MTFCA Forum

How in the Sam Hill are you supposed to separate new "best" rod shim packs between layers? 20-30 years ago I used to be able to do it easily with a box cutter blade or even a pen knife blade. But these newer shims must be held together with a space age adhesive that would hold a rocket ship glued together sent to the sun! I have tried various blades and a Bic lighter flame, but still I cannot even get an edge to begin peeling. I'd hate to use an acetylene torch because last time I tried that, I ended up with crispy critters all curled up and useless. Oddly enough, I had no problem peeling shim layers from a new main bearing stack ordered at the same time from the same source.

What's the secret no one is letting me in on???

Marshall

Suspend them from a tag wire and hold over a candle flame. It burns away the parafin(?) that binds them together. Heat gun might work too...

A trick I picked up a few days ago was to heat them on a burner until the light smoke stops (the 'glue' burning off) in the shim and then set them in water and they should fall apart. I haven't personally tried this yet, but I'm sure it would work.

Well, I relented and used an acetylene torch flame to melt the adhesive between the shim layers. Judiciously passing the flame across a shim pack held in a vise from a distance of about three inches, a couple of layers quickly peeled away from each other on the ends without damage. The remaining pack could be easily separated with my fingernails. Problem solved!
Thanks for the input and alternate suggestions for accomplishing this, but I believe a torch is the only way to separate these Iron Maiden shim packs.

Marshall

I'd try a solvent, like B-12 Chemtool or lacquer thinner.

You know a cigarette lighter’s flame on the edge of the stack is not as spectacular as a torch but works.