Anybody want a new friction tip for their vacuum brake?

[tubman]

Originally Posted by Admiral

I made a punch to make new leather discs for my various distributors, though I went to a local shoe-repair shop and bought a replacement heel piece. The leather is about a quarter-inch thick and cost me all of a dollar. There was enough material there to cover about 10 vacuum brakes, far more than I'll ever need.

Where were you when I needed you? Having this stuff doesn't do any good unless you let others know. BTW, what did you use to punch out the discs? If you have something better, I'd like to know; it's the hardest part of all this.

[5851a]

Place I worked at had a set of gasket punches. I see them on Amazon and other places. Lang tool 950. Ones at work came from Snap on guy. Same package except Snap on was in red box.

[slowforty]

You could also use a brass shell casing for a punch.

[tubman]

I bought the best 5/8" hollow punch I could find and I have to sharpen it every two or three discs. That stuff is tough. "slowforty" - Sorry, but this stuff would eat a brass shell casing for lunch. I'm still kind of amazed that "Admiral" was even able to find a Shoemaker; there aren't any around here anymore.

[GB SISSON]

Once a new disc is installed, what's the best initial setting for the adjustment screw?

[richard crow]

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the post office is like mvo office each clerk makes up there own rules if they don,t know the actual rule

[fortyonerag]

Yep, they seem to make the rules up according to the person at the point of lodgement. One thing is for certain, sorting equipment checks for envelope stiffness - to stop damaging the mailpiece. Seal the envelopes well so they don't come apart if the stiffness detector is faulty.

Before retirement I was heavily involved in the design of postal automation down under

[keith oh]

Go over to the Early Ford V8 site and check out the for sale section. I just received a coulple for a buck, came by regular mail.

[Admiral]

Originally Posted by tubman

Where were you when I needed you? Having this stuff doesn't do any good unless you let others know. BTW, what did you use to punch out the discs? If you have something better, I'd like to know; it's the hardest part of all this.

Sorry! I just saw this thread the other day. Anyway, here's what I did.

This is the punch, a simple piece of mild steel bored to the appropriate diameter with a tapered cutting edge on one end. I used a piece of scrap metal for this since it was free, easy to machine and I'm not making hundreds of these so if the tool gets dull it doesn't really matter.



Here's the disk, which is easily cut from the shoe heel, either by setting everything up in a vice and cranking it closed or -- if you're the particular sort -- you can do the same in an arbor press. The former was dead simple and took about five seconds. As mentioned by others, I jammed this leather piece in there with a touch of super glue to hold it fast. After this, I oiled it well and installed it.



And here's the plunger/piston it attaches to.



And a correction, the leather appears to be about .205", not .250" as I initially indicated. Still, it seems to work just fine in my car. No complaints.



Hope this helps!

[tubman]

Funny. Even with my "High-Class" purpose made hollow punch, I was not able to press it through using my vice. The arbor press was even less effective. I ended up boring a 7/8" hole through a 4X4, inserting the punch, laying that on top of the leather on top of another piece of wood and hitting it as hard as I could with my biggest sledge hammer.

I sure wish I would have known about these other sources before I went to the trouble. Oh well, if anyone else needs one, there is a source. As an aside, I don't think the .205 would have cut it with the Mallory distributor; any wear and it would have been metal to metal.

[grumppyoldman]

I never heard an answer to GB's question about initial setting of the break. What is it? Al

[tubman]

It's my thread, but I can't help because I got into this because Mallory leather tips are the same size (diameter anyway) as those in a Ford. I'm sure "Bubba" or some of the other guys know. In the final analysis, this thread is probably not the best place to ask, since it has turned into a critique of the USPS and my pricing.

[flatheadmurre]

With modern fuel the pressure on the break don´t have to be much.
As long as you have it rubbing with no vacuum it will work...then you can adjust it in if needed under hard running of the engine.
2-3 turns in from full out is where i start.

[grumppyoldman]

There you go, just ask and you will receive. Al

[Capt Kirk]

Instead of a punch, wouldn't something like this work better?

https://www.amazon.com/QST-CAIDU-Cut...s=dowel+cutter

[tubman]

That one (and several others on Amazon) looks good. Unfortunately, I have a lifetime supply of discs already.

[34fordy]

I just received my 2 tips from tubman (Thanks Denny)--After removing the old tip I realized that the opening for the tip is crimped about .050 at the outside end--I turned a short taper on a piece of 5/8" round and pressed it into the opening to allow the tip to be easily pushed in--Then I bored a short taper in a piece of round stock and pressed it over the body to re-crimp the outside edge--There is no need for any adhesive to hold it in place--I have the brake/tip soaking in lubricant now and will probably use some silicone grease as recommended by Bubba when I assemble--This is for my back-up dizzy--

[edhd58]

Anymore tips from someone available. Mine is GONE. it must have been dry as all i have in there now looks like felt shavings.

[tubman]

I still have the leather and the punch and can send you two for $7.00. If you can get the equivalent cheaper some where else it won't hurt my feelings; punching them out is no fun.

As a matter of fact, I think I have one disc soaked in MMO left; PM me your address and I'll wrap it up and send it to you for nothing. I'll send it regular mail, and you should get it, but no guarantee.

[Ian NZ]

I have found that on some Ford V8 distributor brake pistons that the recess for the leathers are of different diameters.