954 replies to this topic

[hawk]

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[EunUCh]

You are doing well,bloody big job when it all starts

The lower part of the radiator support panel is as weak as piss.

After replacing the rusted sections i added this.

Very simple and does not take away from structural integrity and can be removed easily if needs be.

"rabbit proofing" the uc.

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[hawk]

Thanks i need something to cheer me up. Gettimg a bit annoyed with it right now. Decided thay i want to redo all the reapairs so when i get a new grinder they are all getting cut back out. Also been doing some wiring and got told to never solder joins in a car by someone. So redoimg some clips under the dash, crimp the new connectors, hook them up and bam... They pull back out and trust me i crimped them tight, so now im gonna have to rip the dash apart to fix it

[tefa]

Nothing wrong with solder and heat-shrink mate

[UCgazman]

Ditto ^^ as long as its done properly soldering is fine, in fact I'd much prefer soldering to crimped joints because crimped joints are too easy to pull apart (as you've found out!).

[hawk]

Yeah ive just gone and bought more wire and connectors. Started the new headlight loom and soldered the joins. Also ordered a manual alloy v8 radiator and my alternator bracket.

Also got another grinder just hope it lasts longer than the last 3 haha. Also transferred the rego to vic and is now regoed for another year. Might try and make tfest this year if funds allow

[Steve TPF]

Ditto ^^ as long as its done properly soldering is fine, in fact I'd much prefer soldering to crimped joints because crimped joints are too easy to pull apart (as you've found out!).

 

 

Yep. I have a proper crimping tool and they still come off sometimes. Wherever practical I prefer to solder - much more secure. When I have to crimp (for jobs that require pull-apart connectors rather than a permanent connection) I fold the wire over so that the crimped fastener has more to clamp on to. If you can't get the wire through when it's bent double then twist it around in a tight spiral - makes it fatter.

Edited by Steve TPF, 09 January 2015 - 02:35 PM.

[EunUCh]

They do reckon never solder a crimp connector but have done heaps and no problem so long as the wire is not just hanging.

Just use minimal heat to make the join secure so that the solder don't run back down the wire too far.

The folded wire in the crimp end works pretty well too.

Take your time with it and you won't have a problem...

[hawk]

finally an update. sorry about the pics as they might not be in order.

 

first up I started welding bits in trial and error pretty much and I did a pretty poor job of a few repairs so am currently redoing them.

I dropped the motor in for a bit so I could sort out the wiring and where I want things to run, then today I pulled it all out again to start

redoing the poor repairs.

 

also had my alloy radiator turn up and bought a rare spares alt bracket.

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[Heath]

Nice work mate. Take your time and with the mig, try and get those butt weld joins on the sheet metal work to have about 1mm gap or a fraction less and weld just a little bit at a time. Also makes it easier if you wire wheel off half an inch around where the weld will be on both parts - nice clean metal is obviously a bit easier for the MIG to fuse to. With careful prep and patience some of these repairs will come up really nicely.

[hawk]

Cheers in the above pic i tacked it in to make it easier then wire wheeled it and cleaned it before continuing will have more pics later hopefully its taking me all day to get that bit in just gotta grind back the welds in some areas still

[hawk]

Thanks i cant afford to get it done so gotta do it myself if i stuff it up i learn from it and try again.

I wanted to remove the bumps where the washer bottle attaches to the inner guard but im worries ill stuff it again so might just weld up the screw holes and leave the bumps.

[hawk]

thanks heres some pics also mucked around with my donor hinge plate.

 

it looked rust free until I separated the backing plate, so to anyone who thinks there is no rust behind there hinges I recommend reving the backing plate to be sure and using a good sealed in there when reattaching it.

 

ill be checking behind the apparent rust free bonnet hinge section on the passengers side just to be sure now.

 

and with the large section in, its all done other than three pinholes after grinding them back but ill get to that tomorrow if I have time.

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[Covert]

Nice work mate, better to be safe than sorry

[hawk]

Ok after a bit of advice as to whether or not i should smooth the engine bay.

Im not overly confident with my welds but thay may just be because im using gassless wire at the moment.

Im considers completely lipping the chassis rails, removing the heater box, removing the lumps in the wheel arches and smooth battery tray and carbon cannister areas.

Is it worth it? And could a beginner manage doing it? Also what would i do with the chassis number? What have others done with theres?

[Bigfella237]

The first step to improve your welding is to remove that flux-core wire, take it to the top of the highest hill around and let it roll... I'm yet to see a decent MIG weld made without gas and after all, MIG stands for Metal Inert Gas welding, it's not really a "MIG" without gas!

 

It's just a shame that hiring a bottle of Argoshield is so expensive, if you're doing a lot of welding it's well worth it but if you only use the welder once a month it gets mighty expensive to have sitting around.

 

Once you get setup with a bottle, flow regulator and the correct wire, next give the tip and nozzle a good clean to get rid of any and all spatter that's built up.

 

Then grab some scrap steel and have a play around with the voltage and wire feed, they aren't "set and forget", you will find you need to constantly trim the setup depending on whether you're welding something thin and rusty or thick and solid, after a little while you'll get good at guessing a starting point and maybe not blow so many holes in whatever you're welding.

 

I also recommend watching a YouTube video or two on technique,  MIG is counter-intuitive to stick welding and different again from TIG.

 

Also, do some destructive tests on your practice welds, clamp one side in a vice and see if you can break your weld, then grind it flush with the metal surface and see if you can break it again. A decent weld should be as strong as the metal around it and if finished properly only distinguishable by the discolouration (and not even then if you go to the trouble of heat-treating).

 

Then it's just a matter of practice, practice, practice!

 

I wouldn't recommend you tackle anything structural like chassis rail work until you're confident

[hawk]

Thanks the welder came with a flow regulator and i have 0.6 wire and tips to suit just need the gas bottle. The smallest one is $200 and goes up from there.

Also after heaths advice of not usimg a flap disc to clean the welds has helped a lot im still having trouble getting a good finish. I thin the metal too much in places and it causes issues any more advice?

[wot179]

Also concentrate on only grinding the weld and not the surrounding metal. Get as comfortable as possible when grinding and make sure you can see where the wheel in contacting the weld. Sneak up on it. Dont be in a hurry.

[wot179]

A note on the term MIG.

Its now known as GMAW, or Gas Metal Arc Welding, as there are some processes used now that use an active gas.
But everyone still calls it MIG.

Pedantic, but true.

[wot179]

I highly recommend buying one of these for sanding.

They perform much better than flapper wheels when used correctly.

80 grit works fine.



There are rubber ones around, but these SAIT units are far superior to them.

Keep it flat when you use it and take it slow.

Keeping it flat lets it act like a sanding block and you will only knock off the high spots. (which is what you want)

Don't let the metal get too hot, either.

The discs go blunt quickly when they overheat and just skate over the high spots instead of knocking them down.

They last a lot longer if you take it easy, as well as doing a much better job.

Discs cost around a buck each.

[rodomo]

Craig is and expert on flappers.