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TR2/3/3A Hood oilcanning

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joshsibille

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I'm still in the process of taking my 61 TR3A down to bare metal. I started on the hood this weekend. As I removed the old paint and some bondo, I noticed the center of the hood has a some minor oil can popping. It isn't much and the metal is actually pretty straight. Before I start heating and shrinking I wanted to check to see if there is a normal amount of popping to be expected on such a large panel, or is this probably something I can work out. Thanks.
 
I can make mine oil can if I try. The hood does have some forming to help with that along the the sides of the center plus there is a piece of felt or I think horse hair about 3/16 think and 3 inches wide that runs the length of the hood between the last brace and the main sheet metal. The felt piece I believe is for anti-rattle, but should help with oil canning also.
steve
 
Of course, like Steve says, any flattish panel, like the bonnet and the boot lid, will oil can if you push hard enough. Even more...once it has been canned once, it will be easier every subsequent time. I had friends in high school that thought it was funny to invert every car's hood by jumping on them right in the middle. After that they would all oil can!


My TR2 bonnet was straight and clean, but had one spot that oil canned easily. That one spot started almost 2 straight weeks of work shrinking. Looking back, I wish I had some of Lionel's tools, so I could shrink metal while it is cold. Heating to shrink fixes one spot, but often creates more problem areas. It works, but can take a lot of work.


So, just saying...if you decide to fix it, plan on a lot of time to get it right!?!
 
Somewhere, I think I've got a service note about adding more packing between the brace and bonnet, to reduce noise. So I assume many of them would vibrate, if not outright oil-can, when new.

A friend of mine came up with another slight mod that seems to help : he replaced the two fender bolts at the back with rubber buffers like the ones at the front. Adjusted so they just barely lift the bonnet against the hinge pins, they help keep it from vibrating at idle. Otherwise, it tends to rattle against the clearance in the pins.
 
Thank you Randall

I may have to get some rubber buffers on my next order. Seems like an easy solution to hood rattling. May not get concourse points.

David
 
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