Advice on restoring hub caps

rockfla

rockfla

Well-known member
Anyone restored Mercury/Ford caps of this type?? I heard about drilling the hole in back side of shell and using compressed air to "pop" the SS cap off the shell. SO my questions are:


1) What size hole did you drill?? I would imagine around an 1/8, 3/16th maybe???


2) The biggest question of them all, what method did you use to get the caps back on the shell???


Thanks

Rockfla
 

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I'm confused as usual.?. Why not just buff the stainless and paint the surround ? Then
use a paint pin for lettering. And second I would not use a twist drill. If you must separate the parts buy a end mill used on milling machines, it will make a flat hole not a V hole..thats what I would do......sam
 
big job said:
I'm confused as usual.?. Why not just buff the stainless and paint the surround ? Then
use a paint pin for lettering. And second I would not use a twist drill. If you must separate the parts buy a end mill used on milling machines, it will make a flat hole not a V hole..thats what I would do......sam
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What is "pictured" is just for "reference" purposes "only".......I have a set of caps that are "dented" "Scuffed" and "Scratched" and ALL need to be "worked"!!!!
 
If you read the link to the hubcap repair, here is a picture of the form I made. Please note that the hubcap was 1936 and not your 1939 cap.
 

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Thanks Bruce for sharing the information on your techniques for disassembling and reassembling these caps. It is a project I plan to tackle in the future.
 
Hello, i have restored several of that type of hubcap, to remove the S.S. skin (approx. 0.012" thick) i use a #60 drill bit and just pierce the carbon steel cap, apply high pressure air and the outer skin usually pops off. To re-install the outer cap, place the carbon steel cap in the freezer overnight and heat the S.S. cap to 250*, and the outer cap will slide right on.
Tom
 
hotcoupe said:
Hello, i have restored several of that type of hubcap, to remove the S.S. skin (approx. 0.012" thick) i use a #60 drill bit and just pierce the carbon steel cap, apply high pressure air and the outer skin usually pops off. To re-install the outer cap, place the carbon steel cap in the freezer overnight and heat the S.S. cap to 250*, and the outer cap will slide right on.
Tom
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Wow, thanks Tom, will give that a try!!!!
 
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Make sure that your blower attachment has the rubber tip. That makes sure you seal the drilled hole and get the direct pressure of the air.
And you shouldnt need a lot of air pressure -- usually 20 lbs works.
 
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