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Hardened Keys
- Thread starter sharong
- Start date
Bill,
I am definitely interested, still looking but I am sure I will not find them until I have bought some from someone. Usually when I put something in a “safe place†I find it right after the replacement comes in the mail. If you can find them I would be very grateful. Going to try to get the hubs off this weekend, this is the first time I have tried to get them off so I might not need the keys for a few days depending how hard my hubs come off. Let me know if you can find them and thank you for the offer.
Sharong
I am definitely interested, still looking but I am sure I will not find them until I have bought some from someone. Usually when I put something in a “safe place†I find it right after the replacement comes in the mail. If you can find them I would be very grateful. Going to try to get the hubs off this weekend, this is the first time I have tried to get them off so I might not need the keys for a few days depending how hard my hubs come off. Let me know if you can find them and thank you for the offer.
Sharong
Jose,
Thanks for the advice, I’m out on the Olympic Peninsula and all our “Tractor†places sell parts for big logging equipment. They have large Keys and some smaller ones, but none or the correct size. I have a couple of old ones from parts and they can’t seem to get the correct size. This is actually the first time I could not find a mechanical part at one of these places.
I need to replace bearings on the axels so I thought I should replace the Keys while I had the hubs off and the axels out of the car. I have done front bearings on other makes, this will be my first drive axel bearing replacement, should be interesting.
I’m kind of bummed to have to do this now, our spring and early summer months were very wet and gray, but the last month and a half has been sunny and hot for the Pacific North West. I was really enjoying having the car out for long drives and now I have to put it up for work while the short summer weather is here. I am sure I will find the Keys as soon as I get replacements and winter will probably come rolling in just as I get this project done. But that is the way things go sometimes, I am just happy I was able to drive as late in the year as we could this summer. I really love the way the V6 drives, just smooth and steady all day long. Thanks for all your help
Sharong
Thanks for the advice, I’m out on the Olympic Peninsula and all our “Tractor†places sell parts for big logging equipment. They have large Keys and some smaller ones, but none or the correct size. I have a couple of old ones from parts and they can’t seem to get the correct size. This is actually the first time I could not find a mechanical part at one of these places.
I need to replace bearings on the axels so I thought I should replace the Keys while I had the hubs off and the axels out of the car. I have done front bearings on other makes, this will be my first drive axel bearing replacement, should be interesting.
I’m kind of bummed to have to do this now, our spring and early summer months were very wet and gray, but the last month and a half has been sunny and hot for the Pacific North West. I was really enjoying having the car out for long drives and now I have to put it up for work while the short summer weather is here. I am sure I will find the Keys as soon as I get replacements and winter will probably come rolling in just as I get this project done. But that is the way things go sometimes, I am just happy I was able to drive as late in the year as we could this summer. I really love the way the V6 drives, just smooth and steady all day long. Thanks for all your help
Sharong
was wondering if you can hardened your own keys. can you take a torch an heat them red hot and let them cool.I know if im tring to drill a broken bolt out of an exhaust manifold i can drill the old one out. but if i heat it with a torch it hardened it so much it is almost impossible to drill out. any commets pros or cons
Depends on the alloy. Most drivetrain parts are made of alloys that require quenching (rapid cooling) in order to make them hard. Heating, followed by slow cooling softens it. It is likely that soft keys are made of a non-hardenable steel.
Bill
Hardened Keys- The Clodnealius Clutzenbomb Way
If you have a buddie who drinks a 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew(aka "Da Bloata") daily kindly ask him to pee in a cup then douse your cherry red key in it. Blacksmiths used Ox piss. We used to tease Clayson about bottling his pee with his picture on the label. It will give you new meaning to the word stench....
Agm
If you have a buddie who drinks a 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew(aka "Da Bloata") daily kindly ask him to pee in a cup then douse your cherry red key in it. Blacksmiths used Ox piss. We used to tease Clayson about bottling his pee with his picture on the label. It will give you new meaning to the word stench....
Agm
gordonra
Donation Time
Yes, you can harden the keys by heating them until they are cherry red and holding them there for a couple of minutes, then dropping them into carborizing powder and agitating the powder to ensure they are covered. This adds carbon to the steel making it case hardened. The carbon migrates into the steel from the surface inward and will only penetrate a short distance.
The process would probably work fine for the keys, and most machine shops would have the materials, but considering the effort required, tools, and materials, one has to ask is it worth it? Of course you could always spend $20 to have them hardened rather than $5 for new ones.
