brian g

iTrader: (1)

I'm doing a never ending, never really got a good start LS1 T56 swap into an very nice 83 supra and I am cutting down the GTO oil pan and X member to fit the engine in as low as possible (Also dropped X member 1.5" with lowering blocks-I know I'm doing it the hard way...)

Anywhoooo, I have a basic home welder that runs on 110, it will weld up to 1/4" and has no trouble doing so, it's a Lincoln 3200HD not using gas- MIG.

Can I get this welder to weld up my cast Aluminum pan-I've purchased some 1/4" aluminum (looks like a square structural beam 8x8) and would prefer to learn/practice and attempt this myself instead of paying someone else.

This is what I've learned on an internet search:

Get a teflon liner for the welding gun
Use high flow pure Argon shield gas with a fast wire feed rate and run hot.
Use 4043 Aluminum wire because 5356 wire (although stronger/stiffer) does not like operating temps above 150 degress F.
Clean the pan VERY well to de-oil and use a dedicated stainless steel wire brush to avoid contamination.
0.9mm wire is better than the 0.8mm to help with feeding.

I'll weld up the inside and outside.

Is this possible, or should I just start hunting for some one who has the appropriate equipment?

Or should I jump in and get a DHC 2000 (formally Henrob 2000) Welding Machine?
Thanks in advance.

mramay

iTrader: (4)

It cost me $40 to have a local professional welder weld my GTO pan. IMHO, this is a critical weld that if it fails can cost you a very expensive engine and not the place to start your aluminum welding career!

Also, we clamped the pan to his welding table so that it wouldn't warp like the first GTO pan I had done by a neighbor.

Old Geezer

iTrader: (3)

^^^ x2..

Jeff Smith

iTrader: (44)

do search here..I saw someone had weld it on oil pan and it works!!
Do your best and show us pix after you done.
Good Luck..

-TheBandit-

iTrader: (1)

I would not recommend MIG welding aluminum for your oil pan. First there are a number of issues with wire feeding for aluminum - the best bet there is to use a spool gun. Second, your MIG welder is a DC machine - an AC TIG welder is best for aluminum because one polarity gets good penetration while the opposite polarity is best for cleaning. DC welding aluminum often yields poor results. Third, you would need appropriate shielding gas (pure argon) which you probably do not have. And finally, when you add up the expenses, I think you will find it a lot cheaper to have someone TIG weld it for you.

Just my $0.02

joker120

Welding feeds and me and has for a long while...

Take it to a pro, sorry bud but this one is just a tick over you're skill set and equipment

Jimbo1367

Clint,
Very well put. It just doesn't make sense to " do it yourself "

70Nova SS

I tried welding cast iron with a MIG w/shielded wire and it's a pain. Cast popped and splattered and wasn't uniform at all and cast iron is more forgiving than cast aluminium.

Good reason to get a new tool, TIG.

cookseyb

To weld aluminium that thin you need a high frequency, water cooled, AC Tig set-up. The material needs to be "Hospital" clean and in a proper environment(no drafts or wind), You will be much better off to take it to someone with the correct equipment. You can use a wire gun if you want to but it will look like a "Gorilla" welded it..just my .02cents,( retired aircraft welder) Bill

wkdivr

iTrader: (8)

What he said!! Best welding advice I've seen on here!! Been at this stuff 30 years, too.

brian g

iTrader: (1)

Thanks all for your words of wisdom!
I will probably hire this job out, unless I get the foolish notion to get rid of my MIG and start practicing with a Henrob 2000/ DHC 2000-it seems a much more versatile tool than a 110V MIG.
I was hoping my MIG would work with Argon and a Aluminum feeder.

I really hate letting other people work on my equipment, it's been a bad experience in the past........
Don't worry-if I take this on with O/A I'll get plenty of practice with the scraps I've got lying about.
I realize the oil pan is a structural part of the engine.
Thanks again!

nunan0219

iTrader: (2)

to weld that aluminum properly, youre going to need more than a few scraps of aluminum to play with. you'll need hours and hours and hours of pracitce and screwing up, and having someone there to teach u how to weld it. your better off just bringing it to a reputable welding shop with the proper equipment and get it done right the first time. 40$ and 1 day instead of thousands and multiple times of ****** up and gettin it right (mayb if your luckY). just my .02

leon phelps

You can mig weld aluminum with a spool gun and straight argon gas.

I did mine. Weld looked mint. Put water in it over night. Looked great. Put it back on the engine, filled it with oil. Came back in a week, it leaked.

I even put the pan in the dishwasher to heat wash it.

Take it to a welder. Mark where you need the cuts. I am pig headed too and didnt want to pay the $50 for it to get welded when I have a better welder than the guy who did the job. Something to be said for the everyday welder who tigs during his lunch, when I mig once a month.

txcarbuilder

I would definitely have this done by a professional with a TIG machine. I had one welded this way and even though I bolted it to a spare cast iron block it did warp a little. It pulled down in place when I installed it on the aluminum LS1 block and seems to be alright. I do a lot of MIG welding but TIG is the way to go here.

FastKat

iTrader: (10)

I had a guy weld my pan, and he said that because it was cast aluminum, it was critical to get it "perfectly" clean... free of solvents, degreaser, cleaner, etc. I sprayed on degreaser and steam cleaned the pan to get the heavy stuff off. Then, at the welder's direction, I ran the pan through the dishwasher (with regular dish soap) and then took it to him the next day. My pan turned out great. Nice welds, and no leaks!

Check out my website below for pics - they're about halfway down the page.

n97240

iTrader: (2)

Ive got the same welder(3200hd) with the aluminum kit and 100% argon and i have never had any kind of decent results on aluminum with it. You just have no way to control heat during the weld. Im no kind of expert by any means but i gave it a lot of effort with **** poor results.

brian g

iTrader: (1)

Ok,Ok!!!!!
I'm convinced!
I'm as stubborn as two mules, but when this many people tell me to get it done with a high frequency TIG by a proper welder.....thats what I'm going to do.
After I degrease and than use brake cleaner-degrease again, than run through the dishwasher a few times.

Thanks all for the sage advice!
I'll post pics of the project after I get the motor and trans mounts made up, and cut and reinforce the stock X-member, It's been a slow one, but I've really enjoyed it so far.
Cheers!

brian g

iTrader: (1)

On second thought, maybe the brake cleaner won't be used....

http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

-TheBandit-

iTrader: (1)

That article has been circulated a lot among welding/fabrication forums. Brake cleaner is volatile at room temperature, so if you let your part sit out for a while, even pools of collected brake cleaner will eventually vaporize. My personal opinion is that brake cleaner can be safely used to clean parts before welding as long as you apply it to a cool part and give adequate time for it to evaporate prior to welding.

Marcello7x

iTrader: (10)

Did you have it done yet? I would like to see pictures, also Im curious if anyone here has actually welded cast aluminum? Im picking up a tig hopefully soon and will be learning aluminum welding for a little intake idea i have. Sometime next spring summer i will be modifying a pan so i want to know how different it is to regular aluminum. I have a spare pan to screw up on, so im ok.

The way i look at is, you gain experience after you need it, and everything was above someones skill level at some point.