jfg455

iTrader: (5)

I have use the cheap ebay intercoolers with good success so I thought to my self (this is where I went wrong!) why dont I just get a whole kit with tubing and everything. I can just cut and weld where needed right? WRONG! After a couple of hrs swearing, changing TIG settings, Changing filler rod and gas I finally firgured out that the aluminum itself was filled with impurities and just crystallized when I tried to weld it. Same settings rod and gas produced a perfect weld on some good old american 6061. WTF! Well, never again!

black98ws6ta

iTrader: (77)

Yeah thats right, it will never look good. The best you can do is wire brush the section you are welding but it still will not weld clean.

AKAFRED

iTrader: (1)

on my car i got the cheap china inter cooler and welded a new top tank on it fine.. never tried the china tube thou..

i did find it welded much nicer when you wire brush the matl before welding also use a clean stainless brush for best results.

427

iTrader: (3)

Sounds like the metal is dirty, but you might try purging the tube while you are welding.

Kurt

Shearer

Is it polished china-bay crap? If so it may not actually be polished and is plated. I've had some guys bring that in and it welded terrible. After cleaning it real good it looked to be copper plated and then chromed.

TurboZ28408

iTrader: (18)

might plated

or the ones you got might be anodized which needs to be brushed/wire wheeled off ( which also in turn sometimes puts impurities back into the metal if its not an aluminum only wire brush**)

smokinHawk

iTrader: (48)

the aluminum polished tube i got from ebay welded just fine for me

jfg455

iTrader: (5)

yea it was the 'polished' piping from china-bay. I tried wire brushing with a dedicated clean SS brush. No good. I tried grinding/sanding back the surface about 1/2" on both sides of the weld. No good. I then tried just running a bead on the surface of the pipe (no butt weld) same way, cleaned and sanded. I was able to run a bead but you could see the impurities coming up through the weld itself. I then didn't change a thing and put a bead down on a crappy piece of 6061 that was under the bench and viola! it was a perfect weld. The impurities that come up look just like what comes out of a lost sand cast aluminum that you try to weld IE; front engine cover, t stat neck etc. I'll post some pics tonight when I get home.

A side note, I've had no issues what so ever welding mounting bungs, tabs etc. onto the cheap intercoolers.

ls1290

iTrader: (20)

As mainly other crap-bay threads, the quality of the product is total hit and miss. Not worth the risk IMO.... why waste several hours to possibly save a buck or two

Shearer

I tell locals that all the time but it falls on deaf ears. So I charge them double when they want me to weld that crap up.

jfg455

iTrader: (5)

I basically need to get off my lazy *** and find a good supplier of aluminum tubing and bends locally. And buy a $500 bead forming tool! Just what I need, more tools!! Is that the wife I hear? mutter mutter mutter.....

98Camarod

iTrader: (43)

Did you get those pictures of the welds loaded up?

Ralls

iTrader: (32)

I didn't have a problem welding together the ebay aluminum tubing or the intercooler.

jfg455

iTrader: (5)

first is the 6061 the others is the crap pipe.

98Camarod

iTrader: (43)

Did you get that from cxr or whatever on the bay?

kbracing96

iTrader: (25)

Your probable pulling impurities from the inside of the tubing. I'm pretty sure the plating crap they use will be on BOTH the inside and outside of the tube since it a most likely a dipped process.

pwrtrip75

iTrader: (8)

Both welds dont look right. Ya one is cleaner than the other but still looks like a caterpillar sitting on there. I would say break the crustified tip off the tungsten and also make sure your gas is adjusted right, the gauge is worthless, depending on what cone you have on (small or large) will determine the velocity of the gas flow. Generally Alum usually welds better set higher than you would SS or mild. I have welded crappy dirty aluminum yes, and the first pass you go over boils all the impurities out. I clean it off and go over it again and then its perfect. Ive welded a lot of alumium, the oil pans are really bad. But ive never had any that I wasnt able to finally make look good.

jfg455

iTrader: (5)

I even tried a brand new tung with a fresh grind on the tip no luck. I tried doubling the gas pressure also. It seems to almost crystalize just as a good puddle was forming. I tried hitting it full pedal right out of the gate and backing it down as the puddle formed, that seemed to help some. The first pic the weld temp could have been hotter due to the fact that it is not a butt weld and the piece is slightly thicker. Would have penatrated better.

It was CXR or whatever from ebay that had the pipe. I was able to weld it using the spool gun but it was just not as neat of a job as I would have liked. I find that if I am to do an oil pan I wash it first in my works steam parts cleaner first then bake it 30 min in a junk oven that i have at 400*. Seems to push alot of the oils and crap out of it first. Also a good wipe with myriotic (sp?) acid helps. Thanks for the input. G

lcvette

iTrader: (3)

there is a 2mm thick piping set sold on ebay that is very nice, has bead rolled edges is affordable, is a satin T6 aluminum and welds beautifully. you can grab a set for under 100 bucks shipped with nice silicone couplers and T-bolts. it is well worth your time to ditch the plated pot metal mix pipes you have, suck it up and grab the nicer pipes. read the write up in the text body of the sellers description, it will state pretty much what I just wrote above.. these weld great and then they take next to no time to polish if you want some bling.

Chris

jfg455

iTrader: (5)

Good to know. thanks for the info. I just hate using 300 couplers like the honda kids do and have one blow off. I'd rather weld as much of it as I can. G