Nonsense Thread

[mrsleeve]

+1 to this, C25 is basically the standard for mild steel. I run something like C10 because the internet said it was best for stainless, but it still seems to work fine on mild steel.

I think the biggest things other than that are:
Keep everything clean
Use a good ground point
Use a 20A supply if at all possible, and the chonkiest/shortest extension cord possible if you need to.
Small wire (.025" for everaythang)
Welding spoons/backer bar make a huge difference for butt welding bodywork. Basically anything copper or ceramic will work alright

this is all good rules of thumb, Its best to get a 8ga or 6ga extension cord or even make one up yourself especially for the 220v plug amazon has a pretty good 25' option for like 60 bucks and I think I got mine on sale for like 50 a couple years ago.

also word to the wise, with backer plates / chill rings and such, copper is great as steel wont stick too it but if you get it too hot, (IIRC copper has a melting point of just shy of 2000*) well below that of steel. If your doing anything where copper has gravity pulling it towards the weld puddle be careful to not over heat the copper. Copper and Steel DONT LIKE EACH OTHER AND WILL NOT PLAY NICE. Copper will actively migrate in the weld once cooled looking for a way out, and will while molten migrate into the expanded micro structure of the semi molten steel during the welding process at the limits of weld penetration. ANY COPPER inclusions will cause weld cracking at some point just a question of when, while this is not really a big deal when used as a chill ring/backer plate for auto body repairs and such, its just something to be aware of.



Also on a side note what happened the whole forum seems to be loading much faster and more over the whole experience is just more enjoyable than it has been since the software swap, all of the sudden today!!!!!! I still love this place

[MrBurgundy]

I got one of those 220v 50' cords off amazon too. What a good ass cable.

[McGyver]

this is all good rules of thumb, Its best to get a 8ga or 6ga extension cord or even make one up yourself especially for the 220v plug amazon has a pretty good 25' option for like 60 bucks and I think I got mine on sale for like 50 a couple years ago.

also word to the wise, with backer plates / chill rings and such, copper is great as steel wont stick too it but if you get it too hot, (IIRC copper has a melting point of just shy of 2000*) well below that of steel. If your doing anything where copper has gravity pulling it towards the weld puddle be careful to not over heat the copper. Copper and Steel DONT LIKE EACH OTHER AND WILL NOT PLAY NICE. Copper will actively migrate in the weld once cooled looking for a way out, and will while molten migrate into the expanded micro structure of the semi molten steel during the welding process at the limits of weld penetration. ANY COPPER inclusions will cause weld cracking at some point just a question of when, while this is not really a big deal when used as a chill ring/backer plate for auto body repairs and such, its just something to be aware of.



Also on a side note what happened the whole forum seems to be loading much faster and more over the whole experience is just more enjoyable than it has been since the software swap, all of the sudden today!!!!!! I still love this place

Whoa, I haven't seen you post in forever!

[Chilezen]

I run something like C10 because the internet said it was best for stainless, but it still seems to work fine on mild steel.

Never heard of this. Sounds like a recipe for using one bottle to do MIG and TIG.... which some people probably get away with.


Oh, Simon, get yourself an angle grinder with cutoff wheels and coarse flap disks. You're gonna need a shitload lol.

[Northern]

Never heard of this. Sounds like a recipe for using one bottle to do MIG and TIG.... which some people probably get away with.


Oh, Simon, get yourself an angle grinder with cutoff wheels and coarse flap disks. You're gonna need a shitload lol.

I didn't consider that, I just rented the tank knowing I was going to do an exhaust out of 304 at one point and that was what some forum said at the time (6+ years ago now?) I think my plan is to switch to C25 whenever this tank runs out.

Unfortunately I have a second tank for tig. lol

[Chilezen]

I didn't consider that, I just rented the tank knowing I was going to do an exhaust out of 304 l

Did you MIG the stainless? Maybe that's why I haven't heard of it.

Oh on a totally separate note, you had offset your shifter carrier, you suggested I try that to help center mine. Plus I slotted the bracket.. I have a photo somewhere.. anyway it worked, wanted to say thanks.

Edit: this thing! I wish I moved it over a hair further.

[MrBurgundy]

You want the tri blend H/Ar/C02 for SS MIG

And that's like 90% Helium to 7ish of Ar and the change in C02

[Northern]

Did you MIG the stainless? Maybe that's why I haven't heard of it.

Oh on a totally separate note, you had offset your shifter carrier, you suggested I try that to help center mine. Plus I slotted the bracket.. I have a photo somewhere.. anyway it worked, wanted to say thanks.

Yeah I MIGed the exhaust, 308L wire with 304 everything else. Welds are kind of ugly (lack of skill, used pipe, .035 wire seemed hard to get the speed right, other excuses), but it's been almost 6 years with the car living outdoors in Canada with no signs of rust, so I'm happy with it.
Since then, I bought a TIG. I used that for downpipe alterations, and the finished product is a lot prettier and easier to manage heat to prevent warping vbands and whatnot (I still clamp the crap out of them though)

Glad the carrier piece tip worked out. I still have that setup in my car, but I think I want to try a chassis mount at some point (maybe when I ditch the crappy ebay short shifter?).


@burg I've heard of the triblend as well but I don't know how that is for mild steel? Whatever I have seems to work decent enough for both though.

[McGyver]

dumb question: What's the "best" way to seal an oil pan to the block?

I TIG welded some cracks in an old oil pan. Then I lapped the mounting face on a large slab of granite. I'm reasonably confident the flange is flat and it's pretty smooth now, but there are still a few gouges. I will be using a paper gasket.

I was thinking that I should:
1) Clean mounting faces with isopropyl alcohol (I don't have acetone at the garage)
2) Thin layer of goo on the oil pan flange
3) Gasket on the oil pan
4) Thin layer of goo on the top of the gasket
5) Pan on the car with bolts snugged
6) Torque to spec after 20-30 minutes

[roguetoaster]

Dumb answer, but welding it in place is clearly the best way to get a leak free seal.

But seriously, do you really mean a paper gasket or are you talking the normal fiber composite? If the latter, a sensible quantity or decent RTV on both sides of the gasket is fine. Do be sure your oil pan bolt holes are clean of gunk and that they don't get too much RTV in them.

In fairness, you can just use RTV without a gasket, but a gasket in there makes it easier to service later, and takes out of of the flatness issues over the span.

[McGyver]

But seriously, do you really mean a paper gasket or are you talking the normal fiber composite? If the latter, a sensible quantity or decent RTV on both sides of the gasket is fine. Do be sure your oil pan bolt holes are clean of gunk and that they don't get too much RTV in them.

I'm using the blue/green paper/composite MTC gasket versus the cork gasket. I just remember there being all kinds of secrets to keep the cork gaskets from leaking. The Bentley just says to use a little goo on the timing and end cover gaps and then torque to 9-11 Nm. I guess that's what I'll do.

[Chilezen]

Check/clean the PCV system. Any buildup of pressure in the crankcase can contribute to leaks. Additionally, check for any vacuum leaks, because a loss of vacuum in the intake will fail to suck the positive crankcase pressure.
Just a side tip if a seemingly good seal goes bad prematurely.

Oh, some oil pan bolts can get dirty easily when installing them, leading to inaccurate torques. It helps to check if the hole threads are clean.

[MrBurgundy]

RVT is dog shit

permatex makes this tacky pink sealant which I used on that exact gasket, both sides and havent had a problem with it. RVT is a pain in the ass, but if you do use it, you gotta tighten it down just until it starts to squeeze out, wait and hour, then torque to spec, then 24 hours until you fill it.

RVT is the most effective on the inner line of the oil pan, so in theory, most of the "squeezed" out portion will move towards the inside of the pan.

[roguetoaster]

IMO, good RTV, like Permatex Ultra Black should be used more to take up little surface imperfections and possibly as a tacky substance to hold gaskets in place. A mere light coating should do the job, and more is often worse. The downside is the PITA at removal time in the future, but power tools have made that much easier.

Also, cork gaskets are almost always trash, so good that you avoided that, although I admit that I didn't know BMW used them on E30s.

[mrsleeve]

TOYOTA

FIPG (form in place gasket) for almost anything