Vapour blasting a distributor

[Andrew1967]

Going to get some aluminium bits vapour blasted this week and am going to get the distributor done.

How far do I need to strip it ? I've taken the baseplate off but do I need to take the shaft and advance mechanism out as well. If so, how do you get the pin out of the drive dog ?

[Herbert]

Definitely take the advance mechanism off, but take care which way the locating socket goes on, and which way the neoprene washer goes on.
The reason to take it off is that there is more muck (grit) underneath the bob weights.

[Peter Laidler]

I'd strip it completely Andy and thoroughly wash it in petrol too. Put the base plate screws back into the holes. Just the tiniest bit of blast medium in the shaft hole will knacker the distributor and the shaft believe me. If it was me doing it again, after having learned my lesson the last time, I'd knock a piece of hardwood dowel into each end of the shaft hole.

We were taught not to take ANY unmasked threaded holes within a mile of the bead blasting cabinet

[Andrew1967]

Thanks for the replies Roly and Peter.

How tight is the pin holding the drive dog on and is there only one way for it to come out ?

[Herbert]

Not very, a decent punch will get it out with very little effort.

[Andrew1967]

Thanks Roly,

I’ll have a go in the morning .

[Herbert]

All my messages are because I just had my spare distributor vapour cleaned.
Just finished it off today. I sealed the shaft with tank tape, but didnt put the screws back in. I just tapped them out again....plonker!

[Andrew1967]

I’ll probably put a long bolt through the shaft with a neoprene gasket seal under a steel washer to protect the bush. And fit the baseplate screws .

[Peter Laidler]

Last suggestion is a GOOD one Andy. I destroyed an otherwise sound distributor by allowing some medium to remain in the hole. A simple trick it to mark the peg end shaft with a side-by-side centre-dot mark to ensure correct alignment when reassembling. Engine difficult to start when firing 180 degrees out!

[Andrew1967]

Hmm, forgot to do that Peter... will be very careful when reassembling !

[bwaminispeed]

I believe Vapour blasting uses no medium, other than Dry Ice, perfectly safe for screw threads, both internally, and, externally.....

[GraemeC]

Vapour blasting does use media, it’s just mixed with water either as a pre-mixed slurry or by injection of water at the nozzle.

[bwaminispeed]

OK, not one I've heard of.....

Used to blast dirty gungey old printing presses with Dry Ice, did a brilliant job with zero abrasion to anything......

[GraemeC]

Dry ice blasting is just that by name.