Is this the pin that needs to come out

[uhhair]

So we pulled our fuel distributor off, is this big pin in the middle the one that needs to come out? Once we get it out, do we simply grease it and put it back in, or what do we do? Are there any other parts on the air meter, throttle, or distributor that needs replaced or oiled before we reassemble? I know there is a gasket for the air meter that goes between the top and bottom pieces, but is that it?

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[Grover]

From what I understand, when you removed the fuel distributor the plunger should freely slide out of the unit. There is no pin removal necessary to remove the plunger (someone correct me if I am wrong). In that case, you may have to soak it with some chemicals to break it free.

Now if you are taking about splitting the fuel distributor open (in half) to service and clean it, I wouldn't do that either, as most people who have, when it is put back together, it leaks.

Your best bet is to get the plunger out and clean it (DO NOT SCRATCH IT) and to then clean the little filter screens.

So we pulled our fuel distributor off, is this big pin in the middle the one that needs to come out? Once we get it out, do we simply grease it and put it back in, or what do we do? Are there any other parts on the air meter, throttle, or distributor that needs replaced or oiled before we reassemble? I know there is a gasket for the air meter that goes between the top and bottom pieces, but is that it?

20120730_203014.jpg20120730_203046.jpg

[WelmoedJ]

The "pin" as you call it, actually serves a piston.
You could use a little oil, but it doesn't need it.
Anyway I never have used oil.
Make sure you do not scratch the piston's surface.

More important is that your picture shows old fuel around the outside of nut that secures the cylinder (the cylinder is the part the piston goes up and down in as you know) .
This probably points to a cylinder leak, which in turn may lead to excessive fuel in the mixture unit.
Between the cylinder and the lower FD case there's an O-ring (on the cylinder's outside) to avoid leaking.

The gasket you refer to is a very thin metal membrane used in regulating the quantity of fuel in the upper chambers and also serves as a seal between the two halves of the FD.
This membrane can leak if it is not totally flat and unscratched, especially at the places where the spring in the upper case presses a small metal piece against the membrane.
Over the years this metal piece can make a dent in the membrane and this may cause possible leaks after the FD has been re-assembled.

I have added some pictures of an FD I opened for inspection.
From left ro right: the top case with the springs and metal piece; the membrane; the lower case with membrane, cylinder and cylinder parts; the cylinder and all its parts and the piston (at the left)
IMG_1429w.jpg IMG_1431w.jpg IMG_1433w.jpg IMG_1438w.jpg
Hope this helps.

[Ron]

+1 on the advice, but I think he meant this gasket ?

I think last count was 90% of FDs taken apart by owners wind up leaking??
I'd just clean it up and make sure the plunger slides freely then give it a chance to prove itself...
Look down in the six ports for blocked screens.

[Grover]

Ron, the gasket you linked to is for the Air Metering Unit. But you are correct, at least from what I have read, that just about anyone who takes it apart and puts it back together themselves to service it, end up having the distributor leaking.

Take Ron's advice and clean up the plunger, and clean out the 6 little filter screens.

+1 on the advice, but I think he meant this gasket ?

I think last count was 90% of FDs taken apart by owners wind up leaking??
I'd just clean it up and make sure the plunger slides freely then give it a chance to prove itself...
Look down in the six ports for blocked screens.

[uhhair]

Sounds great guys! What is the best method for getting that piston free? I saw in one thread an individual soaked the entire distributor in mineral oil, and then i believe he put the pin into a vice and just pulled on the rest of the distributor. Will this method work?

[DMC5180]

You might submerge it in Berryman B-12 Chemtool (available at Walmart and Most AP stores) This stuff is great for dissolving varnish.

[Ron]

Ron, the gasket you linked to is for the Air Metering Unit.

yeahl..I thought WelmoedJ thought unhair was thinking about the FD's steel plate diaphragm.
(...Hey, Mo! ;-)

Sounds great guys! What is the best method for getting that piston free? I saw in one thread an individual soaked the entire distributor in mineral oil, and then i believe he put the pin into a vice and just pulled on the rest of the distributor. Will this method work?

That is a precision fit- As said, you don't want to even scratch it. A vice sounds a bit...impatient.
Soak it and soak some more....

[uhhair]

So it's OK to just drop the entire distributor in a bowl of mineral spirits?

[David T]

You need something a LOT stronger than mineral spirits. I use Acetone. You need to use it in a well ventilated place. Drip some onto the plunger and wait a little. Be gentle with it, you do NOT want to bump, scratch, bend or otherwise damage the surface of the plunger. When you are done cleaning with Acetone the plunger should be able to fall out of the unit by it's own weight, you should not have to pull it out.
David Teitelbaum