# MES 40" heat element connection failures



## rhaugle (Dec 24, 2016)

Has happened to me 3 times now, and of course, in the middle of a brisket cook.... The left and right connections to the heating element have been basically "cooked" from what I can imagine is just the heat from the element its self. I have been cooking around 270 degrees and it seems every 4th or 5th cook I have to replace the connection. This last one, it looks as though the fiberglass casing around the wire actually burned, and then the bare wire was left to fend for its self.

My question is - is there a fix for this? Will some high temp wire cover work? (I cant think of the name... the tubes you put over the wires and then shrink down with a heat gun).  Is there another solution? after a couple more of these failures, I wont have any wire left!













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__ rhaugle
__ Dec 24, 2016


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## marctrees (Dec 24, 2016)

This is a very  common problem with MES, search this electric subforum.

It is not a "high enough  temp insulation" problem, it is a too high a current for the factory connection produced and executed  problem.

Insufficient connection tightness for the amperage demanded will result in a voltage drop at the connection point, hence energy expended there.

So the burning you are seeing originates at the point of connection, and the heat spreads, giving the impression the insulation is not adequate.

The connections need to be crimped solidly, AND pressed on to the Male  SOLIDLY, from day one.

It IS a manufacturing defect.

Masterbuilt IS doing something wrong, not sure what.

But they ARE, because this failure is very common.

Their  Engineering folks seems to be blind to it.

At this point, you need to replace the "Female  flag disconnect" wire ends, and at least wire brush, or replace the element (probably not necessary to replace element, just thoroughly clean connection).

DO NOT buy chinese ones from walmart automotive, in fact that is probably the original probllem.

Go to like an old school NAPA store, and get American made., such as T&B brand.

THEY fly on the Space Shuttle, not Jina ones.

And crimp them on PROPERLY.

If you are in warranty, TALK FIRMLY to Masterbuilt.

These are the facts here.

Regular people have NO clue about like the difference between T&B "Ty Raps" compared to the imported crap at home depot, etc.

NOWHERE in professional high reliability applications is the imported crap used.

It's not a nationalistic issue, it's a cheap shit metallurgy issue and engineering / manufacturing  tolerances issue.

But basically mandated by consumers that are very short sighted.

So, the market complies w crap.

Rant over.

Interesting techy scientific reading for the Engineering minded reader - (I liked it) .....

file:///C:/Users/Marc/Downloads/ENG_CS_82004_FASTON_TERMINALS_-_FULL_CATALOG_0914.pdf

Marc


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## daveomak (Dec 25, 2016)

Solder the cleaned up wire ends to the heating element legs..


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## daveomak (Dec 25, 2016)

Solder the cleaned up wire ends to the heating element legs..


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## dr k (Dec 25, 2016)

Marctrees said:


> This is a very  common problem with MES, search this electric subforum.
> 
> 
> It is not a "high enough  temp insulation" problem, it is a too high a current for the factory connection produced and executed  problem.
> ...















CAM00889.jpg



__ dr k
__ Dec 25, 2016





The nickel plated brass 900*F quick disconnect flag lugs in the pic above is not crimpable. It only can be soldered. I did mine last May. 












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__ dr k
__ Jul 26, 2016





New from MB













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__ dr k
__ Jul 26, 2016





Failing













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__ dr k
__ Jul 26, 2016


















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__ dr k
__ Jul 26, 2016





Had to make pigtails. Not enough lead wire. 













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__ dr k
__ Nov 5, 2016





Peeled metal plate coverl off of the rubber insulation. I just stretch the rubber over screw heads. The smoker screw holes ate getting stripped. When the smoker is unplugged I just rip the rubber off for a quick inspection. 
-Kurt


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## rhaugle (Dec 25, 2016)

DaveOmak said:


> Solder the cleaned up wire ends to the heating element legs..


DAVE - Will I need to replace the current wire? I had read another post on here that people took the entire back plate off the unit used some high temp wires through out the entire smoker.... Or will a solder with the original wire be ok?


Dr K said:


> CAM00889.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> ...


KURT - Any problems since you did you fix? If you read the reply to Dave that I posted above, I have seen other people remove the back, and replace all the element wires with high temp ones... It looks like you still have the stock wires but just the new connectors.


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## daveomak (Dec 25, 2016)

Rhaugle said:


> DaveOmak said:
> 
> 
> > Solder the cleaned up wire ends to the heating element legs..
> ...


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## stainless (Dec 25, 2016)

This same thing happened to mine during a pork butt smoke earlier this past summer.  I crimped it back together the best I could to get me through the cook and it's worked since.  I never could get it to solder.  I couldn't get the wire hot enough.  These units are very popular but very cheaply made in my opinion.  Not sure there is anything better out there for the price.


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## daveomak (Dec 25, 2016)

Stainless said:


> This same thing happened to mine during a pork butt smoke earlier this past summer.  I crimped it back together the best I could to get me through the cook and it's worked since.  I never could get it to solder.  I couldn't get the wire hot enough.  These units are very popular but very cheaply made in my opinion.  Not sure there is anything better out there for the price.


Stainless morning....   getting old wire to solder can be a real problem....  you must get back under the insulation to a "clean" part of the wire then apply solder to the wire, called "tinning" before you try to solder the heating element to the wire....  Use a "clean" roll of electrical solder...   dirty old oily electrical solder will not solder electrical wires..   electrical solder has a flux core that melts and cleans the wires...   If the solder is dirty, the dirt flows to the wiring and you are stuck between a rock and a hard place..    wiping down the solder wire with acetone and a paper towel will provide the oil cleaning acetone and the paper towel "should" be abrasive enough to clean the solder of any oxidation....  hopefully... 

Now, if the wire won't tin, it's corroded or something...  solder won't stick to corrosion...   corrosion will not conduct electricity..  

If MES would have only used quality connectors and spent about 10 more seconds to inspect this stuff.....  we wouldn't be in a position to learn...   If everything is perfect and there are no mistakes....  where are we going to get these valuable learning experiences....


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## rhaugle (Dec 29, 2016)

DaveOmak said:


> Solder the cleaned up wire ends to the heating element legs..


Hey Dave, another question... The original wire is running pretty short now... I need to add a few inches of new wire onto the existing stuff... does the new wire have to be high temp as well? I hope not, because I went to 3 places today and couldn't find any... I was thinking If i just got some "regular" wire, and then put some shrink wrap all over it... would that do the trick? What size wire would I need? Braided or solid? Gauge?


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## dr k (Dec 29, 2016)

Rhaugle said:


> Hey Dave, another question... The original wire is running pretty short now... I need to add a few inches of new wire onto the existing stuff... does the new wire have to be high temp as well? I hope not, because I went to 3 places today and couldn't find any... I was thinking If i just got some "regular" wire, and then put some shrink wrap all over it... would that do the trick? What size wire would I need? Braided or solid? Gauge?


I used standard 14 guage stranded wire double shrink tubed in the pics in post 5. The red insulation is the third layer including the insulation originally on the wire. I forgot to mention that the pic with the two connectors has the old connector on the right that is đark in color. All the connections in the pic are soldered and shrink tubed. 
-Kurt


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## daveomak (Dec 29, 2016)

DR. K's got you covered....   I keep a roll of this glass cloth electrical tape around for protecting wiring from abrasion, heat or what ever...    It should be available at your home center store...   They also make glass cloth tube...  it slides over the wire...


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