whats the best way to bend a handle

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Princess Valiant

Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
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i have this handle i recently aquired and despite it having what i thought was a mopar part number stamped on it ......i really think its a GM handle


if i can bend it just a little ...it would be usable in my dart.

the flat part that is circled needs to be twisted a bit so that the angle will be the same as the known A-body handle.

what is the best way to do this:

should i heat it up and then try to bend it

or try to bend it cold in a press or something?

any ideas.

these are hard to come by and i paid a lot for it and i need a good handle thats why im trying to use it by any means but any ideas are welcomed.
 

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I would try and I say try cause it might not work. Stick it in a Vise with the part you want to bend out of the vise. Find a cheater tube about 3 feel long or so, stick it over it and see if you can bend it like that. If not out comes the heat.
 
Why not sell it and buy the right one? It sounds like that is a rare GM shifter, If you sell it you should get your money back, then you will not be ruining a rare GM part. My 2 cents
 
66340SEDAN said:
Why not sell it and buy the right one? It sounds like that is a rare GM shifter, If you sell it you should get your money back, then you will not be ruining a rare GM part. My 2 cents
Click to expand...


what if it dont sell for what i have in to it .....and i doubt i can find an a-body one so easy and even if i find a known A-body unit it will prolly be priced way too high.

if i sell it before i replace it ....what if i end up with no handle.


the other one in the pic that is a known A-body handle is not mine ....im just borrowing it for reference.


thats just what is going through my brain lol.
 
The only way you will bend that is, with an oxy/acetylene torch....Get it red hot in a vise and bend it with a pipe wrench or pipe.Wear gloves and have a bucket of water to dip it in...
 
Cut the end off, reposition it where ya need it, and weld it up. You can even grind the weld down so it can't be seen.
Or put a Hurst in it so it'll actually shift right.

George
 
Mad Dart said:
Snap? Wow never thought of that with such a thick piece of metal.
Click to expand...
im pretty sure it has been heat treated and hardened, it may bend some , but I think it will break







*disclaimer* this post is in no way shape or form a sexual innuendo
 
Sorry Rani, I still say sell it lol, after heating that one the chrome will be junk, then you will have to pay more money to rechrome it. I say it's better to let it go and get the right one. Why not use an f-body handle for now? Aren't they the same bend, and easy to find....
 
heat it at the very bottom of the round part and bend it. Boot should cover it.
 
Pretty sure that's a later F body shifter. I've got a couple like that, they came with 833 OD's. They aren't worth much if that's what it is. Might also be for a light truck that came with a 833OD. Either way, if it came off anything with an 833OD it isn't worth much.

I seriously doubt you're going to snap that handle trying to bend it without heat. But, I don't think you're going to actually be able to bend it without heat either. :D

Clamp it in a vise, heat up the area your want bent until its cherry red, then bend it by sliding a piece of pipe over the other part of the handle to use as a cheater bar.

The heat will blue the chrome, but if you're careful it should be below the shift boot anyway. You can always put a wet rag over the part you don't want to heat up.
 
I am with him ^^^ (and better directions)and the bootie covers all....
 
72bluNblu said:
Clamp it in a vise, heat up the area your want bent until its cherry red, then bend it by sliding a piece of pipe over the other part of the handle to use as a cheater bar.

The heat will blue the chrome, but if you're careful it should be below the shift boot anyway. You can always put a wet rag over the part you don't want to heat up.
Click to expand...

Xs 2 with this advice! To retain the heat treating, dip the still hot part in hot cooking oil to quench it. Otherwise, you may find that hard shifting starts to bend it there.
 
My opinion?.....don't do it. Do like 66340sedan said and sell it, trade it or just use it as-is and wait for the right opportunity to come along! I don't think the shifter you want is actually that rare or hard to find. If you heat it, it'll look like sh**, and the chrome will be "done" and how will you feel then about how much you paid?

Patience.
 
George R said:
Cut the end off, reposition it where ya need it, and weld it up. You can even grind the weld down so it can't be seen.
Or put a Hurst in it so it'll actually shift right.

George
Click to expand...

I think cutting with a whiz cutter then reweld with a wire welder would all go under the boot and get the desired effect. Only worry would be strength at the weld.
 
These are not heat treated. They only need to move a shifter, linkages, forks and synchro hubs against the strength of the transmission's detent. This is a piece of mild steel and it will bend like a pretzel cold, with enough force, but not nearly as uniform, as easily or as controlled as with heat. Have you ever seen what a strut rod does in a collision? If Chrysler were going to spend the dough on heat treating anything, it would have been those.

I bend metal like this all day, at work to make things for street rods.

If you want to salvage the chrome and bend it low, do this;

Set the flat end in a vise with two pieces of sheet metal or even some washers on the flat sides, so the knurling of the vise doesn't chew the shifter mount, get a soaking wet rag and wrap the handle, about 2" above the bend in the rag, keep a quart of water nearby and wet the rag as you use a torch to heat the bend at the base. the bigger the rag, the better to hold more water.

Put the bend where you want it and continue cooling the handle area that is covered by the rag with fresh water. Let the bend air cool until you can handle it and test fit.

The chrome will come off at the point of heat, but if you use a wet rag as a heat soak, it should keep the temp controlled and will keep the chrome you have looking good, where it is visible.

Ask me how I know. ;)
 
DaveBonds said:
These are not heat treated. They only need to move a shifter, linkages, forks and synchro hubs against the strength of the transmission's detent. This is a piece of mild steel and it will bend like a pretzel cold, with enough force, but not nearly as uniform, as easily or as controlled as with heat. Have you ever seen what a strut rod does in a collision? If Chrysler were going to spend the dough on heat treating anything, it would have been those.

I bend metal like this all day, at work to make things for street rods.

If you want to salvage the chrome and bend it low, do this;

Set the flat end in a vise with two pieces of sheet metal or even some washers on the flat sides, so the knurling of the vise doesn't chew the shifter mount, get a soaking wet rag and wrap the handle, about 2" above the bend in the rag, keep a quart of water nearby and wet the rag as you use a torch to heat the bend at the base. the bigger the rag, the better to hold more water.

Put the bend where you want it and continue cooling the handle area that is covered by the rag with fresh water. Let the bend air cool until you can handle it and test fit.

The chrome will come off at the point of heat, but if you use a wet rag as a heat soak, it should keep the temp controlled and will keep the chrome you have looking good, where it is visible.

Ask me how I know. ;)
Click to expand...

Heck yessssss!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS0RA9eCsQk"]Yesss - Napolean Dynamite - YouTube[/ame]
 
LOL , I still wouldn't do it without heat. seems at some point in my life I saw someone break one trying to bend it.
 
Heat it, bend it or cut it, weld it.
Then paint it the Same color as your exterior paint color.
My two cents.
 
DaveBonds said:
These are not heat treated. They only need to move a shifter, linkages, forks and synchro hubs against the strength of the transmission's detent. This is a piece of mild steel and it will bend like a pretzel cold, with enough force, but not nearly as uniform, as easily or as controlled as with heat. Have you ever seen what a strut rod does in a collision? If Chrysler were going to spend the dough on heat treating anything, it would have been those.

I bend metal like this all day, at work to make things for street rods.

If you want to salvage the chrome and bend it low, do this;

Set the flat end in a vise with two pieces of sheet metal or even some washers on the flat sides, so the knurling of the vise doesn't chew the shifter mount, get a soaking wet rag and wrap the handle, about 2" above the bend in the rag, keep a quart of water nearby and wet the rag as you use a torch to heat the bend at the base. the bigger the rag, the better to hold more water.

Put the bend where you want it and continue cooling the handle area that is covered by the rag with fresh water. Let the bend air cool until you can handle it and test fit.

The chrome will come off at the point of heat, but if you use a wet rag as a heat soak, it should keep the temp controlled and will keep the chrome you have looking good, where it is visible.

Ask me how I know. ;)
Click to expand...

Great advice!
 
RaniDart70 said:
i have this handle i recently aquired and despite it having what i thought was a mopar part number stamped on it ......i really think its a GM handle


if i can bend it just a little ...it would be usable in my dart.

the flat part that is circled needs to be twisted a bit so that the angle will be the same as the known A-body handle.

what is the best way to do this:

should i heat it up and then try to bend it

or try to bend it cold in a press or something?

any ideas.

these are hard to come by and i paid a lot for it and i need a good handle thats why im trying to use it by any means but any ideas are welcomed.
Click to expand...

I would try to cold bent the first bend radius comming down from the shifter handle, to match the original shifter, old engine pulleys or pipe are are real helpful for this.
This way you dont trash the chrome too bad.
Cut and re-weld the bottom of the shifter to match. It is under the boot.
If you cant weld I bet there is a neighbor or shop close that would do it for you.
Is there a member close to her that can help her out?
 
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