Timeline Update: March 3rd, 2023

TIMELINE UPDATE

MARCH 2023

  • Harnesses: Ready to ship if in stock OR 1 Week or less from order date if out of stock.
  • Spark plug wire sets/battery cables: 3 days or less from order date (always made to order). If the wire you’ve ordered is unavailable, you will receive a phone call from us to discuss next steps or substitutions.
  • Rebuilt Magnetos: Ready to ship if in stock OR 10 days or less from order date if out of stock.
  • Starter/Alternator/generator testing and repair: A technician will reach out to you with a time and cost estimate after looking at the unit and seeing what needs to be done.
  • If a part is labeled “Call for Availability”: That item is a hot topic and may or may not be in stock. If the item is not in stock, we most likely either have it on order or are in the process or making a batch. If it IS in stock, it is ready to ship.
  • Other items: Ready to ship unless otherwise noted.

 

 

 

#B8138-06,  Black Bakelite Knob

Bakelite

When you read the word “Bakelite,” what does that bring to mind? Bright and colorful vintage jewelry? Grandma’s old plates from the ‘20s? Auto parts?

Bakelite was invented in 1907 by a Belgian chemist named Leo Hendrik Baekeland. Side note: Baekeland is also credited with the invention of Velox photo paper, which was the first commercially successful photo paper that could be processed under artificial light. Baekeland sold his company and the rights for Velox paper to American inventor George Eastman (Yes, THAT George Eastman, of Eastman-Kodak) in 1899.

Back to Bakelite:

How did it all start? Baekeland had told a friend that he joined the industry for money. His first project was to create a viable replacement for shellac, which had been made from beetle shells. By this point, scientists had realized that the natural resins and fibers that would be most useful in manufacturing and clothing were polymers. Baekeland’s wheels started turning.

Scientists were still unsure of how exactly polymers were constructed. They began throwing formulas at the wall to see if they could find a winning combination for a synthetic polymer, testing formulas as they went. While this was happening, Baekeland noticed something: he could mix phenol (a toxic, colorless or light pink crystalline solid) with formaldehyde to create a synthetic shellac. He called this “Novolak” which was never successful. After toying with the formula and doing some thinking, he decided to try something else.

Something Else?

Baekeland shifted to creating a binding agent instead. He tried the binder with asbestos, which had primarily been used with rubber, and found that his mixture—when the pressure and temperature were carefully controlled and monitored—created a relatively durable, moldable plastic that stood up to chemical, heat, and electrical action. This became very popular in radio, electric, and auto industries. The very special thing about this plastic, named Bakelite for its inventor, was that it was thermosetting. This means that you could not reshape it by heating it, and it did not conduct electricity. Despite all of its benefits, Bakelite was relatively expensive, heavy, and nonflexible.

As time wore on, materials and processes improved. Lighter, cheaper plastics that involved less serious chemicals and had more durability became the norm. By the 1940s Bakelite had just about lived out its production. Baekeland retired and sold his company in 1939 to what would become a subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company. Nowadays, you can count the companies that produce similar phenolic resins on one hand. Still, Baekeland and his company set the stage for modern plastics which have shaped a large chunk of manufacturing and industry processes. Unfortunately, due to the drop in availability, the auto industry (including us) has been having a hard time finding some restoration parts in Bakelite.

Today, vintage Bakelite is a collector’s item. Some love to collect the vibrant resin jewelry of the ‘20s, and if you find the right collector it can fetch a fair price. Do you have any vintage Bakelite? Post a comment, or show us on Facebook and Instagram!

#B255LSP12, 12 Volt Positive Ground Delco Distributor Electronic Ignition Kit

Electronic Ignition Part Numbers: A Note

Electronic Ignition Part Numbers: A Note.

As we grow and change, so will parts of the business. We do our best to make any transitions as seamless and painless as possible. This is especially true when we inevitably have to change part numbers. Originally, our electronic ignition kit part numbers were things like B46, or B6P12. We had to make a change when we found that this numbering formula was incompatible with our search setup (which we’re also working on, but that’s for another post ?). A customer searching for B166 found no results, despite the kit being on the website and in stock. The same was true for many of our kits.

Enter: B9600-.

We lengthened the SKUs for the purpose of making them searchable on the site, however there were some growing pains along the way (such as updating all of the part numbers in multiple databases effectively by hand and teaching our team the new numbers and how to find them). While these weren’t problems for long, we’ve realized that not everyone has the newest catalog. For that reason we’ve decided to make a post detailing the change, and how to figure out what the new part number is. It’s a fairly simple formula: You just add B9600- to the front of the number, and with the appropriate amount of zeros after the dash. So, B48 becomes “B9600-048.” B48P6 = “B9600-048P6.” B307 becomes “B9600-307.” B1 is just “B9600-001.” So on, and so forth. It’s not a terribly tricky system to pick up on.

That being said, we’re here to help. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out via the contact form or by phone. We’re happy to look the numbers up, and if there’s enough demand, we may even put a chart together!

As always, be sure to check us out on Instagram and Facebook!

 

An 8-cylinder spark plug wire set with straight terminals on each end and the boots shipped loose.

Custom Cables: Not As Scary As You Think!

Want custom cables and don’t know where to start? We can help! We make all of our battery cables and spark plug wires in-house as they’re ordered, which makes putting a custom set together a breeze!

What Do I Need for my Custom Cables?

To start with, you will need to know:

  • What gauge
  • What ends you want
    • If terminals, what type/polarity?
    • If lugs, what size?
    • Do you want a flag? Which way do you want it bent?
  • The length(s) of your wires/cables, center to center of your terminals
  • Whether or not you’d like armor (for battery cables)
    • Armor length
    • Armor starting point
  • Color or Material

Okay, Now What?

Once you have all of your order info ready, contact us through phone, email, or the web form! If you use email or the form, please include all of the order information as well as your contact information. This is where we recommend asking for a quote if you’re interested in one. We’ll address any initial concerns we have about your custom set here.

Next, one of us will write up your order using one of our custom cable order forms. We review your order one more time to make sure everything checks out, and then we send the paperwork out to the manufacturing team! It takes about a day for the order to make its way through the shop. If we already have a payment method on file, the order is then brought back to shipping and mailed out. If not, the order comes back to the main office after final inspection and one of us gives you a call to collect final payment. Finally, we carry back to shipping to start the final leg of its journey to you! We send a tracking number to the email address you provided for the order when it ships.

That Sounds Easy!

We’re glad you think so! We did our best to streamline our process so that it was approachable and accessible. Our team also works faster and more accurately when we standardize the process for simplicity. If you can think of any other ways that we can improve this process, please let us know either on here through a comment, over the phone, in an email, or even on Facebook and Instagram! We’re always open to new ideas and suggestions!

Rebuilt American Bosch Magneto #MJK4/2 180-31L

Core Return – How does it work?

We’ve had a few questions about the core return process recently, and we thought we’d go over the process in a blog post!

WHOOP-DE-DOO! WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN, BASIL?

If you order a rebuilt magneto on our website, you may notice a something:

There are multiple prices on one page. The price listed at the top is the price of the magneto if you return an undamaged, complete core.  In the description, there is something called “Outright buy Price” and that is the price of the magneto if you do NOT return the correct core, or if the core you send is damaged. Due to the cost and availability of parts, we recommend you send us your used cores using the prepaid label that comes with your rebuilt magneto. We charge you the “core charge” at initial checkout, and refund it within 10 days of us receiving your exchange. The amount of the core charge varies by model, and is noted in the Magneto’s product listing.

WAIT, DID YOU SAY PREPAID LABEL?

We sure did! We send a prepaid shipping label with every rebuilt magneto for your convenience. All you have to do is pack your core up so that it doesn’t get damaged in transit, put it in the same box we sent your rebuilt unit in, slap that prepaid label on it, and put it in the mail. We noticed that people were returning less cores, and it’s our hope that providing these labels helps alleviate the financial stress of mailing a heavy package as well as helping our customers feel more comfortable and confident in the process. The other nice part about us providing the label is that we can pull the tracking number from our system, so you don’t have to worry about keeping track of it (or reading it over the phone ☠).

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CORE QUALIFIES?

It’s simple enough—it has to be a complete magneto of the same type as the rebuilt unit you ordered with no cracks or weld repairs. It needs to have a good impulse assembly, coil bar, and magnet rotor. That’s it! If your exchange meets these conditions, send it!

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH MY CORE RETURN?

When we receive it we process it and refund your core charge. From there we take it to The Workbench and tear it down to clean, inspect, and rebuild it to look and behave like new. At the very least we replace the points, condenser, rotor, cap, coil, coil insulators, lead-out tower, and outside cover. It takes about two days for one of our technicians to rebuild one. Finally, they are all tested before they leave the shop.

WHAT IF I CAN’T/DON’T WANT TO RETURN MY CORE?

You don’t have to send it back! We won’t refund your core charge if you don’t send a return, so please refer to the “Outright” price when buying your rebuilt magneto in that case.

 

 

Still have questions? Let us know!

full set photo with separate boots and terminals

“My Boots and Terminals aren’t attached!”

You’ve ordered your spark plug wire set. That’s awesome! We wrapped it up real nice, shipped it out, and now it’s on your doorstep. You grab the package, eyes glittering with excitement and anticipation. You tear into the package like a wild animal—after all, you’ve been waiting years to get this vehicle running again—and notice something odd: the boots and terminals are separate.

“Why are my boots separate?” you ask.

It’s not a mistake, we promise! Sometimes you install the wires by running them through a conduit in your vehicle that the boots won’t fit through it. Hence, the boots are separately bagged. You are more than welcome to install the boots before you install the wires in these cases, but we don’t recommend it.

“And the terminals?”

We sell some semi-tailored sets, meaning that they are long enough for you to trim them down if necessary but still have all the proper parts for your application. If we pre-install the terminals, it becomes much harder (or impossible) reinstall them after you trim them off. That makes sense, right? If the terminals aren’t attached, then what are the boots supposed to protect? You get the idea. The boots and terminals are separate.

We don’t sell the tools to crimp terminals. Oftentimes, you can do it by hand. Please be careful not to damage the wire or terminal if you decide to use tools not specific to this process.

“But how do I know?”

It’s in the photos! If you look at a wire set on our website and the photos show the boots and terminals separate, that’s how we package and ship the item as well. Make sure that you check the photos before you order, and if you have questions afterward.

 

If you order an item and it doesn’t match the photos or you have other questions, please contact us!

Wire on reel detail photo

New Suppression Wire for Electronic Ignitions

Most returning customers will know by now that we sell suppression wire for use with electronic ignitions (PLEASE do not put copper wires on electronic ignitions–We beg you). Previously, that wire was rated at 1100 Ohms per foot. There’s nothing wrong with that. We haven’t had a complaint about them in… we’re not sure how long, and the modules are not burning up. However, in one of those rare cases most people only dream about, something has changed for the better.

To start with, we only had one grief with the old wire. The recommended specs from the electronic ignition kits we sell listed 500 Ohms per foot. Again, our previous wires were a bit overkill for this, but they did the job just fine and without complaint. Now, our manufacturer is phasing out the 1100 Ohm/foot for a 1200 Ohm/foot wire. Still not the end of the world, but certainly not ideal.

Enter: B9952-058

Our new, ultra-low suppression 7mm EPDM ignition cable boasts 500 Ohms/foot, which is the specified number for those electronic ignition kits we know and love. That means that your electronic ignition will get the absolute most power that we can (safely) feed the unit. We still have some of our old wire in stock and we plan to use it. We’ll be slowly phasing this shiny new stock in over time. The new suppression wire is built basically the same way as our previous stock. It’s a conductive graphite core, proprietary blend silicone insulation, and an outer jacket for protection.

We waited several months for the wires to finally reach us, so you can imagine how excited we are about finally having it! It’s beautiful and shiny and new—but don’t take our word for it. Order some for your next project and we promise you’ll love it!

Brillman Catalog 2022 Version Cover for product photo

The Brillman Company 2022 Catalog

 

Looking for our 2022 catalog? You’re in luck! The 2022 Brillman Company Catalogs are here!

The new catalog has 687 pages of electrical parts for your antique agricultural needs. First, we’ve pared our catalog down from over 800 pages to make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for. Next, we’ve updated the pricing on some of our products, made some clarifications and adjusted product descriptions based on customer feedback. Also, we updated/added some product photos, and double-checked the vehicle compatibilities and part replacements on several products as well! Our team put a lot of work into the 2022 catalog, and we’re so excited to finally have them in our hands!

Finally, special thanks to Patrick Shepherd for letting us photograph his tractors to use on our front cover. We’re ecstatic with how everything turned out! If you’d like us to feature your vehicle, send us a message with your contact info and a photo of your equipment! From there we’ll make sure that we’ve credited everything correctly and get written permission to post your photo—and voila! We’ll post your ag equipment for everyone to see and admire! Have questions? Send us a note through our contact form or send us a message on Facebook!

 

Please note that for catalog covers, you must either:

A) Be local to the Mount Jackson VA area

OR

B) Be able to travel with your implements to the Mount Jackson VA area, as we have a professional photographer take our catalog cover photos.

 

Rotary phone with fountain pen and paper

Calling for Support? Here’s Some Useful Information to Have Ready!

We’ve been there – you get a fancy new wire harness in the mail and darn it; you just can’t seem to get the wires to line up. Or, maybe you got them all to line up, but the engine won’t start. Perhaps you just want to know where your order is, or become a wholesaler, so you decide to give us a call – and we’ve got a checklist of useful information to have ready so that your call goes as smoothly as possible.

We’re always more than happy to take calls. It’s part of what we do. The thing is, our technicians are busy people – and they have a lot of work to do outside of answering questions from callers. There are emails to answer, and harnesses to build, and magnetos to rebuild, machines to fix… you get the idea.

When you decide to call for support, the process goes much smoother if you have the right information on-hand. Calling about an order? Have your name or order number ready. Asking about an item you bought? The item number from our product catalog goes a long way.

 

Here’s some useful information to have ready when you call:

For Parts and Support:

  • Vehicle type, make, model, and year
    • Late model vs. Early model (if applicable)
    • Vehicle Serial Number
  • Part numbers for items you’re looking to replace (a distributor number, magneto number, etc.).
  • Our catalog numbers for parts you’d like to order
    • ex. B3024-159 — most of them will be in this format, but we do have some parts that follow a different naming pattern.
  • Voltage (6v or 12v)
  • Positive or Negative Ground
  • Original build or Modified build
    • Alternator or generator
      • Furthermore, what type of alternator (1-Wire vs. 3-Wire)
        • Not sure how many wires on your alternator? If you have a charge indicator light, it’s 3-wire. If you have an ammeter, it’s 1-wire.
  • Whether or not the vehicle has electronic ignition
  • Whether or not the vehicle has lights and what type
  • Your contact info, in the case that you’d like to reorder a part you’d gotten from us before

 

To Check the Status of an Order:

  • Your order number(s)
  • Your order date(s)
  • The name on the order (Whether it was personal or for a company)
  • The address and contact information used for the order(s)

 

About Becoming a Wholesaler

  • A signed state tax exemption form, OR
  • An email/mailing address for us to send one to so that you can sign it and send it back

 

You are not going to need all of this information every time. It’s good to have it all written down so that it’s readily available when the technician asks for it. The recommended info above is based on the most common questions that we ask customers when they call in for support. Having this checklist ready before you call streamlines the process immensely, and makes it easier for the rest of our team to help you as well so that our techs are free to keep doing their magic.

Brillman 2021 catalog Cover

Brillman 2021 Catalog

The Brillman Company 2021 Catalog

Our catalog is over 800 pages of electrical parts for a variety of different antique vehicles and tractors. Click the link above to access a downloadable copy of our catalog or click HERE to request a paper copy today!