The idea that heads-only plating simply involves dipping the heads into the plating vat with no plating ever into the shoulder relies on two things I have never come across in such situations:
1. Accurate wiring which allows the bolt to hang exactly vertical
2. A plating vat which is never disturbed once the parts are delicately lowered in.
Embrittlement does not affect mild steel as much as high tensile stuff, but how is our man to know which of his (totally unmarked) bolts are mild steel? For sure the parts book will not say.
And yes, of course this post plating heat treatment was given to parts originally.
All this fuss because our man cannot bring himself to use stainless …
Cheers, Tim