Yes, take it off the drum, clamp the inside between two blocks and bend it to where you want it. Wrap flat pliers with a cloth. As mentioned, that`s soft steel and may fatigue to the breaking point if you play with it while bending.
This is how I would repair it. The P-83 is easy to take apart. I like to use a large vise with wood blocks.
-Mark
I`ve done it, twice.
Welcome to the forum !!
I'd just vise/clamp bend it to near correct until the replacement arrives.
Post a few photos of the tension rods and rims. The Ludwig folks should be able to help.
Creighton
Got it done over the weekend. It turned out pretty nice. I should have taken pics of the lever before I put the strainer back together and put it on the drum. Anyway, here's the result. Thanks to all for the info.
Here are some pics of the tension rods and washers. This is what most of the tension rods and washers look like.
Here is what the odd rod looks like. The smooth un-threaded portion beneath the head is 3/4".
