The 'E' Type Forum

I guess to many members this is a silly question, but here goes!
I want to straighten my torsion bar body mount, it’s only slightly deformed..goodness knows by what, but it offends me. (See pic)
So does anyone know if heating this fitting up to red heat in odd spots, will destroy any production metallurgy and render the thing less than optimal?
I suspect it’s ordinary M/S just heavy. Thanks for any replies.
Incidentally this is the current condition of the body on my rotisserie.
Peter.

I agree that it'll be mild steel.

As such you shouldn't need to heat it too much. Just cold work it with a hammer and dolly.

Heating would probably distort it, cause it to bend and twist, you could be worse off than u r now. I'd be classifying it as an honorable battle scar. If u cannot, maybe just try to squash the worst of the dents in a vice, or with a hydraulc hand press?

I just knocked similar damage out of my MK2 crossmember with a 3lb hammer.

The vice is a good idea.

I think I’m going to try the heavy vice idea, although the section is pretty thick and I may not have enough oomph in the vice to do it cold...here goes!!!
Thanks again.

Peter....hold fire....i just wrecked a good old vice.....stripped the thread by over tightening.....use a press. ...Steve

Peter Wrote:

So does anyone know if heating this fitting up to red heat in odd spots, will destroy any production metallurgy and render the thing less than optimal?

Hello Peter,
The material is Mild Steel and considered a low carbon steel as it is defined as having a low carbon content of 0.05–0.25%. Accordingly, you could heat the part to cherry red and quench and no hardening whatsoever will occur. The only way to change its mechanical characteristics would be to apply a soaking heat with the component in a Carbonaceous environment. In this case, carbon is absorbed by the surface of the material (time spent in the Carbonaceous environment determines the depth of absolution) and subsequent quenching will result in a hardened case; hence the term "Case Hardening".

Your part could be successfully repaired to near perfection using a Hydraulic Press by applying a load to the deformed features sandwiched between suitable and as thick pieces of flat bar and plate that can be arranged.

If a press is not available to you and heating is required, the shape and material thickness of this part will resist distortion. In fact, planned and careful application of heat to small areas where the metal is stretched will pull the part back into shape. Because the metal surrounding a small area heated to a plastic state is unyielding and the hot spot is expanding, there is nowhere to expand to and therefore, the metal in the hot spot compacts. When quenched, the hot spot will have shrunk, thus pulling the surrounding metal towards it.

Pressing would be my choice of repair method, but you will find that the deformed edges of your part will straighten up very well cold with a hammer and flat bar as a dolly. With localized heat, the metal will move more easily.

Regards,

Bill

Well I’m glad the plan was for the weekend with so much input, thanks ...I do like this forum.....Do we have any PhD’s in nuclear physics people.....lol.
Mmm I guess we might....how about Byzantine Archeologists??

mgcjag wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:05 am

I just wrecked a good old vice.....stripped the thread by over tightening.

Doesn't sound that good. Even with a chuffing great scaffolding pole over the lever, I'd expect the tommy bar to bend, not the thread to strip. That or the vice to pull off the bench....

Hi Peter....it was a big old vice.....the main thread runs through a large cast bronze looking fitting.....i was useing a long pole.....the cast fitting broke up.....Steve

Fspp369 wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 31, 2021 4:07 pm

Well I’m glad the plan was for the weekend with so much input, thanks ...I do like this forum.....Do we have any PhD’s in nuclear physics people.....lol.
Mmm I guess we might....how about Byzantine Archeologists??

Nuclear physics isn't too difficult to understand. The tricky thing is controlling the reaction.

Byzantine archeology? Where did you dig that one up from?

Regards

Stuart,
I happen to know a splendid lady who is indeed a Byzantine Archeologist, Even she will tell you it’s a bit of a niche market, but what she can’t tell you about the buildings in Venice is not worth knowing, she plays a mean game of Rugby too!
P