What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Duncan Grimmond]

Good temperature indicator, after soap, is the ink from a Sharpie pen. It disappears at the correct temperature.

[Steve kay]

OK, so lots of reading how to do it. Now the difficult bit. Applying the advise and doing it properly. The next question is about the T section that runs round the outside edge of the door.

[Nick Lettington]

This forum just keeps on giving. I have had the aluminium section in my garage for longer than I care to remember...

Any advice on how to tackle the tighter radii between the sides and rear...

[Tony Griffiths]

This forum just keeps on giving. I have had the aluminium section in my garage for longer than I care to remember...

Any advice on how to tackle the tighter radii between the sides and rear...

I've just tried a sharper bend on a piece of scrap. With three annealings, the best I could do was a radius of about twelve inches - but that was with a crude wooden jig. Tomorrow, I'll see if I can improve - but it does look as if a metal jig to keep the section flat as well as bendable will be needed for a neat job; probably how it was done originally.

[Duncan Grimmond]

Not knowing the precise alloy being used can add to the problems. My experience has been that extruded aluminium is considerably harder than rolled and consequently needs more frequent annealing. As soon as more resistance is felt, stop and anneal again. I have found that extruded section seems to anneal better if quenched evenly in a bath rather than under a tap.
It makes the job more time consuming and difficult but making tools and jigs to hold and hit with, and form around always helps. Hardwood punches are very useful.
As ever, the rule of "more haste, less speed" applies. (Oh, and a big rubber mallet helps too!)

[Renaud]

Annealing is really not difficult at all. I can't add anything to what Ducan said. Do really not hesitate to re-anneal when hardening comes.
I use myself liquid soap, what we call here "savon noir", a butane torch and a heavy rubber mallet.
Piece of cake!

[John Mason]

Renault, I am not a french speaker and admire anyone who speaks and writes in a foreign tongue. I was one of those English men who as late as the 1960s pronounced Renault with the LT but would you not have said a piece of gateaux, Having had many trips to France over the rears I now do not pronounce the X any longer in gateaux. My wife who speaks what she calls schoolgirl french commented that my french was improving when I managed to order myself a beer.

John Mason.

[Howard Wright]

Hi All

Now which one shall I use today?

The one on the left is my “trials” axle with straight cut gears.  The middle one is the “road” axle with hypoid gears and the one on the right is out of the RK while I try and remove the worn 8” camber rear springs.  

Despite driving around for a while with loose bolts both springs are firmly locked in.  I’ve just got a long bar ready to use a sledge hammer from the front.

I’m putting the road axle back in the special this afternoon to see if it is quieter than the straight cut gears.

Cheers

Howard

[bob46320]

Use the black one.

[Colin Reed]

HI Howard,
None of those difs are Hypoid, they would need the pinion to be above or below the center line 

Colin 
NZ