Ocv and idler set up

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Having trouble setting the ocv at high idle.  What is the proper procedure?  Maybe I'm missing something69 sa 200
Reply:Originally Posted by dg09usHaving trouble setting the ocv at high idle.  What is the proper procedure?  Maybe I'm missing something
Reply:With the factory punch marks lined up between the generator "Rack" and the bell housing, the cold ocv should be around the 102 VDC at the output studs on a F163 engine, On a F162 engine  the cold ocv should be around the 97VDC mark.ON a machine that doesn't have the punch marks, then you have to rotate and lock the rack on high rpm that the brushes do not spark. That is an idicator that the rack is is a true north south polarity.
Reply:Originally Posted by dg09usHaving trouble setting the ocv at high idle.  What is the proper procedure?  Maybe I'm missing something
Reply:Thx guys.  I'm having trouble now with my machine surging while welding any ideas?  I'm guessing carb adjustment but not sure.  At idle it's seems fine but when welding it surges69 sa 200
Reply:Its surging cause your governor is too loose and not set correctly
Reply:I agree.  I remember an old SA I was using that started surging and I found it to be an improperly adjusted throttle rod (from the governor).  All that needs to be up to stuff to work right.  I can't remember much now but I do remember that. lolAlso, something I though of today while at work.  Back in the day we used to play with the RPM's and the rack to "dial in" our SA's to suit our needs, where today, with these now modern style welders, we simply turn the amp knob and twist on the dig control to get what we want.  In a very similar way - that was what we were doing way back then, only it was a manual deal with those old SA welders.  Once dialed we wanted it to just stay there.  One reason was so we could get used to it (learn how to weld with it) and the other was because how much of a PITA it was to get setup.    Modern welders are so easy to setup about anyone can do it, where back then - many welders were actually afraid to do any of that so they just struggled with it as it was. lol  IMO in many ways modern day machines are great, as long as I can get what I think I want from its dials.  Because if I can't then I probably won't be getting it.  We had those same limitations back then I guess, but somehow we managed, so I guess we can do so today also. lolJust a though.Good luck guys.Last edited by slowhand; 10-20-2010 at 08:34 PM.
Reply:I figured the gov but after trying to set where I thought was good (93 ocv 121v) it's not.  Wayyyy too hot.  I don't get it.  Before it was welding fine before.  Just a little long to idle down.  Now I burn a 5/32 or 3/16 on 3rd gear or 120-190 fine adj on 50 and too hot.  Watery.   What gives.  I need a starting point to go on.  Tried going by the manual but not working out.  Still trying. Any help is greatly appreciated69 sa 200
Reply:Looking at your 93/121 numbers I would think your exciter is putting out pretty good.  Without knowing exactly what the RPM's are makes everything else just a guess.  I like the Omega digital RPM hand meter.  I found mine online and I love it.  I say you need one.Just guessing about the year of your machine I would guess it in the 80's or early 90's and the RPM's at about 1550 or more.  (probably more +).  If so then "yes",. setup that way they were hot to me also.I like 150/50 to be a kinda hot 1/8 bead on light wall pipe. (150/40 to be good in good space - about 100-105 amps/28 volts).  150/50 would be about 110-115 amps and 28 volts - or so.  I wouldn't expect a 5 to be very hot on 150/50.  Maybe about a cold cap heat.  If I were capping light wall with a 3 on 150 then I'd be expecting to be on about 70 to 80 or so and putting out about 130 amps or so and 26 volts.  In reality these numbers would only be for me because everyone else will be different and have their on heat requirements bases on the way they weld.IMO A Wet machine is a fast machine.  Wet won't fill because the puddle stays liquid too long.  There are several things I've found that can make a welder have too wet a puddle.  Exciter brushes,  main brushes,  rack,  RPM's, and the condition of the fields and windings just to name a few.  A dirty brush and armature IMO can make the puddle seem wet because the arc gets rougher and that roughness makes me run more heat to compensate. Dirty brushes seems to cut my voltage which makes my puddle amp heavy and wet.  If the rack is rolled hot then its going to be somewhat wet.  I was told many years ago to not hire out running hot passes with my machine because it'll burn up the windings and you won't be able to cap with it then.  Burned up winding can make the puddle seem wet IMO and a wet puddle is harder for me to cap with.  Low welding voltage makes my puddle wet and harder for me to weld with.You need a good clamp on amp meter and volt meter.  I got mine at sears for about $100 and its a good one.  I use it a lot.  I used it today BTW.   Knowing the numbers it's putting out with help you.  I promise.I say try 89.5 and check the RPM's.  If its about 1500 and its putting out about 145 amps on 200/40 at 26 volts with a normal arc length and a 3/16 8010 then I'd bet you I'd like it myself.  You may not like it there but you're allowed not to.  Later manGood luckLast edited by slowhand; 10-22-2010 at 08:56 PM.
Reply:Machine is a 6969 sa 200
Reply:Hey thx to all for your help and insight.  Sorry for not getting back to everyone on the update on how it wa running but last I checked it was 91 92 ocv an 119v.  That wa at 240/100.  I checked that Wednesday before I went to the hospital to see my baby boy being born.  So I haven't had time due to lak of sleep and time.   I noticed that It was wanting to rev a little  after it would come back down after high idle.  In other words at low idle it would want to idle a little higher then back low again.  After a few times it would settle.  I did change the wires and plugs.  (automate 3116).  I had an older man look at it to adjust it and he said it was fine bit he Sao to set ocv with it on 0 and range selector on any gear.  Never heard of this.   Everyone I've talked to has said 240/100 so that's what I'm going withLastly.... How do you hook up a tack to check rpm?   Gonna get one tomorrow69 sa 200
Reply:Silly question but you if set the ocv @ 89.5 1500 rpm should be able to cap like a dream on bottoms?   I been have some trouble capping bottoms for some reason (undercut).  Unknowingly you may have solved my undercut problem.  Gonna Get back to diamond my machine and track me down an omega.   Thx again slowhand for all your help69 sa 200
Reply:Sorry but that old guy was wrong and that is easy to prove with your voltmeter.  As you turn down the rheostat the voltage on the welding leads will go down too(the OCV in your case).  Since you're got it set to about 91-92 now - when you turn down the rheostat to its lowest value the OCV will read about 55 volts.  If you were to crank up the RPM's and try to raise that 55 volts up to 92 - your machine would be running 15,000 RPM's, not 1,500.  -------The RPM's are easy to figure out if you think of them as being the drive knob so to speak on a more modern machine.  (it can also be the 'blow' knob if not set right ).A low RPM machine (within reason of course) makes it easier for me to cap a bottom because (especially on heavy wall pipe - wider welds) the drive is down and the weld puddle is more calm and easier to control.  But I find it hard to run the root if the rpm's are set too low because the puddle doesn't seem to have any spray so to speak.A high RPM machine (with lots of drive) seems to make the weld puddle active and it might even seem to blow at times.  An active puddle is great when you need it, but it makes it harder for me to cap a bottom with because it tends to blow the side walls off the bevels and run everything to the middle of the weld (sag).This all makes sense if you think out it right.  If you were laying there capping along on the bottom and someone turned down the RPMs on your machine it would slow down your hand and the weld puddle would become less active.  If they cranked up the RPMs then you'd need to really get after it to stay with the program.  The harder they cranked it the faster your hand movements would be.  At some point you'd begin to "fight it" because the machine would be "too fast" for you.  Get it?So from a production standpoint if you were in the front-end (in the pipegang) then you'd probably turn up the rpm's a little, and if you were on the firing line then turn them down a little.  And if you were on tie-ins then you'd have the rpm's set to somewhere in the middle of that.  When you test you would probably want them set like a tie-in setup.  Years ago if I were on the firing line on heavy wall my SA200 would be set so the hottest heat I needed (my first filler pass) was 200/100.  If you were put a tach on my machine it would be in the upper 1400's and sound like it was "cackling" out the exhaust. haha  Once that firing line got "fired up" and someone took off - then I'd be forced to "come back up" on my RPMs just to keep up. If you were to be watching my "hand" during that whole job you would find that at first I was moving calmly and easily on the bottom while running those low RPMs but then when I came up on them my hand movements would also come up.Running high rpms means you must keep up with the process and get your game moving with it.  You can't weld calmly and softly when they're cranked because that would defeat the purpose IMO.  You must get with it so to speak. Good luck manLast edited by slowhand; 10-31-2010 at 07:30 AM.
Reply:Thx again for all the info.  When my machine idles back down it wants to speed the low idle up by itself.  Like it's not adjusted right.   After a little of that it evens out.   Don't know why it does it.69 sa 200