"I didn't take any car, mechanics, or metalworking classe"
Tom,
We all have our own individual approaches to life's challenges. In my case, I regard it as inefficient and a waste of time to try to figure out everything on my own. For that reason I have taken evening adult education classes in welding, machining, woodworking and auto body and fender repair.
Taking body repair as an example I regard the use of bondo akin to plastering and I wouldn't use it on any project of mine. So, if bondo is not going to be used some serious metal working skills are required. One of them is metal shrinking.
I don't think I could have discovered the technique in 100 years. But in the class the technique was demonstrated. It looks (and is) simple but so are tig welding and playing a fiddle although they both seem impossible at first. However after a lot of practice I mastered the technique. That enabled me to make the bed panels on my '36 Chevy pickup perfectly flat again even though they looked like a sack full of rocks when I started the project.
It was the same when removing a "stuck" pin. In my case it was the crankshaft pin on an off road race motorcycle engine. When I went to install a rod kit even a 25 ton press wouldn't press the pin out of the crank halves. So I asked an experienced engine shop owner what to do. He said "Pierce a hole down along it with your cutting torch". That sounded like it was worth a try and guess what? It worked! The pin pressed right out.
So for me asking knowledgeable people how to do something is an effective way to "Get 'er done" and move on. If others prefer the big hammer approach I totally respect their choice.
Last edited by yar; 10/28/2016 2:45 PM.
