Snowmobile repair

admin

A friend of mine runs a powersports shop. He has a Artic Cat ZRT800 in there that the guy ran a track stud right through the heat exchanger and the coolant leaks bad. The exchanger is actually part of the tunnel and cannot be replaced. It is welded in the tunnel. Brian said when this happens the insurance company's will total the sled out. He asked me if I could weld it, since I bought this new tig I have the mobility to do so. I took my set up to his shop and welded it up. The exchanger is coated with a undercoating, I'm assuming to reduce the oxidation on the aluminum exchanger. With my old transformer rectifier machine I would have never been able to weld this. This was some nasty dirty aluminum. I set the AC balance to max and adjusted the frequency relatively low and just welded it like it was new aluminum... I'm just amazed by the difference! I won't shy away from dirty aluminum from now on.Here is the tear from the studs.
Reply:Hard Times: Can you explain "AC balance to max"? Do you mean you set it for maximum cleaning? Do you know what percentage that relates too? Also what electrode and filler material did you use?I ask because I have a similar repair required on a motorcycle engine.Thanks in advance for your reply.
Reply:Originally Posted by 84JSDHard Times: Can you explain "AC balance to max"? Do you mean you set it for maximum cleaning? Do you know what percentage that relates too? Also what electrode and filler material did you use?I ask because I have a similar repair required on a motorcycle engine.Thanks in advance for your reply.
Reply:Glad that TA 186 is working out for you.At least on my TA machines, they show balance percentage in percent EP.  Most manuals and machines describe balanced based on percent EN.  So at 65 on your machine, your tungsten spends 65 % of its AC wave time in EP.  So 30% more time in EP than EN.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Hard Times & DRF255: Thank you for the clarification. Very helpful.
Reply:Interesting repair.  Since it's so expensive to replace, I'm betting others weld them too.Dave J.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.