dhmoose
Well Known Member
Am I nuts? I have been using the typical dehydrator plugs for my 6 cyl IO540. They are of this design:
http://www.skygeek.com/ms27215-2.html
I've been replacing the dessicant often lately as the engine is essentially "open" to the world (mounted with FAB on, pipes installed, etc). To replace the desiccant, I remove the dehydrators from the cylinders, remove the beads from the plastic casing of the plugs, and then heat the beads in the oven until they turn blue. On a recent episode of this process, I went to place a plug back into the cylinder and I suddenly saw the bead level change I realized that the gold disc inside the dehydrator plug had slipped down and stopped at the top of the cylinder! I carefully unscrewed the plugs "top" and with the beads sitting on top of the disc, I used a tweezers to pull each bead off. I managed to do this without dropping a bead passed the disc and into the cylinder. The whole experience reinforced my belief that the design of these plugs seems flawed. So, I placed an order with Skygeek for these:
http://www.skygeek.com/dehydrator-plug-18mm-thread-ms27215-1.html
Having just received them, I'm glad to see that there doesn't seem to be a way for the beads to ever escape and go down a cylinder. Whew. I also noticed that the desiccant is already pink Now the problem: How the heck do you get the beads out of this design to dry them in the oven? There doesn't seem to be any way to unscrew anything. Can i put the whole thing in the oven at 250F for hours...or will i return to an upset wife and a pile of melted plastic? I'll admit, it's been a long day and I'm tired. Can anyone help?
Thanks,
David
http://www.skygeek.com/ms27215-2.html
I've been replacing the dessicant often lately as the engine is essentially "open" to the world (mounted with FAB on, pipes installed, etc). To replace the desiccant, I remove the dehydrators from the cylinders, remove the beads from the plastic casing of the plugs, and then heat the beads in the oven until they turn blue. On a recent episode of this process, I went to place a plug back into the cylinder and I suddenly saw the bead level change I realized that the gold disc inside the dehydrator plug had slipped down and stopped at the top of the cylinder! I carefully unscrewed the plugs "top" and with the beads sitting on top of the disc, I used a tweezers to pull each bead off. I managed to do this without dropping a bead passed the disc and into the cylinder. The whole experience reinforced my belief that the design of these plugs seems flawed. So, I placed an order with Skygeek for these:
http://www.skygeek.com/dehydrator-plug-18mm-thread-ms27215-1.html
Having just received them, I'm glad to see that there doesn't seem to be a way for the beads to ever escape and go down a cylinder. Whew. I also noticed that the desiccant is already pink Now the problem: How the heck do you get the beads out of this design to dry them in the oven? There doesn't seem to be any way to unscrew anything. Can i put the whole thing in the oven at 250F for hours...or will i return to an upset wife and a pile of melted plastic? I'll admit, it's been a long day and I'm tired. Can anyone help?
Thanks,
David