freeky

anybody use these to hold your cold side pipes together .https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultrafuse-A...S!-1:rk:7:pf:0
if so how did it work ? how much boost will it hold

panda240ss

i dont think that would work tbh, at least i wouldnt trust it

freeky

im sounding cheap i know but a welder for aluminum is not in the car budget this year . ive got a cheap mig but i dont think they make a spool gun for mine

panda240ss

Its not about sounding cheap, **** if it works it works just i feel/dont trust it to be honest. you dont want it to crap out on you while on the road or track.

now yes it can work but i much rather take it to get actual welded on. its just my opinion.

TastyBacon

iTrader: (1)

I think this may be one of those cases of "if it was a good idea, everybody would be doing it."

Go ahead and call me a redneck, but I don't see why people get hung up on cold side pipes having to be aluminum. We are mostly talking about street cars/trucks with junkyard motors here. 18ga steel works just fine. MIG it up, paint it, done.

freeky

i like your train of thought .but i can get a 3" aluminum intercooler pipe kit for 85 dollars

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

it dont take a bunch of strength to hold 20psi. I'm sure it'll hold. i've seen these rods at autozone, in a lesser quantity. pick up a pack. weld a couple pipes together and pressure test. I dont think its a bad idea.

jordoza

Ive actually used rod like that before. It gave so so results. It worked but id rather have a welded pipe anyday. Prep is super important when using it.

i also ran mild steel pipes at first with my set up and barely saw a difference in temps when i moved to aluminium.

rpturbo

iTrader: (47)

There are a few videos up of guys using it on you tube, and the one I seen, the guy pounded on it with a hammer, and bent the pipe over 90*'s and the joint held, and never failed.

truckdoug

iTrader: (25)

I used that stuff on a pot metal pulley for my drill press. worked good. more like fillet brazing than welding per se.

probably the cheapest/easiest way to go is making your own bead "roller" crimper and lots of silicone couplers

HighAltitude

The aluminum "brazing" rods work ok. The problem you will have is aluminum takes a lot of heat to keep the joint hot enough to get a good flow of the rod. Some of the rods are better than others depending on the flux. problem i always had was getting enough heat as aluminum pulls all the heat away quite quickly although with lightweight tubing the problem might be getting the joint too hot. It will also depend on the type of aluminum as some grades will "wet" and on some the melted rod almost beads off of them. I have heard with something like a jewelers torch they work quite well in some situations and can be as strong as brazing is with steel. I would get a few and practice on some scrap as the ones i had got flung out the back door of the shop.

freeky

thanks guys for the inputt . i think im gonna get some pipe an try it an pressure test it an see . i got a air compressure an a pressure tester in the basement

panda240ss

report back on how it goes!

freeky

you know it

mightyquickz28

iTrader: (8)

I'd used if for that purpose awhile back. It really is quite strong, but the problem with it is, once you get your aluminum hot enough to melt it, it runs like water. So if you welded one side, let it cool, the went either beside it or opposite, once the aluminum tube reaches the melting point, the first weld you put on runs off too, I kinda got around that by 'belling' the lower tube so that it had a slight 'trumpet' look. Holding it vertical, then putting the second pipe into the 'bell', when I melted the aluminum rod, it went around in the trough/moat and kept it in place. Once I removed the propane flame, it cooled and was very strong. It looked 'meh' though. Not a very handsome joint.

mightyquickz28

iTrader: (8)

Here's the link …. Aluminum weld

truckdoug

iTrader: (25)

yeah id think you would need to finish it out and paint it, much like fillet brazed bicycles. once you get good with heat control, you'll see the filler runs to the hottest part of the joint so you constantly have to watch where that is....tough with ally since it doesnt change color.

i bet with a bunch of practice one could get good at it.

but with that same time spent, you could earn money to buy a tig which is much easier and faster than fillet brazing

freeky

ive got a mig Triple-A Specialty Co model 90430 multi mig welder im trying to find a spool gun for it right now

pdxmotorhead

Don't know if others have done it,, but to join tubes if you use a short sleeve and slip both pieces your joining in side, a mapp-gas torch and silver solder does a good job, I've fixed several aluminum radiators with it,, Built a couple metal radiator "hoses" when rubber just was not going to be a good idea..

I just clean the metal as well as I can, use a good al flux and sweat it together just like copper pipe.. Its as strong as the tubing (Probably stronger) And its easy to slip fit everything together then solder them in place.

Cheers

pdxmotorhead

Oh and the beast way to get the sleeves is to take some tube to a muffler shop and have them expand it on their bender, then just cut the pieces off with a chop saw, 3/4" long.. so you end up with a bunch of rings ...