distributor tip cleaning

[74SpyderGates]

Hi,

The tip of the distributor where the rotor clips into, seems to have a rust film on it. The film of rust also made it's way to the contacts in the rotor. Is it a good idea to try and clean that rust film with a brass brush?

Tks in advance.

Gates...

[So Cal Mark]

sure, just make sure you vacuum all of the dust out so it doesn't get down into the ball bearings

[Fiat1980spyder]

Last me i cleaned that i put a VERY small amount of oil on the shaft just so it would help resist the rust a bit. Kinda like the idea on the mercedes distributors on the 380SL where they have a peices of material that would sit under the distributor rotor which you would add a drop of 2 of oil to keep from rusting as well as the mini cooper with points they had a material which you had to add a little oil to to keep the contacts clean. Think the material was a "type" of material they use for ticky torch wicks which absorb oil and very durable i am not familiar with exactly what it was.

[manoa matt]

Every few months or so I take a dremel and a small wire wheel and clean up the contacts in the cap and the rotor. It makes the car idle and run a little smoother. The oil is to prevent wear on the points lobe. Think of it as a tiny little cam shaft. without proper lubrication the cam lobe will wear and cause performance issues. If the points lobe gets worn down then the timing event will not be accurate.