Another name for it is diecast. It is used
generally for door handles, emblems, letters, hood ornaments, taillight and
parking light chrome trim, some headlight doors, carburators are also a
form of pot metal, as are wiper motors. Soometimes the end bells on
generators and starters are also diecast. Some Imperials have some diecast
chrome moldings, like my 56 rear quarter molding. Stainless gets blemishes
that polish off, chrome on steel gets rusty pits, die cast gets lots of
pits, and they look white or gray, not brown rusty
color.
Depending upon the use,
there are a lot of compositions of "pot metal", generally it has zinc, and
aluminum and other metals alloyed together.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2002 7:59
PM
Subject: Re: IML: metal interaction
question/pot metal
Okay, dumb question time. What is pot metal composition
wise? Where is it used on a car?
James
John Harvey wrote:
Dissimilar metals for the most part have a
reaction. Some are just more notable than others. I didn't think
Stainless steel had much reaction with aluminum, although regular carbon
steels sure do. Usually stainless is pretty benign and
unreactive. Pot metal doesn't seem to react much with regular steel,
as evidenced by the fact that you can get your fasteners out of there,
usually, and you rarely find problems on the body panels where it is
mounted. Pot metal does suffer from weather and salt. I think you are pretty
safe using stainless fastners with aluminum, but you must be certain that
the gasket between the aluminum and the steel parts like fenders and
headlight pots is properly positioned and in good shape.John
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