Heat Treat Outdrives with Carbon Monoxide Torch? HELP!
 

Ok, so I want to harden my new diff outdrives for my Blitz. The mthod I will be using is heat them up till they are bright orange, then cool with water and repeat once. I don't have a torch, but my neighbor does. However, it's a Carbon Monoxide torch (MAPP GAS). Does this matter, or should I only use a butane or propane torch? Or will it work anyways?

I use oxy-acetaline (sp?) to heat treat parts. It doesn't matter what heat source is used to get the part red. I would use an oil quench (old motor oil is what I use) instead of water. The oil has better temperature control, water tends to make the parts brittle because of the cooling shock.

-JB

Is it really that easy to harden steel parts at home? I mean, I know that's basically the right process, but it just seems like there are so many variables (level and time of heating, time of cooling, specific metal comp of that steel piece, etc.), how do you know it's working, or you are doing it right?

Parts done at home with an oil quench are surface hardened. That's about the best you can do without specialized equipment. I know the process works because I have a Rockwell hardness tester at work. I always test parts before and after.

-JB