turbo 6 bangers post here
The .041" wire turned out to be too large to fit into the groove, so today I found a source ("Fastenal") for some .039" stainless steel wire. Thursday, I will try to buy a 5-pound coil of that smaller wire and try it as soon as I get my hands on it.
I'll let you know how it turns out.:prayer::prayer::prayer:
Progress report, Doc!!!
The O-Rings are IN!!!!:blob:
The .039" wire was inconsistent when measured with a digital caliper (ran anywhere from .035" to .039"-diameter and was so stiff it was REALLY hard to bend into the circular grooves, SO... I took it to Coleman Heat Treating in nearby Jackasonville and got them to anneal it.... which they did for the princely sum of $55.00 and three days.
When I got it back, it was limber and fit into the grooves easily, giving me none of the problems I'd had trying to work with it and the .041: wire that was too big.
How to make it stay in the grooves, though, was the next problem. It SHOULD have been a .001" interference fit, but most of it just wasn't. So, I took the coward's way out and bought a tube of KRAZY glue and once the wire was cut to length and had been trial-fitted to the groove, I just laid down a very sparse coating of KRAZY glue in the bottom of the groove, let it set up 'til it was "tacky," and then stuffed the wire down into the groove and held it with my fingers until it was solidly attached to the bottom (and, sides) of the groove... a matter of only one or two minutes.
After fighting this battle for three week or more, with little or NO success, I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven!!!
Here are a couple of a pictures I took of the finished product. :wack: