Date:         Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:09:00 -0800
Reply-To:     neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Window cranks FYI
Comments: To: David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
In-Reply-To:  <4b7a0930.86c3f10a.44dd.fffff4af@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

On Mon, Feb 15, 2010 at 6:55 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:

> In case anyone is wondering whether the window cranks are made of the
> type of zinc alloy that you can bend somewhat -- they're
> not.  They're made of the kind of zinc alloy that looks you straight
> in the eye and then snaps in half.    I needed the bend to clear a
> speaker, so I backed it up with a bent piece of 1/2 x 1/8 HRS with a
> .040 rabbet milled into it so the screws wouldn't have to do all the
> locating work.  Hey, I wanted to use the new (Taig) mill anyway... :)





I'm sure the new mill is quite nice,   :)   but FWIW, I was able to
bend the window cranks on my '81.

I heated them up with a standard propane torch. I kept flame moving
and applied light pressure until crank started to bend. It didn't take
much heat to do this but the plastic cover may melt a bit. In my case
not a problem as I bent mine too far and cover wouldn't stay put
anyway.

Ready in the vise

http://tinyurl.com/ygq9qpu

Bent a little too far, but cleared speaker grill nicely:

http://tinyurl.com/yzpdyqh

plastic cover shown but didn't stay put:

http://tinyurl.com/yzr3jcl

I assume it's a fine line between heating enough to bend and doing damage.

I don't know if metal content changed in later MY cranks.

And of course, YMMV.  :)

Neil.



-- 
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"

http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines