Distributor Cap Clips

Charles Reese

Charles Reese

Well-known member
need suggestions on restoring the springs (ok, clips/bales):) that hold the cap to the distributor body. i tried gun bluing on my originals (after phosphoric acid dip) but rust appeared in a coupla days. set of repros had surface rust still in their package ...
 

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Re: Distributor Cap Springs

Paint um flat black! ken ct. omo ps and there called clips not springs lol.
 
Re: Distributor Cap Springs

hey ken, they arereally called bales, i call them clips too, why are the called bales, that sounds like it should referto hay bales, or he bales out, took off, funny names, and i guess you and a few others know tha the vacuum advance is called an octane selector, how many more strange names for auto parts are out there?
 
Hi Chuck, Be down your way in a couple of weeks for the Richmond NASCAR race.. I send mine out to the guy who also does the bluing on my Show spark plugs & all have passed FINE POINT no problem.. And dont rust, but I still put a little CRC on all one or twice a year.. Fred..
 
I also call them clips and think of bail as a wire that goes all the way across as the light switch and old canning jars with the glass lids.
 
1931 flamingo said:
Did the originals also rust or does it seem to only be what's avail now??
Paul in CT
Click to expand...

Again, this is an area where we as restorers tend to "over-restore" because it is deemed necessary for preservation. In reality, look at how many of the original fasteners on our beloved Model-A were unfinished from the factory, --or only Raven finished to minimally fight corrosion. I say this tongue-in-cheek, but can you imagine how much longer our Model-A's would have lasted if old Henry would have used paint on fasteners instead of leaving many of them unfinished?? :rolleyes:

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I have used wood stove black paste on bare metal before, and it gives a blued look. I wonder if that would work also. Wd-40 to protect as well.
 
Maybe you could take them to a gunsmith who does hot dip tank bluing or blacking. There is also a lot of info. on the gun forums about do it yourself gray and black parkerizing(sp?). It is a sandblast then hot dip procedure that is cheap and not too technical and hazardous to do. There are dealers who sell a kit of ingredients, but it is a little pricey and if you keep digging there are instructions on putting everything together yourself for cheap, with a lot of tips for different results.
 
Bratton's calls 'em distributor cap clamps. At 6.00 bucks a pair, I wouldn't waste my
time trying to restore them. Groan, I'll just stand back while the purists among us throw a hissy fit. JMHO

Jack
 
Jack '29 Sport Coupe said:
Bratton's calls 'em distributor cap clamps. At 6.00 bucks a pair, I wouldn't waste my
time trying to restore them. Groan, I'll just stand back while the purists among us throw a hissy fit. JMHO

Jack
Click to expand...

Hey Jack, you probably are unaware of this and as such it really is no big deal, but the problem with that is Mr. Reese is trying to Restore authentically in lieu of just replace on his pick-up. Based on what he has stated to me in the past, he doesn't even own a trailer so it isn't being built as a 'trailer queen' but I believe his enjoyment is the research and then trying to replicate exactly how his vehicle would have looked in 1928. Then he will probably drive the wheels off of it after this segment has been completed. Hopefully this will help understand why he is willing to travel down that road on these clips/bails/clamps.
 
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