I am trying to get some dents out of my oil
pan , and was wondering if I should use heat .
I have tried tapping them out cold and it is
slow going .
Thanks
Dan
Work hardening as part of the forming process would add to the strength of the pan. That being said, Ford did braze on the mounting ears and flange at the rear so a little bit a heat Apparently has no effect. Cracks at the junction of the block and hogshead are often welded up without being a problem.
At the front of the crank case, the piece where the oil seal for the crank shaft sits is soldered in place with tin solder, so you have to be careful with heat near there or you'll have to resolder it in place.
A pan straightening jig is the best tool when making adjustments on a crank case - sadly they're not as common nowadays as they were in the 20's..
(picture by Dan Treace)