MSD distributor

[Leon Rennebaum]

This is a common problem with MSD distributors - anyone who expects bare metal to not rust needs to see my sales brochure for the Brooklyn Bridge! Seriously, Google "rusty MSD distributor" and see all the angry MSD owners. MSD gives the BS answer that it is the ionizing effect of their high energy spark but it is simply bare metal rusting. They knew about this for years and did nothing about it - I do believe they now zinc plate the parts. You need to disassemble the distributor, clean the parts and apply a thin coat of paint to keep it from rusting again. Use a brass wire brush to clean the reluctor and do not paint the pickup! Paint the face of the pickup if it is bare metal. Lubricate pivot points sparingly if using mechancial advance.

[rallye bob]

Read all kinds of unhappy MSD customers....
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...stributor+rust

[FINESPLINE]

Originally Posted by rallye bob

Read all kinds of unhappy MSD customers....
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...stributor+rust

Yes Bob, It sure can be ugly under the cap. Calls for some serious house cleaning. I am experimenting by coating with nail polish.

[Alan Roehrich]

If you were to just leave the ends of the reluctor wheel bare, you should be fine. Do not pain the ends of the magnet in the pick up.

Once metal such as that has rusted, it will continue to rust so long as it is bare and exposed to the elements.

[njk53]

Our distributor did the same thing. Spent way more time cleaning the corrosion mess up than I wanted to. Per someone elses comment, Zinc-Aluminum coating of internal components will only last so long. Zinc is a sacrificial element which the corrosion will attack until the zinc gets eaten through, now it is eating the bare metal again and it doesn't last all that long. They need a more robust coating that contains zinc as well as a hexavalent chrome such as a zinc dichromate coating. The chromium element is one of the best rust inhibitors around but, the EPA is forcing industries in the USA to stop using hexavalant chromes in their coatings. I don't know of any other coating the EPA approves that does a good job of preventing corrosion as hex chromes.

[FINESPLINE]

Well, we have people from all walks of life. Any suggestions from outside the box to use as a rust preventative in our MSD distributors ?

I will throw one out there to start. EEZOX mainly used to prevent rust on pistols and rifles. Goes on wet and dries to protect from rust. This as a metal treatment and did very well in a 2 % salt water spray test. After the initial treatment, salt spray actually beaded upon the metal. Cheap, comes in a can. Has anybody had any experience with this product ?

[Tim H]

I am curious if anyone has painted their cleaned up pick-up with nail polish ? Somewhere I read about using nail polish top coat (clear).