De-potting the AEC103A

there is a good post from davekj if I recall correctly which identifies a good procedure using a hot air gun. Do a search.

Tony

 

Well remembered Tony, racerboy9, Try post 50 in Adrian's thread:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/206-246/276251-rebuilding-dinoplex-aec103a-3.html
Kevin

 

I used a combination of boiling water and a heat gun and eventually almost all of it popped out in a big brick. The remaining bits required very careful removal with picks and a dremel tool.

 

As you rightly note the connector really complicates things as it is impossible to find and normally quite brittle due to age. If it were not for the connector you can be a lot more rough with the assembly to get the potting material out. I found that a heat gun to the case allows for a clean separation of the potting to the inside of the case faces while a Dremel and care is needed around the connector in order to salvage it. Even so sometimes the connectors break because they are just so darn old. Pity they are not available.

As for the data plate originally it was held in place using 4 pins that were cast into the lid. Once the plate was placed in position at the factory these pins were crushed to keep the plate from coming off. Replicating this method of application is possible but requires a lot of detail fabrication effort to replace the missing pins but the extra time it takes is considerable.

Realistically if you carefully Dremel away a little of the pin (just enough to get the plate off) you can position a new plate with whatever remains from the original pins as a guide and just bond the plate in place with a dab of silicone or epoxy in the middle. You can then lightly tap the original pins with a sharp point punch and it will deform the pin just enough to give the impression of a factory punch while the plate is actually being held in by the aforementioned adhesive.

Of course all this detail work is for a box that resides way in the corner of the trunk and behind a carpet covered panel

 

I used a blow torch and a big vise with old boot leather to hold the case without damaging it on the one I did, being careful not to get anything hotter than it should be. I moved the torch around a lot to prevent too much local heating so the aluminum wouldn't melt. Boiling water might work, but I suspect not hot enough for this potting. If you are going to replace the label anyway, just prise off the old one and leave the cast-in-place pins as they are. The swaged part could be filed slightly to help the new label fit on without damaging it and then some flexible glue to hold the label on and seal the big hole from the elements. Kilimanjaro Designs makes perfect reproductions. Fred

 

I managed to get the old connector out with two flat screwdrivers while the potting was hot following the suggestions in an earlier post from a few years ago and didn't break the connector but it was a risky endeavor. I'm surprised that someone isn't 3D printing a new one in a natural nylon. I have no experience with 3D printing, but surely that could be done at a reasonable price. Stephan's repro box and a new connector might be the better way to go rather than all the fuss. Fred

 

No, Unfortunately. The solder actually tears apart more easily than the potting. If you tried taking the potting out first you would most likely ruin the connector and wouldn't be able to desolder anyway. Pulling the connector straight out allows it to break free relatively cleanly. Removing the potting first would pull sideways on the connector and would break it. Fred

 

Hey, That sounds good. I think you will be pleased. Mid May to mid June is going to be very busy for me (my daughter's wedding amongst other things), but after that or in the near future I should have plenty of time. Before you send it to me, contact me first so the Canadian government doesn't tack on duty and taxes for an empty box. It's a real pain getting the money back. Thanks, Fred

 

I have been thinking about 3d printing the original style connector, I even made the 3d file for it but I didn't feel comfortable making my own connector. If it melts for whatever reason things can go terribly wrong and I don't want to risk that.
I use a standard connector that was commonly used in these cars now so it does look period correct. The good thing (in my opinion) is that it allows me to use a 6 pin connector so it's much easier to install modern ignition that needs more than 4 wires.
It is basically the same size as the original connector and I can bolt it to the case from inside out.
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Stefan,
So I guess the next obvious question is whether an original connector will bolt up to your reproduction box? Fred

 

Yes, the pitch of the holes is different but if you want to mount an original connector you can drill 2 new holes and mount the original one in place.