Aluminum IC repair

[tracer]

I have a couple of dings in the bottom of my Cotton FM . The bottom has an upward bend and the adjacent fins are squished. Would it be possible to apply a little heat and straighten this out? Will aluminum soften and respond to heating or do I risk damaging the unit? The actual core seems untouched.

 

[Ormand]

Don't heat it. Aluminum alloys are not like iron/steel, most of them are soft enough to bend without heating, and heating doesn't give the same changes in yield strength that you get with steel.

 

[tracer]

thanks!