Can aluminum oil coolers be recored?

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Hello....  I am new to this forum so I am not sure just how to post my question....  I have just purchased a Dynasty 200 DX and am wondering if anyone TIG welds on aluminum oil coolers.... specifically, cutting the tanks off the aluminum core and welding the tanks onto a new core (whether bar-and-plate or extruded tube style).  The oil field and the forestry industries provide many large machines that all use solid aluminum coolers to cool the hydraulic systems.  Can these coolers be recored or remanufactured?  (as the water radiators are?)  Thank you for your interest and help in this matter.
Reply:I have welded a bunch of big aluminum oil coolers used on drill rigs, never "recored" one but Have cut section out of the tanks, welded the leaking tubes shut and welded the tank sections back on.  These coolers were around 40 grand new so a 5 grand repair was way worth it to the customer.  I would imagine it woouldn't be to difficult to recore one though, maybe even easier than having to cut a section out of the tank and weld it back on because the ones I have done had tanks that seemed to be made of a solid block of aluminum with a round hole bored through it making the thickess change all around the tank.  Just welding the tank "on" you would be dealing with the same thickness all the way accross and I would believe that would be easier.  Just my opinion.6 Miller Big Blue 600 Air Paks2 Miller 400D6 Lincoln LN-25's4 Miller Xtreme 12VS2 Miller Dimension 812 4 Climax BW-3000Z bore welders Hypertherm 65 and 85Bug-O Track BugPair of Welpers
Reply:Will my Dynasty 200 DX be enough for repairing and recoring aluminum oil coolers?Example project: buncher oil cooler- cut tanks off core and weld them onto a new bar-and-plate core.Last edited by zapster; 03-13-2012 at 10:42 PM.
Reply:What is the thickness of the area to be welded?
Reply:Thickness of tank walls are about 1/8" and the core is header is flat and about 1/8" as well I believe.  This would be a butt-joint in this particular case.
Reply:According to Miller, the Dynasty 200 can weld that.
Reply:I get some Valmet buncher oil coolers in that have tanks that look like they were bored out of a solid block of aluminum and cut in half, so they can be 1/2" thick and thicker, if you know what I mean....  I would love to discuss oil cooler remanufacturing with someone who has done this sort of thing successfully and consistently.How do you press test a cooler?  With nitrogen? at what pressures?  And other questions!
Reply:Originally Posted by rLeeI get some Valmet buncher oil coolers in that have tanks that look like they were bored out of a solid block of aluminum and cut in half, so they can be 1/2" thick and thicker, if you know what I mean....  I would love to discuss oil cooler remanufacturing with someone who has done this sort of thing successfully and consistently.How do you press test a cooler?  With nitrogen? at what pressures?  And other questions!
Reply:rLee i would think if the pressures are higher than say 100 psig i would consider using a liquid medium due to the safety concerns of air og gases ability to cause a lot of damage if there is a rupture.that is why welding stores hydro test the gas cylinders instead of using gases ....if it fails it is much saferAfter the arc has died the weld remains