Bent Dropout - Aluminium Frame - Bendable?

So I went to fit a rear mech on a alu frame I aquired and saw this:

Bending the hanger in line with the dropout will mean losing 2 sprockets.

I don't fancy getting it stripped then trying to bend it back to see if it cracks (the paintwork is sexy). The frame says 'Campagnolo' on the top tube: i'm hoping that that means it's got steel campag dropouts which might be more malleable. It doesn't say campag on the dropouts themselves.

Anyone ever bent a dropout on an alu frame successfully?

If not, is it possible to get an 8 speed cassette (or a 10 speed with the 2 biggest sprockets removed), and a spacer to fill the space where the chain would be rubbing the dropout at the moment?

Any advice appeciated!

Ta

The fact that it has bent rather than snap could mean it is steel and possible to bend it back, couldn't tell without seeing the frame though. You may be able to get a large pair of grips and try bending it outwards slowly so's not to cause drastic pair cracking or fracturing of the dropout.

Depending on the wheel/freehub body you could get one for a 8 speed but you would also need to change the derailleur as the shifting could possibly be out of sync. You could use a 10spd and swap the last two sprockets for spacers adjusting the limiter screws accordingly. The best solution would be to straighten the drop out so you can use a 10 speed as intended, maybe take it to a frame builder and get their verdict on it.

get some big grips and bend it back, it'll be fine.

Bit late, but thanks for your tips. Taking it in to Condor to see what they have to say. I'm tool-less and all the other LBS i've tried won't touch it for fear of cracking the frame.

It bent back fine. One LBS even said there was no chance of bending it back, and that if I asked Condor they would probably just try and sell me a new frame.

You can try cold setting an alu alloy part but it's my understanding that there's a fairly significant weakening of the material whenever it's bent and rebent in this fashion. If this is part of the dropout rather than a removable hanger, I'd err on the side of caution and consider the frame for other uses sans derailleur. If it is removable I might give it a go with a rear mech alignment tool, just a bit more delicately than with steel -- or would replace it if I was a bit skeptical.

You can give it a try, but it all depends on how much you think the frame is worth, or how disappointed you'd be if you ended up fracturing the frame at such a crucial point. I certainly wouldn't attempt this job without a proper alignment tool. There's nothing worse than bodging a job that already has a fairly high risk factor.

Edit: just realised your replies are much later than the OP -- anyway, my two cents on the subject AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET FOREVER!

Hah, cheers for the comments. I didn't even get to speak to the mechanic at Condor unfortunately. The guy I spoke to looked a bit bemused when I was surprised that it came back fixed with no comments from whoever did it. Impossible to know whether he/she didn't think it was risky.

I doubt it'll be in use a huge amount this summer, after which it will probably retire. I'll strip the paint on the dropout and get the magnifying glass out to see if it's knackered when I do.

Goes to show why the market for 2nd hand alu frames is so weak I suppose.