The Ford Barn - View Single Post - v8-60 tube axle question

Bruce Lancaster · 04-06-2011, 01:19 PM

On the letters...most V8 axles (regular beam type) carry an EE or EE-number near the end. This is code for Ford electric furnace steel of a certain type, and maybe the number relates to the heat treat type used. Your BB may well be another steel formula...I don't know if I can find the Ford metallurgy text, but will look.
I have been told that Hydrogen embrittlement is only a problem on hard heat treats and that the tough but relatively soft formula and heat treat on Ford beams is not susceptible to it. Dunno personally...no education in that area.
A guy (physicist) from Bell Labs here told me the migrating hydrogen actually attacks the hard surface from below, like shot peening from the wrong side!
The need for immediately heating plated parts was supposedly discovered by the Navy in the '30's when carrier fighter landing gear, plated for salt water resistance, started failing on routine landings. The design, like everything for carrier planes, was insanely strong and overbuilt...investigation led to understanding of HE and the heat regime needed to counter it.

04-06-2011, 01:19 PM	#12
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: v8-60 tube axle question On the letters...most V8 axles (regular beam type) carry an EE or EE-number near the end. This is code for Ford electric furnace steel of a certain type, and maybe the number relates to the heat treat type used. Your BB may well be another steel formula...I don't know if I can find the Ford metallurgy text, but will look. I have been told that Hydrogen embrittlement is only a problem on hard heat treats and that the tough but relatively soft formula and heat treat on Ford beams is not susceptible to it. Dunno personally...no education in that area. A guy (physicist) from Bell Labs here told me the migrating hydrogen actually attacks the hard surface from below, like shot peening from the wrong side! The need for immediately heating plated parts was supposedly discovered by the Navy in the '30's when carrier fighter landing gear, plated for salt water resistance, started failing on routine landings. The design, like everything for carrier planes, was insanely strong and overbuilt...investigation led to understanding of HE and the heat regime needed to counter it.