SteveWallace
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| posted on 11/2/16 at 08:54 AM |
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Removing dent from SS exhaust can
My MG TC restoration has been on hold for a while, due to other commitments, the crap weather and an injury that I sustained just before Christmas.
However, I've been on the lookout for bargain parts on e-bay. Best so far was a full set of metal panels (that skin the wood frame) for £4.99.
Most are only good for templates, but two or three are re-useable, so well pleased.
I've seen a stainless steel exhaust can that may go for little money. Its never been used, but it was stored badly so has a reasonable sized
dent in the side. I'm tempted to buy it, but it will be scrap unless I can get the dent out.
Do the wise people on here think that it would be repairable? I guess that the problem will be access to the inside of it to push the dent out. Its
not re packable so the ends don't come off, but maybe small holes could be drilled in the dent, screws inserted then pulled back, but how hard
would it be to weld the holes closed again in SS. Alternatively, could I seal the ends somehow and use air pressure to push the dent out (I guess
that the walls are probably too thick to do this though). It doesn't have to be perfect as it will be under the car, but I wouldn't want
to use in its current condition.
Thoughts?
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pewe
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| posted on 11/2/16 at 09:26 AM |
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Depending on how big/deep the dent is try heating around the dent with a hairdryer (hot airgun with care) then blast with compressed air.
Given a few goes it should take the dent out.
Alternatively and depending on how much it's worth there are dent pulling kits for less than a tenner.
A mate used one of the more expensive ones - same principle as them on his Merc and you really couldn't see where the dent had been.
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe10
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r1_pete
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| posted on 11/2/16 at 09:43 AM |
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The easiest way will be to weld several stainless pins to the dent area, use these to pull the dent out, and then break or grind the pins off.
I've used the technique on bodywork several times with success, you can buy puller kits which work on this principle, but it can be done the
locost way.
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SteveWallace
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| posted on 11/2/16 at 10:10 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by pewe
Alternatively and depending on how much it's worth there are dent pulling kits for less than a tenner.
A mate used one of the more expensive ones - same principle as them on his Merc and you really couldn't see where the dent had been.
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe10
Are they the ones on e-bay where you glue a disk to the dent and then use a bridge to pull the dent out? I might have a go with one of them as
someone put a dent in my daughters car door the other day as well, so it might serve a dual purpose.
Probably worth a play for a tenner
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britishtrident
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| posted on 11/2/16 at 12:07 PM |
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Usual way of dealing with dents in exhausts and sumps is to weld a metal tag or bolt on and then heat the area around it with a gas welding torch
it should then pull out easily using vise grips.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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britishtrident
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| posted on 11/2/16 at 12:10 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by SteveWallace
quote:
Originally posted by pewe
Alternatively and depending on how much it's worth there are dent pulling kits for less than a tenner.
A mate used one of the more expensive ones - same principle as them on his Merc and you really couldn't see where the dent had been.
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe10
Are they the ones on e-bay where you glue a disk to the dent and then use a bridge to pull the dent out? I might have a go with one of them as
someone put a dent in my daughters car door the other day as well, so it might serve a dual purpose.
Probably worth a play for a tenner
They are only goo enough for minor door dings in thin flatish panels an exhuast is thicker and has curvature which makes it a lot stiffer.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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hizzi
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| posted on 11/2/16 at 12:36 PM |
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you can weld to stainless with an ordinary mig welder, weld a tab on pull it out then grind the mild steel weld back off
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nick205
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| posted on 12/2/16 at 10:22 AM |
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Can you get inside it? If so I'd have a go with a wooden block on the outside and a small hammer on the inside and try to knock it out. IMHO
welding to the outside and then grinding off will leave blemishes that without paint are hard to cover up.
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Fred W B
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| posted on 12/2/16 at 11:21 AM |
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Pushing / pulling dents out of stainless is harder than on carbon steel, and it suffers more from distortion when welding.
Welding carbon steel to it and then grinding it off is a non starter if you want to preserve the finish as the carbon will contaminate the finish and
show up as rust marks later.
So in short, depending on the extent of the damage, not an easy DIY repair if are you not experienced with stainless.
Regards
Fred W B
You can do it quickly. You can do it cheap. You can do it right. – Pick any two.
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 12/2/16 at 01:30 PM |
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If it's a baffled type silencer rather than absorption, you could use water pressure to push out the dent rather than air. This is much safer,
and you can easily generate high pressures using a pressure washer.
Even cheap home pressure washers produce sufficient pressure to hydroform thin steel.
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motorcycle_mayhem
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| posted on 12/2/16 at 06:53 PM |
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Hydroforming with the pressure washer is the way I've done it, very effective on the usual shallow large area dents that scraping the cones
produces.
Sharp deep dents, weld a tab, pull tab, grind off.
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