip teaches me something new about preparedness... usually the hard way.
Dielectric grease under heat shrink is actually pretty common practice, and it works fine in my experience. Yeah, it can get a bit slippery at first, but once you apply heat, the tubing shrinks down nice and snug. Never had issues with it loosening or sliding around later on either. Vintage rides are always teaching us something new...usually at the worst possible moment, haha.
