175T spool gun conversion?

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This may seem like an odd question...  but I have to believe there is a way to convert a Lincoln 175T (about 4-5 years old) to be compatible with a spool gun setup.  I realize that the plug and trigger are different from the newer lower power lincoln welders (now able to use spool guns), now using a 4-wire Amphenol plug, but I am hoping there may be a solution.  I simply cannot justify purchasing a new welder, and keeping my work a straight stretch away from my welder is becoming a pain in the rear for welding aluminum.  Any suggestions other than sorry not possible?
Reply:I'm pretty sure Lincoln would have done it if it is possible
Reply:Sorry not really possible.Oh, you didn't want that answer?ahem, why sure you can do that.  All you have to do is get pretty much everything from a PM180 except the outside sheetmetal and maybe a knob or two, and then put all that into the shell of a 175T.  Then you can run a spoolgun.Or sell the 175T and then buy a PM180 and the SG100.
Reply:This is a poor solution, but, have you considered a alum feeding kit.....I believe that they had them for that unit....Yeah, yeah, I know you are a weldor too. But, are you a good one?
Reply:I have a PM180 and am about to get the spoolgun for it and I was actually wondering what makes the 175 non-compatable with the spoolgun option. One thing I have learned over the years is don't take people's words for anything or you will never figure anything out yourself. I have done lots of things that people said was not possable.I believe the specs are about the same on both units so i don't see why you couldn't make something work. take some pics of the end of your gun were it connects to the welder and the plug and let me see how it compares to mine.Last edited by 737mechanic; 05-12-2008 at 02:15 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by 737mechanictake some pics of the end of your gun were it connects to the welder and the plug and let me see how it compares to mine.
Reply:Thanks for the responses...  Understandably if there was an 'easy' answer I would have found it in some forum already.  My guess is that Lincoln did not provide this conversion feature because there are no additional contacts, isolated or otherwise, on the 175T other than the trigger.  Looking on the newer lincoln I saw that there were 4 wires in the little canon/amphenol plug on the front of the unit, my GUESS is that one of these is an isolated circuit to power (either) the spool feed in the unit or in a gun.  If a gun were selected, perhaps it would then power (on another isolated circuit) the motor in the spool gun via the 'other' pair of wires in the plug.  I was thinking something along the lines of a small control box added to the unit with a relay and perhaps a small transformer if the spool gun motor required other voltage than 110/220v.  Then re-route the leads from the trigger through the relay, providing a switch closure on one set of contacts to make the gun contact tip 'hot', while another set of contacts on that same relay (an isolated set) to provide power to the spool gun motor, whatever voltage it may require.  These are all assumptions, but it doesn't seem unfathomable by any stretch.I was hoping for open minds, possible experience, and maybe a few bits of information such as:what are the four wires in the spool gun plug for? switch closure, power, etc.? also, what voltage is the spool gun motor?Thanks again for the responses.  I wish selling one unit and buying another were possible, but I simply don't have the dough.  However I might have $20-30 for a relay, a transformer if needed, and about an hour or two of time (being optomistic here).
Reply:If you have the operators manual the wiring diagram is in it, if you want I could scan mine and send to you so you can compare the two. It looks like it should be easy to do if the internals are close to the same.  Let me know. It looks like all it does is routes the 2 motor wires to the spoolgun. If someone has the spoolgun option could they post the wiring diagram for it please or send it to me. That would tell me what is fully required to do this.Last edited by 737mechanic; 05-13-2008 at 06:46 PM.
Reply:If you want the manuals, which include the schematics IIRC, just go to Lincoln's website and download the PDFs.
Reply:Thanks Moonrise I downloaded and had a look at them and it does look like the 175 and 180 are quite different on the inside. Could probably still be done but may take some doing to figure it out. Actually I dont see why there needs to be a selector switch anyway, as long as you take out your wire spool from the welder inself what would be the harm of having the motor in the welder continue to drive at the same time the spoolgun is in operation.